JP7656497B2 - Adsorbent, heat exchanger, and adsorption heat pump - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an adsorbent, a heat exchanger, and an adsorption heat pump.

Conventionally, adsorbents that exchange heat with a heat medium by adsorbing and desorbing gas are known (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2, and Non-Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 6045413 Patent No. 5900391

“Development of a Compact Adsorption Heat Pump System for Automotive Air Conditioning System” SAE Paer 2016-01-0181 (2016)

In an adsorbent, heat is generated by the adsorbent material adsorbing gas. Therefore, in order to increase the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent, it is necessary to supply gas uniformly throughout the adsorbent to improve the utilization rate of the adsorbent, while suppressing the temperature rise of the adsorbent due to the heat of adsorption and suppressing a decrease in the adsorption rate.
However, even with the above-mentioned prior art, there is still room for improvement in terms of the technology for increasing the heat generation amount of the adsorbent.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology for increasing the heat generation of an adsorbent.

The present invention has been made to solve at least some of the above problems, and can be realized in the following form.

(1) According to one aspect of the present invention, an adsorbent is provided. The adsorbent includes an adsorbent that adsorbs a gas, a plurality of flow paths having a gas diffusion resistance lower than that of the adsorbent, and a heat conductive portion formed from a material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of the adsorbent.

According to this configuration, the gas adsorbed by the adsorbent moves through a flow path with a lower gas diffusion resistance than the adsorbent, and therefore is easily diffused throughout the adsorbent. This improves the adsorption speed of the gas in the adsorbent and improves the utilization rate of the adsorbent. In addition, the heat of adsorption generated in the adsorbent when the adsorbent adsorbs the gas is released to the outside of the adsorbent through a heat conductive section formed from a material with a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent. This makes it possible to suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent due to the heat of adsorption, and therefore to suppress the decrease in the adsorption speed of the gas in the adsorbent. In this way, according to the above-mentioned configuration, by promoting both the diffusion of the gas in the adsorbent and the release of the heat of adsorption from the adsorbent, the adsorption speed of the gas in the adsorbent can be improved and the utilization rate of the adsorbent can be improved. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent can be increased. In addition, the output of the adsorber equipped with the adsorbent can be improved.

(2) In the adsorbent of the above embodiment, the multiple flow paths may include multiple first flow paths aligned in a first direction and multiple second flow paths aligned in a second direction intersecting the first direction. According to this configuration, the adsorbent is formed with multiple first flow paths and multiple second flow paths aligned in directions intersecting each other. As a result, the second flow paths can be used to diffuse gas into places inside the adsorbent where the gas cannot be diffused using the first flow paths. In addition, in the adsorbent, the second flow paths are aligned in a second direction intersecting the first direction, so that the surface area inside the adsorbent is large. As a result, the adsorbent is more likely to come into contact with gas, making it easier for the adsorbent to adsorb gas, and the heat generation amount of the adsorbent can be further increased.

(3) The adsorbent of the above embodiment may further include a first adsorption layer including the plurality of first flow paths and the plurality of adsorbents located between the plurality of first flow paths, and a second adsorption layer laminated on the first adsorption layer and including the plurality of second flow paths and the plurality of adsorbents located between the plurality of second flow paths. According to this configuration, the adsorbent is a laminate of a first adsorption layer including a first flow path and a second adsorption layer including a second flow path. As a result, for example, in an adsorbent molded by extrusion molding, only flow paths along one direction are formed, whereas in the adsorbent of the above configuration, flow paths of complex shapes can be easily formed. Therefore, gas can be diffused to the inside of the adsorbent where gas is difficult to diffuse when only flow paths along one direction are formed, and the heat generation amount of the adsorbent can be further increased.

(4) The adsorbent of the above embodiment may further include a communication flow path that connects the first flow path and the second flow path. According to this configuration, the gas flowing through the first flow path or the second flow path in the adsorbent can flow through the second flow path or the first flow path via the communication flow path. This reduces the variation in the gas flow rate between the first flow path and the second flow path, so that the gas can be diffused uniformly throughout the adsorbent. Therefore, the utilization rate of the adsorbent can be improved, and the heat generation amount of the adsorbent can be further increased.

(5) In the adsorbent of the above embodiment, the heat conductive portion is formed in contact with the adsorbent in each of the first adsorption layer and the second adsorption layer, and the heat conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the heat conductive portion of the second adsorption layer may be connected. According to this configuration, since the heat conductive portion is formed in contact with the adsorbent, the adsorption heat generated in the adsorbent is easily transferred to the heat conductive portion. In addition, since the heat conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the heat conductive portion of the second adsorption layer are connected, the adsorption heat transferred from the adsorbent to the heat conductive portion can be released to the outside of the adsorbent via the heat conductive portion of the adjacent adsorption layer. This can further suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent due to the adsorption heat, and therefore further suppress the decrease in the adsorption rate of the gas in the adsorbent. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent can be further increased.

(6) In the adsorbent of the above embodiment, the adsorbent may have a shape stretched in one direction, and the heat conductive section may extend in the direction of extension of the adsorbent at approximately the center of the adsorbent. According to this configuration, the heat conductive section is disposed approximately at the center of the adsorbent, and internal heat that is difficult to move to the outside of the adsorbent can be moved from the adsorbent. This can further suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent due to the heat of adsorption, and further suppress the decrease in the adsorption rate of gas in the adsorbent. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent can be further increased.

(7) The adsorbent of the above embodiment may further include an intermediate layer disposed between the first adsorption layer and the second adsorption layer, the intermediate layer being made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent, and the thermal conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the thermal conductive portion of the second adsorption layer may be connected via the intermediate layer. According to this configuration, the intermediate layer made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent connects the thermal conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the thermal conductive portion of the second adsorption layer, thereby promoting the transfer of heat between adjacent adsorption layers. This further suppresses the temperature rise of the adsorbent due to the heat of adsorption, thereby further suppressing the decrease in the adsorption rate of the gas in the adsorbent. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent can be further increased.

(8) In the adsorbent of the above embodiment, the adsorbent is strip-shaped, a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings are formed, the heat conductive portion is housed inside each of the plurality of second openings, the strip-shaped adsorbent is in a rolled state, the first openings are connected to each other to form the flow path, and the plurality of second openings are overlapped to connect the plurality of heat conductive portions. According to this configuration, the first openings formed in the adsorbent form a flow path in which the gas diffusion resistance is lower than that of the adsorbent in the rolled state. Also, a heat conductive portion made of a material with a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent is housed inside each of the plurality of second openings formed in the adsorbent, and the plurality of heat conductive portions are connected in the rolled state of the adsorbent. As a result, by rolling the strip-shaped adsorbent, an adsorbent that can easily diffuse gas throughout and transfer the heat of adsorption relatively easily can be formed. Therefore, the heat generation amount of the adsorbent can be increased relatively easily.

(9) According to another aspect of the present invention, a heat exchanger is provided. This heat exchanger comprises the above-mentioned adsorbent and a heat transfer wall, in which the adsorbent is disposed on one side and a heat medium flows on the other side. According to this configuration, the heat exchanger comprises a flow path through which gas can easily flow, and an adsorbent having a heat conductive portion that transfers the heat of adsorption of the adsorbent to the outside. This increases the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent, thereby improving the output of the heat exchanger.

