Rapid sorption cooling or freezing appliance

An apparatus capable of providing rapid cooling and/or freezing comprising:

• (a) a cabinet 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 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 mixtures thereof, and wherein said complex compound in said one or more reactors 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, and wherein said complex compound in a desorbed condition is capable of adsorbing said polar gas at a rate sufficient to achieve rapid cooling or freezing in about 30 minutes or less, 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 polar gas and evaporator means thermally exposed to said cooling chamber for providing cooling therein, and conduits and one or more valves cooperating therewith 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;
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• (d) heating means cooperating with said one or more reactors for heating said complex compound therein.

An apparatus capable of providing rapid cooling and/or freezing comprising:

• (a) a cabinet 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 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 mixtures thereof, and wherein said complex compound in said one or more reactors 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, and wherein said complex compound in a desorbed condition is capable of adsorbing said polar gas at a rate sufficient to achieve rapid cooling or freezing in about 30 minutes or less, 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 polar gas and evaporator means thermally exposed to said cooling chamber for providing cooling therein, and conduits and one or more valves cooperating therewith 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 capable of providing selective intermittent rapid cooling and/or freezing comprising:

• (a) a cabinet 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 first and second 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 mixtures thereof, and wherein said complex compound in said one or more first and second reactors 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, and wherein said first and second complex compounds are capable of adsorbing and desorbing said polar refrigerant at a rate sufficient to achieve rapid cooling or freezing in about 30 minutes or less, and 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, said first and second reactors comprising one or more reaction chambers having a maximum mean mass diffusion path length of less than about 15 mm 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;
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• (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.

A cooling apparatus capable of providing selective intermittent rapid cooling and/or freezing comprising:

• (a) a cabinet 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 first and second 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 mixtures thereof, and wherein said complex compound in said one or more first and second reactors 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, and wherein said first and second complex compounds are capable of adsorbing and desorbing said polar refrigerant at a rate sufficient to achieve rapid cooling or freezing in about 30 minutes or less, and 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, 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, 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.

A cooling apparatus capable of providing selective intermittent rapid cooling and/or freezing comprising:

• (a) a cabinet 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 first and second 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 mixtures thereof, and wherein said complex compound in said one or more first and second reactors 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, and wherein said first and second complex compounds are capable of adsorbing and desorbing said polar refrigerant at a rate sufficient to achieve rapid cooling or freezing in about 30 minutes or less, and 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, 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, 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;
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• (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.