Heat pump energized by low-grade heat source

Apparatus which receives its energy from a lowgrade heat source and provides heating and cooling for the interior of a building, said apparatus being operable to execute an intermittent adsorption heat pump cycle, said apparatus comprising:

• 1. two hermetically sealed spaces, each space defined by:
• (a) a first chamber containing an adsorbent material and a refrigerant, said first chamber being in thermal communication with a first heat exchanger operative in a desorption mode to exchange heat with said low-grade heat source and in an adsorption mode to exchange heat with air from the atmosphere;
• (b) a second chamber for condensing and vaporizing said refrigerant, said second chamber being in thermal communication with a second heat exchanger operative to exchange heat with said interior selectively to heat or cool same;
• and
• 2. conduit means for conveying said fluid which has been heated in said adsorption mode in one said space to be further heated by said low-grade heat source and received by said first heat exchange in said other space to heat said adsorbent in its desorption mode.

A process for heating and cooling an interior space by using a low-grade heat source, the process comprising the steps of:

• 1. providing first and second pressure tight enclosures, each enclosure having a working refrigerant, an adsorbent material, a condenser and an evaporator therein, said adsorbent material being in thermal communication with a conduit which is provided for its respective enclosure, said adsorbent material being capable of adsorbing said refrigerant exothermically;
• 2. providing a low-grade heat source and means for it to be alternatively in thermal communication with said conduit for each said enclosure;
• 3. raising the vapor pressure of said refrigerant in said first enclosure and desorbing the refrigerant from said adsorbent material using said low-grade heat source;
• 4. allowing refrigerant vapor in said first enclosure to be received by said condenser therein, condensing said refrigerant vapor, and transferring said refrigerant's heat of condensation to said internal space or to the atmosphere;
• 5. lowering the vapor pressure of said refrigerant in said second enclosure by adsorbing said refrigerant by said adsorbent, and transferring the heat of adsorption thereby generated to said first enclosure via said conduits;
• and
• 6. repeating steps 3, 4 and 5 in the opposite of said enclosures.