(10) In the heat exchanger of the above embodiment, the heat transfer wall may be formed in a cylindrical shape, the heat medium may flow inside, and the adsorbent may have a cylindrical shape and be arranged on the outer surface of the heat transfer wall along the circumferential direction. With this configuration, heat exchange between the heat medium flowing inside the cylindrical heat transfer wall and the adsorbent arranged on the outer surface is facilitated, so that the output of the heat exchanger can be improved.

(11) According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an adsorption heat pump is provided. This adsorption heat pump includes the heat exchanger described above. According to this configuration, the heat exchanger of the adsorption heat pump includes a flow path through which gas can easily flow and an adsorbent having a heat conductive portion that transfers the heat of adsorption of the adsorbent to the outside. This improves the output of the heat exchanger, and therefore the output of the adsorption heat pump can be improved.

The present invention can be realized in various forms, such as a method for manufacturing an adsorbent, an adsorbent including an adsorbent, a method for manufacturing the adsorbent, a method for manufacturing a heat exchanger, a system including an adsorption heat pump, a method for controlling an adsorption heat pump, a computer program for causing a computer to control an adsorption heat pump, a server device for distributing the computer program, a non-transitory storage medium storing the computer program, etc.

1 is a schematic diagram of an adsorption heat pump including an adsorbent according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an adsorption body according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a suction unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a first side view of the adsorbent; FIG. 2 is a second side view of the adsorbent. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating heat transfer in an adsorbent. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a simulation model in an evaluation test. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the results of an evaluation test. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an adsorptive body according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a suction unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating heat transfer in an adsorbent. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a nozzle used in manufacturing an adsorbent. FIG. 2 is a first diagram illustrating a first method for producing an adsorbent. FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating the first manufacturing method of the adsorbent. FIG. 2 is a first diagram illustrating a second manufacturing method of an adsorbent. FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating the second method for producing an adsorbent. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an adsorbent according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an adsorption body according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of the β portion of FIG. 19 . FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method for producing an adsorbent. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first modified example of the suction unit. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a second modified example of the suction unit.

First Embodiment
1 is a schematic diagram of an adsorption heat pump 100 including an adsorbent 1 according to a first embodiment. The adsorption heat pump 100 includes two reactors 6 and 7, two evaporative condensers 8 and 9, a connecting pipe connecting these, a plurality of valves disposed in the connecting pipe, and a control unit (not shown). The adsorption heat pump 100 generates cold energy from hot energy by utilizing a combination of two sets of reactors and evaporative condensers.

The reactor 6 comprises a reaction vessel 6a, an adsorbent 1 housed inside the reaction vessel 6a, and a heat exchanger 5 that circulates a heat medium inside the reaction vessel 6a. The reactor 7 comprises a reaction vessel 7a, an adsorbent 1 housed inside the reaction vessel 7a, and a heat exchanger 5 that circulates a heat medium inside the reaction vessel 7a. The adsorbent 1 adsorbs the vapor of the working fluid, e.g., water vapor, generated in the evaporator condensers 8 and 9. In addition, the adsorbent 1 that has adsorbed the water vapor desorbs the water vapor using the heat of the heat medium, e.g., hot water, flowing through the heat exchanger 5.

The evaporative condenser 8 has a water pipe 8a through which water flows and a storage container 8b that stores the water adsorbed by the adsorbent 1. In the evaporative condenser 8, depending on the mode of the connected reactors 6, 7, the water flowing through the water pipe 8a is cooled by the heat of vaporization when the water in the storage container 8b evaporates, or the water vapor in the storage container 8b is condensed and returned to water.

The evaporative condenser 9 has a water pipe 9a through which water flows and a storage container 9b that stores the water adsorbed by the adsorbent 1. In the evaporative condenser 9, depending on the mode of the connected reactors 6, 7, the water flowing through the water pipe 9a is cooled by the heat of vaporization when the water in the storage container 9b evaporates, or the water vapor in the storage container 9b is condensed and returned to water.

Next, the operation of the adsorption heat pump 100 of this embodiment will be described. Here, the description will be based on the adsorption heat pump 100 in the state shown in FIG. 1. In the state shown in FIG. 1, the valve between the reactor 6 and the evaporative condenser 8 and the valve between the reactor 7 and the evaporative condenser 9 are opened by command from the control unit, and the valve between the reactor 6 and the evaporative condenser 9 and the valve between the reactor 7 and the evaporative condenser 8 are closed.

In the adsorption process, the reactor 6 and the evaporative condenser 8, which are connected via a connecting pipe, are depressurized by a pump (not shown). As a result, water vapor is generated in the evaporative condenser 8. The generated working fluid vapor passes through the connecting pipe (white arrow F11) into the reactor 6 and is adsorbed by the adsorbent 1. At this time, the water flowing through the water pipe 8a of the evaporative condenser 8 is cooled by the heat of vaporization of the water. As a result, cold water is discharged from the water pipe 8a, and cold heat is supplied to the outside of the adsorption heat pump 100.

In the desorption process, hot water is supplied to the heat exchanger 5 of the reactor 7, which is connected to the reactor 7 and the evaporative condenser 9 via a connecting pipe. In the adsorbent 1 of the reactor 7, which adsorbs water, the heat of the supplied hot water causes the water to desorb from the adsorbent 1. The desorbed water enters the inside of the evaporative condenser 9 as water vapor (white arrow F12), and is condensed by the water flowing through the water pipe 9a to become water. This water is used in the next adsorption process.

In the adsorption heat pump 100 of this embodiment, one of the reactors 6 and 7 adsorbs water vapor, and the other of the reactors 6 and 7 desorbs water vapor, thereby continuously generating cold energy by supplying hot water.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the adsorbent 1. The adsorbent 1 has a plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24. Each of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 has a plurality of adsorption units 10. In this embodiment, the adsorbent 1 is formed in a planar shape by arranging the rod-shaped adsorption units 10 in each of the plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 at approximately equal intervals. In the adsorbent 1, the plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 are stacked as shown in Figure 2. For convenience of explanation, in Figures 2 to 7, the stacking direction of the plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 in the adsorbent 1 is the z-axis direction. In addition, the plane perpendicular to the z-axis direction is the xy plane, the direction in which the adsorption units 10 extend in the adsorption layers 21 and 23 is the y-axis direction, and the direction in which the adsorption units 10 extend in the adsorption layers 22 and 24 is the x-axis direction. In Figures 2 to 7, the size of each component and the size of the gaps in the adsorption unit 10 and the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24 have been altered from their actual proportions in order to make the structure of the adsorption body 1 easier to understand.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the adsorption unit 10 included in the adsorption body 1. Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the adsorption unit 10 included in the adsorption layer 21. The adsorption unit 10 included in the adsorption layer 21 is a rod-shaped member extending in the y-axis direction, and as shown in Figure 3 (A), the cross section perpendicular to the y-axis has a rectangular shape. In this embodiment, the width and height (length in the z-axis direction) of the adsorption unit 10 in the cross section perpendicular to the y-axis are 100 μm or more and 5 mm or less. The adsorption unit 10 includes an adsorbent 11 and a heat conductive part 16. Note that, here, the adsorption unit 10 included in the adsorption layer 21 will be described, but the adsorption units 10 included in the other adsorption layers 22, 23, and 24 have the same configuration.

