Looking for breakthrough ideas for innovation challenges? Try Patsnap Eureka!

Metal hydride based vehicular exhaust cooler

a technology of metal hydride and vehicular exhaust, which is applied in indirect heat exchangers, lighting and heating apparatus, greenhouse gas reduction, etc., can solve the problems of unacceptably high rate, 10% of the environmental damage of today's freon, and consumption of engine power that would otherwise be available for propulsion

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-12-15
HERA USA
View PDF8 Cites 8 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] In one aspect the present invention provides a metal hydride heat pump comprising a first compartment, including a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet, wherein the first fluid inlet is configured for fluid communication with the first fluid outlet; a second compartment, including a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet, wherein the first fluid inlet is configured for fluid communication with the second fluid outlet; and a plurality of metal hydride vessels, each of the vessels being mounted to and disposed within each of the first and second compartments, and each of the vessels containing at least a hydrided form of a low temperature metal hydride material, a hydridable form of a high temperature metal hydride material, and gaseous hydrogen, wherein the hydridable form of a high temperature metal hydride material is in fluid communication with the hydrided form of a low temperatu...

Problems solved by technology

When the air conditioner operates, it consumes engine power that would otherwise be available for propulsion.
New refrigerant formulations are claimed to cause only 10% of the environmental damage of today's freon, but even this rate is unacceptably high.

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Metal hydride based vehicular exhaust cooler
  • Metal hydride based vehicular exhaust cooler
  • Metal hydride based vehicular exhaust cooler

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

Embodiment Construction

[0036] There are a number of metals that possess the remarkable ability to absorb large quantities of hydrogen gas. Absorption occurs under specific temperature and pressure conditions. The hydrogen is released (desorbed) when the alloy temperature is elevated or the pressure is reduced. The absorption / desorption phenomenon is a “reversible” reaction and the metals that absorb hydrogen are called reversible metal hydride materials.

[0037] When a reversible metal hydride material absorbs hydrogen gas, heat is given off; the reaction is exothermic. In order to desorb hydrogen from the metal hydride material, heat is required; the reaction is endothermic. If the desorbing material takes its heat from ambient temperature air, the air temperature decreases, thus producing the refrigeration associated with air conditioning.

[0038] The reversible metal hydride reaction can be expressed in the simplified chemical equation:

M+H⇄MH

where M is a metal or metal alloy and H is hydrogen. The top...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

PUM

No PUM Login to View More

Abstract

A metal hydride heat pump comprising a first compartment, including a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet, wherein the first fluid inlet is configured for fluid communication with the first fluid outlet; a second compartment, including a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet, wherein the first fluid inlet is configured for fluid communication with the second fluid outlet; and a plurality of metal hydride vessels, each of the vessels being mounted to and disposed within each of the first and second compartments, and each of the vessels containing at least a hydrided form of a low temperature metal hydride material, a hydridable form of a high temperature metal hydride material, and gaseous hydrogen, wherein the hydridable form of a high temperature metal hydride material is in fluid communication with the hydrided form of a low temperature metal hydride material, such that heat can be transferred from (a) fluid flowing through the first compartment to (b) the hydrided form of a low temperature metal hydride material, so as to effect desorption of hydrogen from the hydrided form of a low temperature metal hydride material, and such that the hydridable form of a high temperature metal hydride material is configured to absorb the desorbed hydrogen and generate heat upon the absorption such that the generated heat can be transferred to fluid flowing through the second compartment; wherein each of the vessels has an external surface area, and defines an internal volume for containing at least the hydrided form of a low temperature metal hydride material, the hydridable form of a high temperature metal hydride material, and gaseous hydrogen, wherein a ratio of the external surface area to the internal volume is greater than 45 in2 per cubic inch.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to the field of metal hydride-based heat pumps and, in particular, metal hydride based heat pumps used for air conditioning. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A metal hydride based heat pump has been developed for vehicular applications, and particularly for passenger compartment air conditioning using energy from the hot exhaust gas of a vehicle, such as an automobile. Although the invention is described in relation to an automobile, it is understood that the present invention can find application in any type of vehicle which produces a hot exhaust gas. [0003] There are a number of other heating and cooling applications that might be satisfied by this metal hydride heat pump technology including: [0004] near instant passenger compartment heating for cold winter days; [0005] preheating the catalytic converter upon cold engine start up to reduce air pollution emissions; [0006] cooling for electronic components and batteries; [0007...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to View More
IPC IPC(8): F28D20/00F28D7/00F25B17/02B60H1/32F25B17/08F25B17/00F28F1/10F25B15/00F28D15/00F25B17/12
CPCB60H1/32F25B17/12F28D20/003Y02E60/142Y02E70/30B60H1/32011Y02E60/14
Inventor GOLBEN, PETER MARK
Owner HERA USA
Who we serve
  • R&D Engineer
  • R&D Manager
  • IP Professional
Why Patsnap Eureka
  • Industry Leading Data Capabilities
  • Powerful AI technology
  • Patent DNA Extraction
Social media
Patsnap Eureka Blog
Learn More
PatSnap group products

Browse by: Latest US Patents, China's latest patents, Technical Efficacy Thesaurus, Application Domain, Technology Topic, Popular Technical Reports.

© 2024 PatSnap. All rights reserved.Legal|Privacy policy|Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement|Sitemap|About US| Contact US: help@patsnap.com