PNNL To Develop 50 Percent More Efficient Adsorption Chillers

Adsorption Chillers are air chilling system, used by army to keep troops on the front line cool. Now these systems are quite effective but they also consume a lot of diesel, making them costly and less efficient to use. Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are working on a new method to design these chilling systems using nano-materials, making them 20 to 50 percent more efficient.
The idea is to make new adsorptions systems that are smaller, lighter and more efficient. To achieve that, PNNL is using a novel nano-material called a metal organic framework or MOF. MOFs are crystal like compounds that are made of metal clusters. MOFs are connected to organic modules or linkers. The clusters and linkers together generate a porous 3D structure. PNNL has developed a MOF that can hold up to three times more water than the current air chillers. This makes these new systems smaller and lighter.
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PNNL's system will also help to reduce the extra heat generated from diesel engine, that will help to increase the efficiency up to 50 percent. Moreover, it will reduce the attack on the soldiers who transport fuel in supply convoys. The planned 3-kilowatt unit will be 8 cubic feet in size and will weigh about 180 pounds.
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