The adsorbent 11 is formed of silica gel and a heat conduction assistant. The adsorbent 11 extends along the y-axis direction and has a first adsorbent 12 arranged on the positive side of the x-axis direction in the adsorption unit 10 and a second adsorbent 13 arranged on the negative side of the x-axis direction in the adsorption unit 10. At least the end face 12a on the positive side of the x-axis direction and the end face 12b on the positive side of the z-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 are exposed to the outside. At least the end face 13a on the negative side of the x-axis direction and the end face 13b on the positive side of the z-axis direction of the second adsorbent 13 are exposed to the outside. The material forming the adsorbent 11 is not limited to silica gel, and may be zeolite, activated carbon, or the like. The gas adsorbed by the adsorbent 11 is not limited to water vapor, and may be ammonia, methanol, ethanol, or the like.

The thermally conductive portion 16 is formed from a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 11, for example, a material mainly composed of graphite. The thermally conductive portion 16 extends along the y-axis direction and has a bottom 17 and a wall 18. The bottom 17 is a flat-plate-shaped portion disposed on the negative side of the z-axis direction in the adsorption unit 10. The bottom 17 has a bottom surface 17a which is the end surface on the negative side of the z-axis direction in the adsorption unit 10. The wall 18 is formed to rise from the positive side surface 17b of the bottom 17 in the z-axis direction in the positive direction of the z-axis. As shown in FIG. 3, the wall 18 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13. This makes it easier to remove the adsorbent 11 from the central portion, which is relatively difficult to remove when heat of adsorption is generated by adsorption of water vapor, using the wall 18. In this embodiment, the wall 18 is disposed approximately in the center of the adsorption unit 10 in the x-axis direction and extends along the y-axis direction. The end face 18a of the wall 18 on the positive side in the z-axis direction is exposed to the outside and is approximately flush with the end face 12b of the first adsorbent 12 and the end face 13b of the second adsorbent 13.

4 is a first side view of the adsorbent 1. FIG. 5 is a second side view of the adsorbent 1. In the adsorbent 1, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24 are stacked in this order in the z-axis direction. Each of the multiple adsorption units 10 provided in the adsorption layer 21 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction is along the y-axis direction. In the adsorption layer 21, the multiple adsorption units 10 are arranged side by side at regular intervals as shown in FIG. 4, which is a side view of the adsorbent 1 viewed along the y-axis direction. In this embodiment, the distance of the gap between adjacent adsorption units 10 is 50 μm or more and 2 mm or less, and this gap becomes a flow path 21a through which water vapor adsorbed to the adsorbent 1 flows. That is, the end surface 12a on the positive side in the x-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 in the adsorption unit 10 provided in the adsorption layer 21 and the end surface 13a on the negative side in the x-axis direction of the second adsorbent 13 face the flow path 21a in which the diffusion resistance of water vapor is lower than that of silica gel. The multiple flow paths 21a are arranged in the x-axis direction. The adsorption layer 21 corresponds to the "first adsorption layer" in the claims, and the flow paths 21a correspond to the "first flow path" in the claims.

Each of the multiple adsorption units 10 in the adsorption layer 22 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction is along the x-axis direction. In the adsorption layer 22, the multiple adsorption units 10 are arranged side by side at regular intervals as shown in FIG. 5, which is a side view of the adsorbent 1 viewed along the x-axis direction. In this embodiment, the gap distance between adjacent adsorption units 10 is 50 μm or more and 2 mm or less, and this gap becomes a flow path 22a through which water vapor adsorbed to the adsorbent 1 flows. That is, the end face 12a on the negative side in the y-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 in the adsorption unit 10 provided in the adsorption layer 22 and the end face 13a on the positive side in the y-axis direction of the second adsorbent 13 face the flow path 22a, which has a lower diffusion resistance of water vapor than silica gel. The multiple flow paths 22a are formed to be aligned in the y-axis direction. The adsorption layer 22 corresponds to the "second adsorption layer" in the claims, and the flow path 22a corresponds to the "second flow path" in the claims.

Each of the multiple adsorption units 10 in the adsorption layer 23 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction is along the y-axis direction. In the adsorption layer 23, the multiple adsorption units 10 are arranged side by side at regular intervals, as shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the gap distance between adjacent adsorption units 10 is 50 μm or more and 2 mm or less, and this gap becomes a flow path 23a through which water vapor adsorbed to the adsorbent 1 flows. That is, the end face 12a on the positive side in the x-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 in the adsorption unit 10 in the adsorption layer 23 and the end face 13a on the negative side in the x-axis direction of the second adsorbent 13 face the flow path 23a whose diffusion resistance of water vapor is lower than that of silica gel. The multiple flow paths 23a are formed to be aligned in the x-axis direction. The adsorption layer 23 corresponds to the "first adsorption layer" in the claims, and the flow path 23a corresponds to the "first flow path" in the claims.

Each of the multiple adsorption units 10 in the adsorption layer 24 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction is along the x-axis direction. In the adsorption layer 24, the multiple adsorption units 10 are arranged side by side at regular intervals, as shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the gap distance between adjacent adsorption units 10 is 50 μm or more and 2 mm or less, and this gap becomes a flow path 24a through which water vapor adsorbed to the adsorbent 1 flows. That is, the end face 12a on the negative side in the y-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 in the adsorption unit 10 in the adsorption layer 24 and the end face 13a on the positive side in the y-axis direction of the second adsorbent 13 face the flow path 24a, which has a lower diffusion resistance of water vapor than silica gel. The multiple flow paths 24a are formed to be aligned in the y-axis direction. The adsorption layer 24 corresponds to the "second adsorption layer" in the claims, and the flow path 24a corresponds to the "second flow path" in the claims.

Figure 6 is a top view of the adsorbent 1. As shown in Figure 6, the adsorbent 1 is formed in a mesh shape by a plurality of adsorption units 10. In this embodiment, the flow paths 21a and 23a are arranged to be approximately parallel to each other. The flow paths 22a and 24a are arranged to be approximately parallel to each other and to intersect the flow paths 21a and 23a at approximately right angles. In this embodiment, the flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a formed in the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24, respectively, are connected by a plurality of communication flow paths 25 that penetrate the adsorbent 1 in the z-axis direction. Note that in Figures 2 and 4 to 6, the adsorbent 1 is described as having four adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24 stacked thereon, but the number of stacked adsorption layers is not limited to this. Also, one adsorption layer is described as having four adsorption units 10, but the number of adsorption units 10 included in one adsorption layer is not limited to this.

Figure 7 is a diagram explaining the transfer of heat in the adsorbent 1. Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a pair of adsorption units 10 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24, which is a part of the adsorbent 1 shown in Figure 2. For ease of explanation, for each pair of adsorption units 10 shown in Figure 7, the adsorption unit 10 located on the positive side in the z-axis direction is referred to as adsorption unit A10, and the adsorption unit 10 located on the negative side in the z-axis direction is referred to as adsorption unit B10.

