Solar-powered cooling system
View Patent ↗A solar-powered adsorption-desorption refrigeration and air conditioning system that uses nanostructural materials such as aerogels, zeolites, and sol gels as the adsorptive media. Refrigerant molecules are adsorbed on the high surface area of the nanostructural material while the material is at a relatively low temperature, perhaps at night. During daylight hours, when the nanostructural materials is heated by the sun, the refrigerant are thermally desorbed from the surface of the aerogel, thereby creating a pressurized gas phase in the vessel that contains the aerogel. This solar-driven pressurization forces the heated gaseous refrigerant through a condenser, followed by an expansion valve. In the condenser, heat is removed from the refrigerant, first by circulating air or water. Eventually, the cooled gaseous refrigerant expands isenthalpically through a throttle valve into an evaporator, in a fashion similar to that in more conventional vapor recompression systems.
1. A method of solar-powered adsorption-desorption refrigeration that provides cooling over a first time period and a second time period, comprising the step of:
providing a first bed of adsorption media of a first nanostructural material made of an first aerogel, providing a refrigerant to the first bed of absorption media;
providing a first shade adapted to selectively block sun energy from said first bed of adsorption media;
providing a second bed of adsorption media of a second nanostructural material;
providing a second shade adapted to selectively block sun energy from said second bed of adsorption media;
providing a condenser and an expansion valve fluidly connected to the refrigerant in the first bed of absorption media;
enabling said first bed of adsorption media to receive sun energy during the first time period;
circulating said refrigerant from said first bed of adsorption media to said condenser and expansion valve to provide cooling during the first time period,
enabling said second shade to block sun energy from said second bed of adsorption media during the first time period;
circulating said refrigerant from said condenser and expansion valve to said second bed of adsorption media during the first time period;
enabling said second bed of adsorption media to receive sun energy during the second time period;
circulating said refrigerant from said second bed of adsorption media to said condenser and expansion valve to provide cooling during the second time period,
enabling said first shade to block sun energy from said first bed of adsorption media during the second time period; and
circulating said refrigerant from said condenser and expansion valve to said first bed of adsorption media during the second time period.
2. the method of solar-powered adsorption-desorption refrigeration that prides cooling over a first time period and a second time period of claim 1 , wherein said first time period is a first day and wherein said second time period is a second day.