Absorption Induced Caloric Effects and Uses Thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to use of a fluid to drive a phase transition induced by absorption/desorption of the fluid into and out of the caloric material. A method is providing in which a sorptiocaloric material is contacted with a fluid such that the fluid is absorbed into and at least partially throughout the sorptiocaloric material to induce a phase transition and heat is permitted to flow to or from the sorptiocaloric material. The fluid is then released and is desorbed out of the sorptiocaloric material to induce the reverse phase transition and reverse heat flow. The sorptiocaloric phase transition is capable of very large latent heats under ambient conditions making it potentially useful in conventional cooling and heating applications as well as thermal storage.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.