In a pair of stacked adsorption units A10, B10 as shown in Fig. 7, heat (adsorption heat) generated by, for example, adsorption of water vapor in the adsorbent 11 is transferred from the positive direction to the negative direction of the z axis (arrow H1 in Fig. 7). In the adsorption unit A10, the heat H1 is mainly transferred from the wall A18 of the thermally conductive portion A16 of the adsorption unit A10 to the bottom A17. In the pair of adsorption units A10, B10, a part of the bottom surface 17a of the bottom A17 in the adsorption unit A10 is in contact with the end surface 12b of the first adsorbent B12 in the adsorption unit B10, the end surface 13b of the second adsorbent B13, and a part of the end surface 18a of the wall B18. As a result, the heat H1 of the bottom A17 of the adsorption unit A10 is transferred to the adsorption unit B10 mainly by contact between the bottom surface 17a of the bottom A17 of the adsorption unit A10 and the end surface 18a of the wall B18 of the adsorption unit B30 (the dotted hatched portion shown in FIG. 7). The heat H1 transferred to the wall B18 of the thermally conductive portion B16 of the adsorption unit B10 is transferred to the bottom B17 and further to other adsorption units 10 adjacent to the adsorption unit B10 on the negative side in the z-axis direction. In this way, in the adsorption body 1, the thermally conductive portions 16 of the multiple adsorption units 10 connected along the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 facilitate the transfer of heat in the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24. As a result, the adsorption heat generated by the adsorption of water vapor in the silica gel is easily transferred to the heat medium flowing in the heat exchanger 5, so that the temperature rise of the silica gel can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the water vapor adsorption rate in the adsorbent 1 due to an increase in the temperature of the silica gel.

In the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, in the adsorption unit A10, the wall A18 is sandwiched between the first adsorbent A12 and the second adsorbent A13. This allows the wall A18 to relatively easily remove the heat of adsorption from each of the first adsorbent A12 and the second adsorbent A13. In the adsorption unit B10, the wall B18 is sandwiched between the first adsorbent B12 and the second adsorbent B13. This allows the wall B18 to relatively easily remove the heat of adsorption from each of the first adsorbent B12 and the second adsorbent B13. The heat of adsorption removed by the walls A18 and B18 flows in the direction indicated by the arrow H1 together with the heat of adsorption removed from the adsorbents of the other adsorption units, and is transferred to the heat medium flowing in the heat exchanger 5.

Next, the results of evaluating the effect of the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment using simulation calculations will be described. Here, for an adsorbent 1 equipped with an adsorption unit 10 of this embodiment having a thermally conductive portion 16, the relationship between the size of the adsorption unit 10 and the desorption performance of the adsorbent 1 was evaluated. In this evaluation, the relationship between the size of the adsorption unit and the desorption performance of the adsorbent was also evaluated for a comparative adsorbent equipped with an adsorption unit that does not have a thermally conductive portion, as a comparison object for the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment.

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a simulation model in this evaluation test. In this evaluation test, in both the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment and the adsorbent of the comparative example, silica with a particle size of 70 μm and 20% of a heat conduction auxiliary agent were used as the adsorbent. As shown in FIG. 8, the size of the gap Gp between adjacent adsorption units 10 was 300 μm, and the thickness D17 of the bottom 17 of the heat conduction part 16 and the thickness D18 of the wall part 18 were both 200 μm. In the adsorbent of the comparative example, the heat conduction part 16 shown in FIG. 8 was not provided, and the adsorbent was composed only of an adsorbent with a rectangular cross section. The time for one cycle of adsorption and desorption of water vapor in the adsorbent was 150 seconds. In this evaluation test, the relationship between the thickness Th of the adsorption unit shown in FIG. 8, when the number of stacked adsorption layers in the adsorbent and the height of the adsorbent were the same, and the output Pw of the adsorber, which indicates the desorption performance of the adsorbent, was obtained for each of the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment and the adsorbent of the comparative example.

9 is a diagram illustrating the results of the evaluation test. The horizontal axis of FIG. 9 indicates the thickness Th (μm) of the adsorption unit, and the vertical axis indicates the output Pw (W) of the adsorbent. In FIG. 9, the results of the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment are shown by a solid line L1, and the results of the adsorbent of the comparative example are shown by a dotted line L0. As shown in FIG. 9, in both this embodiment and the comparative example, it was revealed that the output Pw of the adsorbent is improved by increasing the thickness Th of the adsorption unit to a certain extent, thereby increasing the amount of adsorbent. However, since the number of stacked adsorption layers is constant, when the thickness of the adsorption unit is increased, the height of the entire adsorbent becomes higher. When the height of the adsorbent increases, the amount of heat transfer per unit area of the adsorption unit increases. In the adsorbent of the comparative example, the output of the adsorbent becomes rate-limiting when the thickness of the adsorption unit is a certain value (for example, around 1300 μm), and it was revealed that even if the thickness of the adsorption unit is increased beyond the value, the output Pw of the adsorbent decreases (see dotted line L0 in FIG. 9). On the other hand, in the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the surface area of the adsorption unit 10 is the same as that of the adsorbent of the comparative example, but the heat of the adsorbent 1 can be efficiently transferred using the heat conductive portion 16. As a result, the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment has a larger adsorption unit thickness Th than the adsorbent of the comparative example, and even if the height of the adsorbent increases, the output of the adsorber is not rate-determining (see solid line L1 in FIG. 9). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the thickness Th of the adsorption unit, which is rate-determining the output of the adsorber, is also increased compared to the adsorbent of the comparative example, and even if the thickness Th of the adsorption unit is the same, the output of the adsorber is increased compared to the adsorbent of the comparative example.

As described above, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the water vapor adsorbed by the adsorbent 11 moves through the flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a, which have a lower diffusion resistance of water vapor than the adsorbent 1, and therefore is easily diffused throughout the adsorbent 1. This improves the adsorption speed of water vapor in the adsorbent 1 and improves the utilization rate of the adsorbent 1 contained in the adsorbent 1. In addition, the adsorption heat generated in the adsorbent 1 when the adsorbent 1 adsorbs water vapor is released to the outside of the adsorbent 1 through the heat conductive portion 16 formed of graphite or the like, which has a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 1. This makes it possible to suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent 1 due to the adsorption heat, and therefore to suppress the decrease in the adsorption speed of water vapor in the adsorbent 1. In this way, in the adsorbent 1, by promoting both the diffusion of water vapor within the adsorbent 1 and the release of the adsorption heat from the adsorbent 1, the adsorption speed of water vapor in the adsorbent 1 can be improved and the utilization rate of the adsorbent 1 contained in the adsorbent 1 can be improved. Therefore, the heat generation amount of the adsorbent 1 can be increased.

In addition, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the adsorbent 1 has a plurality of flow paths 21a, 23a and a plurality of flow paths 22a, 24a arranged in directions that intersect with each other. As a result, water vapor can be diffused using the flow paths 22a, 24a in places inside the adsorbent 1 where the water vapor cannot be diffused using the flow paths 21a, 23a. In addition, in the adsorbent 1, the flow paths 21a, 23a and the plurality of flow paths 22a, 24a are arranged in an intersecting manner, so that the surface area inside the adsorbent 1 is increased. As a result, the adsorbent 1 can easily come into contact with water vapor, making it easier for the adsorbent 11 to adsorb water vapor, and the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1 can be further increased.

In addition, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the adsorbent 1 is formed by alternately stacking the adsorbent layer 21 including the flow path 21a, the adsorbent layer 22 including the flow path 22a, the adsorbent layer 23 including the flow path 23a, and the adsorbent layer 24 including the flow path 24a. As a result, for example, in an adsorbent molded by extrusion molding, only flow paths along one direction are formed, whereas in the adsorbent 1, flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a with complex shapes can be formed. Therefore, water vapor can be diffused to the inside of the adsorbent 1, where water vapor has difficulty diffusing when only flow paths along one direction are formed, and the heat generation amount of the adsorbent 1 can be further increased.

