Kinetic feasibility of a chemical heat pump for heat utilization of high-temperature processes

To utilize heat generated from high-temperature processes, the kinetic feasibility of a calcium oxide/lead oxide/carbon dioxide chemical heat pump was examined experimentally by kinetic studies of CaO/CO2 and PbO/CO2 reaction systems, which constitute the heat pump's reaction. In order to determine the optimal reaction conditions that still allow practical operation of the heat pump, both reaction systems were examined with respect to thermal drivability and reaction material durability. The heat pump was able to store heat of about 860 degrees C and transform it to a heat of above 880 degrees C under sub-atmospheric pressure without mechanical work. An applied system that combined the heat pump with a high-temperature process was proposed for high-efficiency heat utilization. The scale of the heat pump in the combined system was estimated from the experimental results. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.