Auxiliary active motor vehicle heating and air conditioning system

An auxiliary active heating and air conditioning system for a passenger area of a motor vehicle comprising:

• a heat exchanger in the passenger area including a passage for circulating heat transfer fluid,
• a sorption cooling system located in an auxiliary heating and air conditioning module mounted to the exterior of the motor vehicle and having a refrigerant loop including an evaporator piped to deliver heat transfer fluid to the heat exchanger during cooling, and first and second reactors each containing a metal salt or a complex compound formed by absorbing a polar gas refrigerant on a metal salt, and in which said polar gas is alternately absorbed 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 halide, and wherein said complex compound in said reactors is formed by restricting the volumetric expansion thereof during said absorption of said polar gas refrigerant on said metal salt, said reactors each having a heat transfer section for thermally exposing a heat transfer fluid and/or condensed polar gas refrigerant in heat exchange communication with said metal salt or said complex compound,
• a fuel fired heater,
• a heat transfer fluid circulatory system which selectively circulates heated heat transfer fluid from the fuel fired heater to either the heat exchanger, the first reactor, or the second reactor, and
• a valve assembly comprising one or more valves for directing the heated heat transfer fluid from the fuel fired heater through the heat exchanger in a heating mode, and from the fuel fired heater to the heat transfer section of said reactors for driving desorption therein in a cooling mode.

A method of selectively heating and air conditioning a passenger area of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• providing an heating and air conditioning module on the vehicle external of the passenger area containing a multiple reactor sorption cooling system and having a passenger compartment heat exchanger piped to receive conditioned heat transfer fluid from the module, first and second reactors each containing a complex compound formed by absorbing a polar gas refrigerant 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 bromide, and wherein said complex compound in said reactors is formed by restricting the volumetric expansion thereof during said adsorption of said polar gas refrigerant on said metal salt, whereby said complex compound is capable of increased reaction rates in 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, said reactors each having a heat transfer section for thermally exposing a heat transfer fluid and/or condensed polar gas refrigerant in heat exchange communication with said complex compound,
• circulating heat transfer fluid from the module to the heat exchanger for selectively heating or air conditioning the compartment,
• operating a heater for heating said heat transfer fluid,
• providing heating of the passenger area by directing heated heat transfer fluid from the heater to the passenger compartment heat exchanger, and
• providing air conditioning to the passenger compartment by alternately directing heated heat transfer fluid from the heater to one of said reactors to desorb said polar gas refrigerant therefrom, condensing said desorbed polar gas refrigerant and evaporating condensed polar gas refrigerant.