In addition, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, water vapor flowing through one flow path in the adsorbent 1 can flow through another flow path via the communicating flow path 25. This reduces the variation in the flow rate of water vapor among the multiple flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a, allowing the water vapor to be diffused uniformly throughout the adsorbent 1. This improves the utilization rate of the adsorbent 11, thereby further increasing the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1.

In addition, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, since the heat conductive portion 16 is formed in contact with the adsorbent 11, the heat of adsorption generated in the adsorbent 11 is easily transferred to the heat conductive portion 16. In addition, since the heat conductive portion of the submerged adsorption layer, for example, the heat conductive portion 16 of the adsorbent layer 21 and the heat conductive portion 16 of the adsorbent layer 22, are connected, the heat of adsorption transferred from the adsorbent 11 to the heat conductive portion 16 can be released to the outside of the adsorbent 1 via the heat conductive portion 16 of the adjacent adsorbent layer. This further suppresses the temperature rise of the adsorbent 1 due to the heat of adsorption, and further suppresses the decrease in the adsorption rate of water vapor in the adsorbent 1. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1 can be further increased.

In addition, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the heat conductive portion 16 is disposed approximately at the center of the adsorbent 11, and can transfer heat inside the adsorbent 1, which is difficult to transfer to the outside of the adsorbent 1. This can further suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent 1 due to the heat of adsorption, and therefore can further suppress the decrease in the adsorption rate of water vapor in the adsorbent 1. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1 can be further increased.

In addition, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the heat conductive portion 16 is disposed approximately at the center of the adsorbent 11. Water vapor is less likely to diffuse into the central portion of the adsorbent 11 during the limited time of the cycle of heat storage and heat generation in the adsorption heat pump 100. Therefore, in the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the central portion of the adsorbent 11 that is less likely to be used for heat storage and heat generation is replaced with the heat conductive portion 16, thereby promoting the transfer of heat in the adsorbent 1 and improving the utilization rate of the adsorbent 11 contained in the adsorbent 1. As a result, although the amount of adsorbent contained per unit volume is reduced compared to the comparative adsorbent having only the adsorbent, the heat storage performance and heat generation performance of the adsorbent can be improved compared to the comparative example.

In addition, the heat exchanger 5 of this embodiment is equipped with flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a through which water vapor can easily flow, and an adsorbent 1 having a heat conductive portion 16 that transfers the heat of adsorption of the adsorbent 11 to the outside, so that the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1 is increased, and the output of the heat exchanger 5 can be improved.

In addition, in the adsorption heat pump 100 of this embodiment, the heat exchanger 5 is equipped with an adsorbent having flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a and a heat conductive portion 16. This improves the output of the heat exchanger 5, thereby improving the output of the adsorption heat pump 100.

Second Embodiment
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the adsorber 2 of the second embodiment. The adsorber 2 of the second embodiment is different from the adsorber 1 of the first embodiment (Fig. 2) in the shape of the heat conductive portion.

The adsorbent 2 of this embodiment includes a plurality of adsorption units 30. In this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the adsorption units 30 are formed in a generally rod-like shape, and are arranged at generally equal intervals to form a planar shape, resulting in a plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24. The adsorption units 30 include an adsorbent 11 and a heat conductive portion 36.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the adsorption unit of the second embodiment. The heat conductive part 36 is a member having a flat plate shape formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 11. As shown in Figure 11, the heat conductive part 36 is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13. In this embodiment, the heat conductive part 36 is arranged approximately at the center of the adsorption unit 30 in the x-axis direction and extends along the y-axis direction (see Figure 11 (B)). The end surface 36a on the positive side in the z-axis direction of the heat conductive part 36 is exposed to the outside on approximately the same plane as the end surface 12b of the first adsorbent 12 and the end surface 13b of the second adsorbent 13. The end surface 36b on the negative side in the z-axis direction of the heat conductive part 36 is exposed to the outside on approximately the same plane as the end surface 12c on the negative side in the z-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 and the end surface 13c on the negative side in the z-axis direction of the second adsorbent 13.

Figure 12 is a diagram explaining the transfer of heat in the adsorbent 2. Figure 12 shows a perspective view of a pair of adsorption units 30 that are part of the adsorbent 2 and are adjacent in the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24. For ease of explanation, for each of the pair of adsorption units 10 shown in Figure 12, the adsorption unit 30 located on the positive side in the z-axis direction is referred to as adsorption unit A30, and the adsorption unit 30 located on the negative side in the z-axis direction is referred to as adsorption unit B30.

12, in a pair of stacked adsorption units A30, B30, end faces 12c, 13c, and 36b of the first adsorbent A12, end faces 13c, and 36b of the second adsorbent A13 in the adsorption unit A30 are in contact with end faces 12b, 13b, and 36a of the first adsorbent B12, end faces 13b, and 36a of the second adsorbent B13 in the adsorption unit B30. Heat H2 transferred from the positive direction to the negative direction of the z-axis is transferred from the adsorption unit A30 to the adsorption unit B30 mainly by contact between end faces 36b, 36a of the thermally conductive portion A36 in the adsorption unit A30 and end faces 36b of the thermally conductive portion B36 in the adsorption unit B30 (the dotted hatched portion in FIG. 12). The heat transferred to the heat conductive portion B36 of the adsorption unit B30 is also transferred to other adsorption units B30 adjacent to the adsorption unit B30 on the negative side in the z-axis direction. In this way, in the adsorption body 2, the heat conductive portion 36 of each of the multiple adsorption units 30 connected along the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24 facilitates heat transfer in the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24.

In the adsorption unit A30, the heat conductive portion A36 is sandwiched between the first adsorbent A12 and the second adsorbent A13, and the heat of adsorption can be removed relatively easily from each of the first adsorbent A12 and the second adsorbent A13. In the adsorption unit B30, the heat conductive portion B36 is sandwiched between the first adsorbent B12 and the second adsorbent B13, and the heat of adsorption can be removed relatively easily from each of the first adsorbent B12 and the second adsorbent B13. The heat of adsorption removed by the heat conductive portions A36 and B36 flows in the direction indicated by the arrow H2 together with the heat of adsorption removed from the other adsorption units, and is transferred to the heat medium flowing in the heat exchanger 5.

Figure 13 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a nozzle 40 used in manufacturing the adsorption body 2. Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of a nozzle 40 used when manufacturing an adsorption unit 30. Figure 13(A) is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle 40 including the central axis C40, and Figure 13(B) shows a view seen from the direction of the arrow α shown in Figure 13(A). The nozzle 40 comprises an inner nozzle portion 41 and an outer nozzle portion 42.

