Refrigerators/freezers incorporating solid-vapor sorption reactors capable of high reaction rates

A cooling apparatus comprising:

• (a) a cabinet, case or container having a cooling chamber therein;
• (b) one or more reactors each containing a complex compound formed by adsorbing a polar gas on a metal salt, and in which said reactors said polar gas is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound, said metal salt comprising a halide, nitrate, nitrite, oxalate, perchlorate, sulfate or sulfite of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, zinc, cadmium, tin or aluminum, or sodium borofluoride or a double metal chloride or bromide, and wherein said complex compound is formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density thereof during said adsorption of said polar gas on said metal salt, whereby said complex compound is capable of increased reaction rates in the number of moles of said polar gas adsorbed and/or desorbed per mole of said complex compound per hour at adsorption or desorption times of less than 60 minutes, respectively, as compared to a complex compound formed without restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density thereof, wherein said one or more reactors comprise one or more reaction chambers having a maximum thermal diffusion path length of less than 1.5 mm;
• (c) condenser means for condensing said polar gas and evaporator means thermally exposed to said cooling chamber for providing cooling therein and conduits for directing said polar gas from said one or more reactors to said condenser means, and from said evaporator means to said one or more reactors, and
• (d) heating means cooperating with said one or more reactors for heating said complex compound therein.

A cooling apparatus comprising:

• (a) a cabinet, case or container having a cooling chamber therein;
• (b) one or more reactors each containing a complex compound formed by adsorbing a polar gas on a metal salt, and in which said reactors said polar gas is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound, said metal salt comprising a halide, nitrate, nitrite, oxalate, perchlorate, sulfate or sulfite of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, zinc, cadmium, tin or aluminum, or sodium borofluoride or a double metal chloride or bromide, and wherein said complex compound is formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density thereof during said adsorption of said polar gas on said metal salt, whereby said complex compound is capable of increased reaction rates in the number of moles of said polar gas adsorbed and/or desorbed per mole of said complex compound per hour at adsorption or desorption times of less than 60 minutes, respectively, as compared to a complex compound formed without restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density thereof, wherein said one or more reactors comprise one or more reaction chambers in which at least 60% of said metal salt or said complex compound, by weight, is within 25 mm or less of a gas distribution means;
• (c) condenser means for condensing said polar gas and evaporator means thermally exposed to said cooling chamber for providing cooling therein and conduits for directing said polar gas from said one or more reactors to said condenser means, and from said evaporator means to said one or more reactors, and
• (d) heating means cooperating with said one or more reactors for heating said complex compound therein.

A cooling apparatus comprising:

• (a) a cabinet, case or container having a cooling chamber therein;
• (b) one or more first reactors and one or more second reactors, each of said first reactors containing a first, relatively high vapor pressure complex compound and each of said second reactors containing a second complex compound having a lower vapor pressure than said first complex compound, said first and second complex compounds formed by adsorbing a polar gas on a metal salt, and in which said one or more reactors said polar gas is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound, said metal salt comprising a halide, nitrate, nitrite, oxalate, perchlorate, sulfate or sulfite of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, zinc, cadmium, tin or aluminum, or sodium borofluoride or a double metal chloride or bromide, and wherein said complex compound is formed by restricting the volumetric expansion thereof during said adsorption of said polar gas on said metal salt, whereby said complex compound is capable of increased reaction rates in the number of moles of said polar gas adsorbed and/or desorbed per mole of said complex compound per hour at adsorption or desorption times of less than 60 minutes, respectively, as compared to a complex compound formed without restricting the volumetric expansion thereof, wherein the equilibrium temperature of said first complex compound relative to evaporator temperature is at least 40.degree. C.;
• (c) a condenser and an evaporator for condensing and evaporating said polar gas, respectively, and conduits and valve means cooperating therewith for directing said polar gas from said one or more reactors to said condenser, from said condenser to said evaporator and from said evaporator to said one or more reactors said evaporator in thermal communication with said cooling chamber;
• and
• (d) heat transfer means in thermal communication with said first and second complex compounds in said first and second reactors, respectively, and heat transfer fluid conduits for directing a heat transfer fluid between said reactors whereby heat from an exothermic adsorption reaction in said one or more second reactors is directed to said one or more first reactors for driving an endothermic desorption reaction therein.

A cooling apparatus comprising:

• (a) a cabinet, case or container having a cooling chamber therein;
• (b) one or more first reactors and one or more second reactors, each of said first reactors containing a first complex compound and each of said second reactors containing a second complex compound different from said first complex compound, said first and second complex compounds formed by adsorbing a polar gas on a metal salt, and in which one or more reactors said polar gas is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound, said metal salt comprising a halide, nitrate, nitrite, oxalate, perchlorate, sulfate or sulfite of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, zinc, cadmium, tin or aluminum, or sodium borofluoride or a double metal chloride, and wherein said complex compound is formed by restricting the volumetric expansion thereof during said adsorption of said polar gas on said metal salt, whereby said complex compound is capable of increased reaction rates in the number of moles of said polar gas adsorbed and/or desorbed per mole of said complex compound per hour at adsorption or desorption times of less than 60 minutes, respectively, as compared to a complex compound formed without restricting the volumetric expansion thereof, wherein the equilibrium temperature of said first complex compound differs from the equilibrium temperature of said second complex compound by between about 20.degree. C. and about 150.degree. C. at the same operating pressure, and wherein said one or more first reactors are thermally exposed to said cooling chamber for providing cooling therein, and wherein said one or more second reactors are substantially away from thermal exposure to said cooling chamber;
• and
• (c) heating means cooperating with said one or more second reactors for selectively heating the said second complex compound for driving a desorption reaction therein.