Next-generation ammonia adsorption heat pump cycles and technology 1=Energy 2=Energy Efficiency

减少与家庭供暖相关的二氧化碳排放。一种氨水吸收技术已商业化，具有良好的GUE（气体利用效率，热输出/进入气体的总热值c。1.4)但投资成本高。氨-碳吸附循环正在开发中，GUE降低到1.2，但资本成本可以承受。存在两种可能性来改善吸附循环GUE而不显著增加资本成本。一种是碳氨技术的发展，采用具有改进的热回收的多个吸附器，另一种是使用化学吸附剂，通常是嵌入石墨基质中并用于再吸收循环的卤化物盐。这两种吸附剂都是沃里克初步工作的主题，研究方案将首先进行充分的分析和建模，以决定活性炭或金属卤化物吸附剂类型中哪一种具有更大的最终商业应用潜力。碳吸附剂当然可以达到1.4的GUE，代价是一些额外的复杂性。金属盐路线的技术成熟度较低，但理论上可以在双盐循环中提供1.5的GUE，在三盐循环中提供2.0的GUE。碳吸附剂被很好地表征和理解。其难点在于构造低热质、传热传质好、成本低的炭质氨吸附器，这是多年来人们努力的课题。具有高级热回收的多床在设计和模拟中引入了进一步的复杂性。金属盐体系中的吸附剂非常不同，因为盐包含在导电（非吸附）石墨基质中，这提高了导电性。再吸收周期还具有较少组分的益处。然而，发生的化学反应更有问题，反应速率非常难以预测。在碳-氨机器中的活性炭总是处于化学平衡并且操作受到热传递限制的情况下，在金属盐-氨系统中，永远不会有平衡，操作性能取决于知之甚少的反应速率动力学。（预计在第9个月）研究将进入详细的设计和模拟阶段，在此阶段，使用大温度跃变（LTJ）在“单元格”水平上评估拟议的吸附器设计。技术已经在沃里克建立。随着吸附器设计的验证，概念验证机器（3-10千瓦输出）的建造将开始，并开始控制策略的模拟。POC机器将首先在ThermExS实验室进行测试，该实验室是在EPSRC资本拨款下专门建造的，用于轻松评估新型热力学系统。它由四个计算机控制的热浴，阀门和泵组件组成，作为热源和散热器，温度从-10到180 C，功率从7到30 kW。这种水平的测试，电加热和实验室内足以证明所选择的循环/吸附剂，并产生值得博士学位的新知识。然而，很有可能到这个时候，沃里克将有新的资助项目，这将使工作走得更远，也许与一个独立的系统中的气体燃烧器集成。

in reducing the CO2 emissions associated with domestic heating. One ammonia - water absorption technology is commercialised, with good GUE (Gas Utilisation Efficiency, heat out/gross calorific value of gas in of c. 1.4) but high capital cost. An ammonia - carbon adsorption cycle is under development, offering reduced GUE of 1.2 but affordable capital cost. Two possibilities exist to improve the adsorption cycle GUE without a major increase in capital cost. One is a development of the carbon ammonia technology employing either multiple adsorbers with improved heat recovery and the other using chemical adsorbents, generally halide salts embedded in a graphite matrix and used in resorption cycles. Both have been the subject of preliminary work at Warwick.The research programme will first undertake sufficient analysis and modelling to decide which of either the active carbon or metal halide adsorbent types has the greater potential for eventual commercial adoption. The carbon adsorbent can certainly achieve a GUE of 1.4 at the expense of some extra complexity. The metal salt route is lower Technology Readiness Level but in theory could offer a GUE of 1.5 in a two-salt cycle and 2.0 in a three-salt cycle.The challenges presented by the two technologies are somewhat different. The carbon adsorbent is well characterised and understood. The difficulties are in construction of a carbon ammonia adsorber with low thermal mass, good heat and mass transfer and low cost; this has already been the subject of many years' effort. A multiple bed with advanced heat recovery introduces further complexities in design and simulation. The adsorbers in a metal salt system are very different in that the salts are contained within a conductive (non-adsorbing) graphite matrix which improves conductivity. The resorption cycles also have the benefits of fewer components. However, the chemical reactions that take place are much more problematic with reaction rates very difficult to predict. Where the active carbon in the carbon-ammonia machines is always in chemical equilibrium and operation is heat transfer limited, within metal salt - ammonia systems there is never equilibrium and operational performance depends on the poorly understood reaction rate dynamics.Having made a choice between the two competing technologies (expected by Month 9) the research will enter a detailed design and simulation phase in which proposed adsorber designs are evaluated at 'unit-cell' level using the Large Temperature Jump (LTJ) technique already established at Warwick. With the validation of the adsorber design, construction of a proof of concept machine (3-10 kW output) will commence and simulation of control strategies begun. The POC machine will be tested first in the ThermExS laboratory, purpose-built under an EPSRC capital grant for the easy evaluation of novel thermodynamic systems. It consists of four computer-controlled thermal baths, valve and pump assemblies that act as heat sources and sinks from -10 to 180 C and powers from 7 to 30 kW.This level of testing, electrically heated and within the laboratory is sufficient to prove the chosen cycle/adsorbents and result in new knowledge worthy of a PhD. However, it is quite probable that by this time there will be newly funded projects at Warwick that will enable the work to go further, perhaps integrating with a gas burner in a stand-alone system.