The inner nozzle section 41 is a substantially hollow cylindrical member, and a flow path 41a through which a fluid can flow is formed inside. The outer nozzle section 42 is a hollow cylindrical member arranged outside the inner nozzle section 41. Inside the outer nozzle section 42, a flow path 42a through which a fluid can flow is formed between the outer wall 41b of the inner nozzle section 41 while accommodating the inner nozzle section 41. In the nozzle 40, the center of the flow path 41a and the center of the flow path 42a are both located on the central axis C40. The tip 41c of the inner nozzle section 41 is located inside the outer nozzle section 42, and the fluid flowing through the flow path 41a flows inside the outer nozzle section 42 alongside the fluid flowing through the flow path 42a. The injection port 43a of the injection section 43 of the nozzle 40 has a square shape, as shown in FIG. 13(B). In the nozzle 40, a paste-like raw material M36 whose main component is graphite is flowed through the flow path 41a, and a paste-like raw material M11 in which silica gel and a heat-conducting agent are mixed is flowed through the flow path 42a. At this time, by adjusting the flow rates of the raw materials M36 and M11, the raw materials M36 and M11 are ejected from the ejection port 43a without mixing, as shown in FIG. 13B. By moving the nozzle 40 while ejecting the raw materials M36 and M11 from the ejection port 43a, a linear member having two raw materials M11 and the raw material M36 sandwiched between the two raw materials M11 is formed. This allows the manufacture of an adsorption unit 30 in which the heat-conducting portion 36 is sandwiched between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13.

Figure 14 is a first diagram for explaining a first manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2. In the first manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2, first, the raw material M36 and the raw material M11 are injected from the injection part 43 of the nozzle 40 onto the surface of the flat stage 45 to form one adsorption unit 30. At this time, the nozzle 40 is moved in the y-axis direction along the surface of the stage 45 as shown in Figure 14 (white arrow F21 in Figure 14). After moving the nozzle 40 to form one adsorption unit 30, the nozzle 40 is moved in the x-axis direction. At this time, the movement distance of the nozzle 40 in the x-axis direction becomes the width of the flow path 21a of the adsorption layer 21. After moving the nozzle 40 in the x-axis direction, another adsorption unit 30 is formed next to the previously formed adsorption unit 30. This is repeated to form a plurality of adsorption units 30 on the surface of the stage 45 with a predetermined gap therebetween. As a result, the adsorption layer 21 is formed. Note that the size ratio of the nozzle 40 to the suction unit 30 shown in FIG. 14 differs from the actual ratio for the sake of convenience in the explanation of FIG. 14.

Figure 15 is a second diagram illustrating the first manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2. Raw materials M36 and M11 are ejected from the ejection section 43 of the nozzle 40 onto the positive side of the adsorption layer 21 in the z-axis direction, forming an adsorption unit 30. At this time, the nozzle 40 is moved in the x-axis direction along the surface of the stage 45, as shown in Figure 15 (white arrow F22 in Figure 15). After moving the nozzle 40 to form one adsorption unit 30, the nozzle 40 is moved in the y-axis direction. At this time, the movement distance of the nozzle 40 in the y-axis direction becomes the width of the flow path 22a of the adsorption layer 22. After moving the nozzle 40 in the y-axis direction, another adsorption unit 30 is formed next to the adsorption unit 30 previously formed on the adsorption layer 21. This is repeated to form a plurality of adsorption units 30 on the positive side of the adsorption layer 21 in the z-axis direction, with a predetermined gap therebetween. This forms the adsorption layer 22. Note that the size ratio of the nozzle 40 to the suction unit 30 shown in FIG. 15 differs from the actual ratio for the sake of convenience in the explanation of FIG. 15.

In this manner, in the first manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2, a plurality of adsorption units 30 are molded on top of a plurality of adsorption units 30 arranged in a line in one direction, so that they are aligned in a direction different from the line. By repeating this process, an adsorbent 2 having a plurality of flow paths (for example, flow path 21a shown in FIG. 14 and flow path 22a shown in FIG. 15) formed therein can be manufactured. By using the stage 45 used in manufacturing the adsorbent 2 as the heat transfer wall 5a of the heat exchanger 5, the adsorbent 1 can be molded directly on the heat exchanger 5.

The nozzle for forming the adsorption unit 30 is not limited to the nozzle 40 shown in FIG. 13. For example, by arranging three nozzles for ejecting one raw material side by side, ejecting raw material M36 for the thermally conductive portion 36 from the central nozzle, and ejecting raw material M11 for the adsorbent 11 from the two nozzles on both sides, the adsorption unit 30 having the thermally conductive portion 36 sandwiched between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13 can be formed. In addition, the adsorption unit 30 may be formed by using one nozzle to form the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13 having a gap for the thermally conductive portion 36, and then ejecting raw material M36 for the thermally conductive portion 36 so as to fill the gap between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13.

Figure 16 is a first diagram for explaining a second manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2. In the second manufacturing method, a cylindrical adsorbent 2 is manufactured. In the second manufacturing method, the nozzle 40 is moved from one end 5b of the heat transfer wall 5a to the other end 5c (white arrow F23 in Figure 16) while rotating the heat exchanger 5 around the central axis C5 of the heat exchanger 5 (white arrows R21 and R22 in Figure 16). The raw material M11 and raw material M36 ejected from the moving nozzle 40 adhere to the heat transfer wall 5a, forming a spiral-shaped adsorption unit 30 arranged obliquely with respect to the central axis C5, as shown in Figure 16. At this time, the size of the gap between adjacent adsorption units 30 is determined by the moving speed of the nozzle 40 in the direction of the white arrow F23. This gap becomes the flow path 21a of the adsorption layer 21. As a result, the adsorption layer 21 is formed.

Figure 17 is a second diagram illustrating the second manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2. After forming the adsorption layer 21, the nozzle 40 is moved from the other end 5c of the heat transfer wall 5a to one end 5b (white arrow F24 in Figure 17) while rotating the heat exchanger 5 around the central axis C5 of the heat exchanger 5 as the center of rotation (white arrows R23 and R24 in Figure 17). The raw material M11 and raw material M36 ejected from the moving nozzle 40 adhere to the outside of the adsorption layer 21, forming a spiral-shaped adsorption unit 30 arranged diagonally with respect to the central axis C5, as shown in Figure 17. At this time, the size of the gap between the adjacent adsorption units 30 is determined by the moving speed of the nozzle 40 in the direction of the white arrow F24. This gap becomes the flow path 22a of the adsorption layer 22. As a result, a cylindrical adsorption layer 22 is formed on the outside of the cylindrical adsorption layer 21.

In this way, in the second manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2, the spiral-shaped adsorption units 30 are formed so as to overlap on the heat transfer wall 5a of the cylindrical heat exchanger 5. At this time, the angle of the adsorption units 30 with respect to the central axis C5 of the heat exchanger 5 is changed for each adsorption layer, so that the flow paths of each adsorption layer intersect. This makes it possible to manufacture a mesh-shaped adsorbent 2 in which multiple flow paths 21a, 22a are formed (see FIG. 17).

As described above, according to the adsorbent 2 of the second embodiment, the water vapor adsorbed by the adsorbent 11 moves through the flow paths 21a, 22a, etc., and is therefore more likely to diffuse throughout the adsorbent 2, improving the adsorption speed in the adsorbent 2 and improving the utilization rate of the adsorbent 11. In addition, the heat of adsorption generated in the adsorbent 2 is released to the outside of the adsorbent 2 via the thermal conductive portion 36, suppressing the rise in temperature of the adsorbent 1 and suppressing the decrease in the adsorption speed of water vapor in the adsorbent 2. In this way, the adsorbent 2 can increase the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 2 by promoting both the diffusion of water vapor within the adsorbent 2 and the release of the heat of adsorption from the adsorbent 2.

