Chemical heat pump

A solar space heating system, comprising:

• a first container storing a vapor absorptive chemical, said first container being positioned to directly absorb incident solar radiation;
• a second container storing a material to be vaporized, said material forming a vapor which is absorbed by said chemical;
• means interconnecting said first and second containers for vapor transmission therebetween;
• a solar-energy transparent cover spaced from said first container;
• and
• means providing substantially eddy-free air flow between said transparent cover and said first container.

A vapor absorption heat pump comprising:

• a vaporizer container storing a liquid to be vaporized;
• a vapor absorptive chemical container, comprising:
• a layer of vapor absorptive chemicals;
• and
• a porous partition supporting said chemical layer and providing one wall of a vapor communication space, said container being evacuated;
• a vapor conduit interconnecting said vaporizer container and said vapor absorptive chemical container;
• and
• plural support members for supporting said porous partition spaced from said chemical container.

A solar heating method comprising the steps of:

• (a) exposing a container of vapor absorbing chemical to radiant solar energy to thus heat the chemical container and the chemical contained therein to a desorption temperature to drive off vapors absorbed in said chemical;
• (b) conducting the vapors desorbed from the chemical to a vaporizer container in thermal communication with a space to be heated;
• (c) condensing said vapor to a liquid in the vaporizer container thereby releasing sensible heat of the vapor and heat of condensation of the liquid thus warming the space in thermal communication with the vaporizer container;
• periodically removing the vaporizer container from thermal communication with the space to be warmed and during such period of removal evaporating the liquid to form a vapor which is absorbed by the chemical;
• and
• repeating Steps (a), (b) and (c).

A solar cooling method comprising the steps of:

• (a) exposing a container of a vapor absorbing chemical to radiant solar energy to thereby heat the container and the chemical therein to a desorption temperature to desorb a vapor therefrom;
• (b) condensing the desorbed vapor in an evaporator container to form a liquid in said container;
• (c) placing the evaporator container containing liquid in thermal communication with a space to be cooled;
• (d) reducing the vapor absorption chemical temperature to an absorption temperature below the desorption temperature;
• (e) vaporizing the liquid in the vaporizer container to absorb heat from and cool the space to be cooled and absorbing the vapor in the vapor absorbing chemical at an absorbing temperature;
• and
• (f) repeating Steps (a) through (e) to repeatedly recycle the vapor from the liquid phase into the chemically absorbed phase and back to the liquid phase.

A chemical heat pump comprising:

• at least one vaporizer container;
• at least one vapor absorption chemical in a container;
• vapor conduit means for selectively connecting the vaporizer containers to the chemical containers;
• means for thermally conducting heat between the vaporizer container and a space to be temperature conditioned;
• means positioning the vapor absorption chemical container in the path of radiant solar energy;
• and
• means positioning the vaporizer container out of the path of radiant solar energy;
• whereby radiant solar energy impinging upon the chemical container provides heat of desorption at a desorption temperature of said chemical to cause desorption of vapor previously absorbed at a lower absorption temperature than the desorption temperature of said chemical to thereby cyclically pump vapor from liquid in the vaporizer container to the chemical at an absorption temperature and to pump vapor from the chemical at a higher desorption temperature to condense as a liquid in the vaporizer container.