Small-scale Advanced Thermo-Adsorptive Battery prototype

Abstract

A significant effort is underway to develop an adsorption-driven system with the capacity to replace the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system in an electric vehicle. This Advanced Thermo-Adsorptive Battery (ATB) system uses novel adsorbent materials and methods of optimizing transport properties, without which the desired energy and power densities are unattainable. The work in this thesis runs parallel to that effort, with the development of a small-scale version of the ATB. Two novel prototype designs are discussed. The first, though never fully operational, was an attempt to demonstrate the potential of ATB technology to be scaled to meet countless heating and cooling applications. The second prototype was designed to be a system for testing aspects of ATB operation on a small scale. This prototype uses small quantities of adsorbents, reducing material costs and shortening time scales, and has a great deal of operating flexibility, enabling a number of system conditions to be parametrically studied. Testing and experimental procedures have been developed, and preliminary experimental data have been used to ensure proper prototype operation. This prototype will continue to be used as a tool to characterize ATB system operation and aid in understanding the technology.