In addition, according to the adsorbent 2 of this embodiment, the adsorbent 2 manufactured by the manufacturing method shown in Figures 16 and 17 has a cylindrical shape, which facilitates heat exchange with the heat medium flowing inside the heat transfer wall 5a, which is formed in a cylindrical shape. This makes it possible to improve the output of the heat exchanger 5.

Third Embodiment
Fig. 18 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the adsorbent 3 of the third embodiment. The adsorbent 3 of the third embodiment differs from the adsorbent 2 of the second embodiment (Fig. 10) in that an intermediate layer is provided between a pair of adsorption layers.

The adsorbent 3 includes a plurality of adsorption units 10 constituting each of a plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24, and an intermediate layer 50. For ease of explanation, FIG. 18 shows two adsorption units A30 and B30 of the adsorbent 3 that are adjacent in the stacking direction.

The intermediate layer 50 is a member disposed between the adsorption unit A30 and the adsorption unit B30, and is formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 11, for example, a material mainly composed of graphite. In this embodiment, the intermediate layer 50 has a substantially flat plate shape, and on the adsorption unit A30 side, the intermediate layer 50 is in contact with a part of each of the end face 12c of the first adsorbent A12, the end face 13c of the second adsorbent A13, and the end face 36b of the heat conductive portion A36 in the adsorption unit A30. On the adsorption unit B30 side, the intermediate layer 50 is in contact with a part of each of the end face 12b of the first adsorbent B12, the end face 13b of the second adsorbent B13, and the end face 36a of the heat conductive portion B36 in the adsorption unit B30.

In a pair of adsorption units A30, B30, heat H3 that is transferred from the positive direction to the negative direction of the z axis is transferred from the thermally conductive portion A36 of the adsorption unit A30 mainly via the intermediate layer 50 to the thermally conductive portion B36 of the adsorption unit B30 (the hatched portion with dots in FIG. 18). The heat transferred to the thermally conductive portion B36 of the adsorption unit B30 is also transferred to the other adsorption unit B30 adjacent to the adsorption unit B30 on the negative side of the z axis direction. In this way, in the adsorption body 3, the intermediate layer 50 arranged between each of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 makes it easier for heat to be transferred in the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24.

As described above, according to the adsorbent 3 of the third embodiment, the intermediate layer 50 formed from a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 11 connects the thermally conductive portions 36 of the adjacent adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24, and therefore promotes the transfer of heat between the adjacent adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24. This further suppresses the temperature rise of the adsorbent 3 due to the heat of adsorption, and further suppresses the decrease in the adsorption rate of water vapor in the adsorbent 3. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 3 can be further increased.

Fourth Embodiment
Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the adsorbent 4 of the fourth embodiment. Fig. 20 is an enlarged view of the β portion of Fig. 19. The adsorbent 4 of the fourth embodiment is different from the adsorbent 1 of the first embodiment (Fig. 2) in the method of laminating the adsorbent.

The adsorbent 4 of this embodiment includes a band-shaped adsorption portion 61 and multiple heat-conducting portions 66, and is formed by rolling up the band-shaped adsorption portion 61. The adsorbent 4 of this embodiment is disposed on the outside of the heat transfer wall 5a of the heat exchanger 5 having a cylindrical shape. The adsorbent 4 has multiple through holes 62 formed therein that penetrate the adsorbent 4 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the heat exchanger 5.

The adsorption section 61 has a metal foil 61a and an adsorbent 61b. The adsorbent 61b is formed as a thin film on one main surface of the metal foil 61a, which is formed in a strip shape. The adsorption section 61 has a plurality of openings 63. When the adsorption section 61 is rolled up (see FIG. 19), the plurality of openings 63 are connected to each other to form through holes 62 (see FIG. 20). Some of the through holes 62, the through holes 62a, become flow paths with a lower diffusion resistance for water vapor than the adsorbent. In other words, the openings 63a that form the through holes 62a among the plurality of openings 63 form flow paths through which water vapor passes.

The heat conducting parts 66 are housed inside the openings 63b of the multiple openings 63, excluding opening 63a. When the adsorption part 61 is rolled up, the openings 63b overlap to form a through hole 62b (see FIG. 20). This connects the heat conducting parts 66 housed inside the openings 63b. In the adsorption body 4, the multiple heat conducting parts 66 are lined up and connected in a direction approximately perpendicular to the axis of the heat exchanger 5.

Figure 21 is a diagram explaining the manufacturing method of the adsorbent 4. When manufacturing the adsorbent 4, first, for example, a strip-shaped metal foil 61a wound around a reel 71 is pulled out in the direction indicated by the solid arrow F4, and the raw material M61b of the adsorbent 61b is applied to one main surface of the metal foil 61a using a raw material application device 72.

After drying the raw material M61b of the adsorbent 61b applied to the metal foil 61a, a punch 73 is used to form a first hole 64 penetrating the metal foil 61a and the dried adsorbent 61b. Next, the raw material M66 of the heat conductive portion 66 is filled into the first hole 64 using a raw material filling device 74, forming the heat conductive portion 66 in the first hole 64.

After forming the heat conductive portion 66, a second hole 65 penetrating the metal foil 61a and the adsorbent 61b is formed between adjacent heat conductive portions 66 in the traveling direction F4 of the adsorption portion 61. The adsorption portion 61 with the second hole 65 formed therein is wound around the heat exchanger 5. When the adsorption portion 61 is wound around the heat exchanger 5, the first hole 64 forms the aforementioned through hole 62b, and the heat conductive portion 66 housed inside is connected. The second holes 65 communicate with each other to form the through hole 62a through which water vapor flows. This completes the adsorption body 4.

As described above, according to the adsorbent 4 of the fourth embodiment, the openings 63a of the multiple openings 63 formed in the adsorption section 61 form through holes 62a in which the diffusion resistance of water vapor is lower than that of the adsorbent 61b in the adsorption section 61 in the rolled state. In addition, the inside of each of the openings 63b of the multiple openings 63 formed in the adsorption section 61 contains a heat conductive section 66 made of a material with a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 61b. In the adsorption section 61 in the rolled state, the multiple heat conductive sections 66 are connected. As a result, by rolling up the strip-shaped adsorbent 61b, an adsorbent 4 can be formed that can easily diffuse water vapor throughout and transfer the heat of adsorption relatively easily. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 4 can be increased relatively easily.

In addition, according to the adsorbent 4 of this embodiment, by applying the adsorbent material 61b to the strip-shaped metal foil 61a, it is possible to form an adsorbent 4 that can easily diffuse water vapor and transfer the heat of adsorption relatively easily. The method of applying the raw material to a strip-shaped member is commonly used and well-established, so the product manufactured by this manufacturing method can reduce the manufacturing cost. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the adsorbent 4 can be reduced.

<Modifications of this embodiment>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible.

[Modification 1]
In the first embodiment, the flow paths 21a and 23a are arranged to intersect the flow paths 22a and 24a at approximately right angles. However, the "first flow path" and the "second flow path" do not have to be perpendicular to each other. The two types of flow paths may be arranged in different directions and intersect. This allows water vapor to flow through one of the flow paths inside the adsorbent, which cannot pass water vapor through the other flow path, thereby improving the utilization rate of the adsorbent and increasing the amount of water vapor adsorbed by the adsorbent. In addition, the multiple flow paths do not have to intersect.

[Modification 2]
In each of the first to third embodiments, the adsorbents 1, 2, and 3 are formed by stacking four adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24. In the fourth embodiment, the adsorbent 4 is formed by rolling and stacking a strip-shaped adsorption portion 61. However, the adsorbent does not have to be formed by stacking adsorption layers. In addition, the number of stacked adsorption layers is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the adsorbent has a plurality of flow paths having a lower gas diffusion resistance than the adsorbent, and a heat conductive portion formed from a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent.

[Modification 3]
In the first embodiment, the adsorbent 1 is provided with a communication flow path 25 that connects two flow paths formed approximately in parallel. The communication flow path does not have to be provided. The presence of the communication flow path allows water vapor flowing through one flow path to flow to another flow path, eliminating variation in the amount of water vapor supplied throughout the adsorbent 1. This improves the utilization rate of the adsorbent 11, thereby further increasing the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1.

[Modification 4]
In the first embodiment, the suction unit 10 is provided with a heat conductive portion 16 having a flat bottom portion 17 disposed on the negative side of the suction unit 10 in the z-axis direction, and a wall portion 18 formed to rise from the bottom portion 17. In the second embodiment, the suction unit 30 is provided with a heat conductive portion 36 having a flat plate shape disposed so as to be sandwiched between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13. The shape of the heat conductive portion is not limited to these.

Figure 22 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a first modified example of an adsorption unit. In the adsorption unit 10 shown in Figure 22, the end face 18a on the positive side in the z-axis direction of the wall 18 of the heat conductive section 16 is located inside the adsorbent 11. In other words, the end face 18a is not exposed to the outside. Even with this shape, the heat conductive section 16, which has a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 11, is arranged along the direction in which the adsorption layers of the adsorbent 1 are stacked (z-axis direction), so that the adsorption heat of the adsorbent 11 is easily transmitted in the stacking direction. Therefore, the temperature rise of the adsorbent 1 due to the adsorption heat can be suppressed, and the heat generation amount of the adsorbent 1 can be increased.

Figure 23 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a second modified example of an adsorption unit. In the adsorption unit 10 shown in Figure 23, the heat conductive portion 16 has a bottom 17, a wall 18, and an upper portion 19. The upper portion 19 is a flat plate-shaped portion located on the positive side of the adsorption unit 10 in the z-axis direction. The upper portion 19 is formed with an upper surface 19a, which is the end face on the positive side of the adsorption unit 10 in the z-axis direction. As a result, in the adsorption unit 10 shown in Figure 23, the bottom portion 17 and the upper portion 19, which have a relatively large area, can be in contact with each other in the stacking direction, making it easier to transfer the adsorption heat of the adjacent adsorption units 10 in the stacking direction. Therefore, the temperature rise of the adsorption body 1 due to the adsorption heat can be suppressed, and the amount of heat generated by the adsorption body 1 can be increased.

[Modification 5]
In the above embodiment, the width of the flow path is 50 μm or more and 2 mm or less, and the interval between adjacent flow paths is 100 μm or more and 5 mm or less. However, the width of the flow path and the interval between adjacent flow paths are not limited to this. They may be changed according to the type of adsorbent and the type of adsorbate (water in the embodiment).

[Modification 6]
In the above embodiment, the adsorbent includes silica gel. However, the material included in the adsorbent is not limited to this. It may be activated carbon or zeolite capable of adsorbing water. In addition, the gas adsorbed by the adsorbent is not limited to water vapor. It may be ammonia, methanol, ethanol, or the like.

[Modification 7]
In each of the first to third embodiments, the suction unit has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. However, the cross-sectional shape of the suction unit is not limited to a rectangular shape. It may be a circular shape.

[Modification 8]
In the above embodiment, the adsorbents of the multiple adsorption layers are formed from the same material. However, the adsorbents may be formed from different materials for each adsorption layer. For example, adsorption layers made of different materials using different types of adsorbents may be stacked.

Although this aspect has been described above based on the embodiment and modified examples, the embodiment of the above-mentioned aspect is intended to facilitate understanding of this aspect and does not limit this aspect. This aspect may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and this aspect includes equivalents. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it may be deleted as appropriate.

Reference Signs List 1, 2, 3, 4... adsorbent 5... heat exchanger 5a... heat transfer wall 11, 61b... adsorbent 12, A12, B12... first adsorbent 13, A13, B13... second adsorbent 16, A16, B16, 36, A36, B36, 66... heat conduction section 21, 22, 23, 24... adsorption layer 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a... flow path 25... communicating flow path 50... intermediate layer 62, 62a, 62b... through hole 63, 63a, 63b... opening 100... adsorption type heat pump

Claims (11)

An adsorbent comprising:
The suction unit includes a plurality of rod-shaped suction units arranged side by side such that their longitudinal directions are in the same direction,
The adsorption unit is
An adsorbent that adsorbs gas;
a heat conductive portion formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent ;
The adsorbent further comprises:
a flow path formed between two of the plurality of adsorption units along a longitudinal direction of each of the two adsorption units, the flow path having a gas diffusion resistance lower than that of the adsorbent;
Adsorbent. The adsorbent according to claim 1 ,
The flow paths include a plurality of first flow paths aligned in a first direction and a plurality of second flow paths aligned in a second direction intersecting the first direction.
Adsorbent. The adsorbent according to claim 2 further comprises
a first adsorption layer including the plurality of first flow paths and a plurality of the adsorbents located between the plurality of first flow paths;
a second adsorption layer laminated on the first adsorption layer and including the second flow paths and a plurality of the adsorbents located between the second flow paths;
Adsorbent. The adsorbent according to claim 3 further comprises:
A communication flow path is provided that communicates the first flow path and the second flow path.
Adsorbent. The adsorbent according to claim 3 or claim 4,
the thermally conductive portion is formed in contact with the adsorbent in each of the first adsorption layer and the second adsorption layer,
The thermally conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the thermally conductive portion of the second adsorption layer are connected to each other.
Adsorbent. The adsorbent according to claim 5,
The adsorbent has a shape stretched in one direction,
The heat conductive portion is provided at approximately the center of the adsorbent and extends along the extension direction of the adsorbent.
Adsorbent. The adsorbent according to any one of claims 3 to 6 further comprises:
an intermediate layer disposed between the first adsorption layer and the second adsorption layer, the intermediate layer being made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent;
the thermally conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the thermally conductive portion of the second adsorption layer are connected via the intermediate layer.
Adsorbent. An adsorbent comprising:
An adsorbent that adsorbs gas;
A plurality of flow paths each having a gas diffusion resistance lower than that of the adsorbent;
a heat conductive portion formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent;
the adsorbent is in a band shape and has a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings formed therein;
The thermal conductive portion is accommodated inside each of the second openings,
The strip-shaped adsorbent is in a rolled state,
The first openings are in communication with each other to form the flow path,
A plurality of the second openings are overlapped with each other, thereby connecting the plurality of the heat conductive portions.
Adsorbent. 1. A heat exchanger comprising:
An adsorbent according to any one of claims 1 to 8;
a heat transfer wall, the adsorbent being disposed on one side and a heat transfer medium flowing on the other side;
Heat exchanger. 10. The heat exchanger of claim 9,
The heat transfer wall is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the heat medium flows inside the heat transfer wall.
The adsorbent has a cylindrical shape and is disposed on the outer surface of the heat transfer wall along a circumferential direction.
Heat exchanger. An adsorption heat pump equipped with a heat exchanger according to claim 9 or 10.

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