High-thermal conductivity adsorbents for rapid absorption of heat pulses and a pressure-cascade burst desorption system using the same

Abstract

A composite adsorbent and heat burst desorption system using the same. The composite adsorbent material includes a backbone and a filler. The backbone comprises a first material having a high thermal conductivity and a plurality of pore. The filler, within the pores of the backbone, comprises a second material having a large specific surface area.

1 . A composite adsorbent comprising:
 a backbone comprising a first material having a high thermal conductivity and having a plurality of pores therein; and   a filler within pores of the plurality of the backbone and comprising a second material having a large specific surface area.   
     
     
         2 . The composite adsorbent of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal conductivity of the first material comprising the backbone is greater than about 20 W/m·K. 
     
     
         3 . The composite adsorbent of  claim 1 , wherein the specific surface area of the second material comprising the filler is greater than about 1000 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         4 . The composite adsorbent of  claim 1 , wherein the first material comprising the backbone is a graphitic foam, an aluminum foam, a copper foam, a three-dimensional network of carbon nanotubes, a three-dimensional network of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, a three-dimensional network of metallic or semiconducting nanowires, grapheme, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The composite adsorbent of  claim 1 , wherein the second material comprising the filler is an aerogel or a cryogel. 
     
     
         6 . The composite adsorbent of  claim 1 , wherein a surface of the first material comprising the backbone, a surface of the second material comprising the filler, or both is chemically modified. 
     
     
         7 . The composite adsorbent of  claim 6 , wherein the chemical modification includes introduction of a polar ionic species. 
     
     
         8 . The composite adsorbent of  claim 1 , wherein the second material comprising the filler comprises exfoliated outer layer of the first material comprising the backbone. 
     
     
         9 . A heat burst desorption system for absorbing rapid heat bursts from a heat load, the system comprising:
 an adsorbent bed containing an adsorbent;   an adsorbate supply containing an adsorbate, the adsorbate configured to adsorb onto a surface of the adsorbent with a large heat of adsorption;   a first heat transfer path thermally coupling the adsorbent bed to the heat load; and   a second heat transfer path thermally coupling the adsorbent supply to a cooling loop,   wherein the system is operable in an absorption mode and recharge mode:
 (i) when the system is in the absorption mode, the adsorbent bed is fluidically coupled to an exhaust such that adsorbate desorbs from surface of the adsorbent and vented when heat is transferred on the first heat transfer path, and 
 (ii) when the system is in the recharge mode, the adsorbent bed is fluidically coupled to the adsorbate supply such that adsorbate adsorbs onto the surface of the adsorbent and heat is transferred on the second heat transfer path. 
   
     
     
         10 . A method of absorbing rapid heat bursts from a heat load, the method comprising:
 decompressing an adsorbent bed comprising an adsorbent when heat is generated by the heat load; and   recharging the adsorbent bed with an adsorbate when heat generation ceases, the adsorbate configured to adsorb onto a surface of the adsorbent.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the adsorbent is the composite adsorbent of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein heat generated while recharging the adsorbent bed is rejected from the adsorbent bed. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the rejected heat is transferred to a cooling loop. 
     
     
         14 . A composite adsorbent comprising:
 a thermally-conductive backbone comprising a first material having a plurality of pores therein; and   a filler within pores of the plurality of the backbone and comprising a second material having a large specific surface area.   
     
     
         15 . The composite adsorbent of  claim 14 , wherein a thermal conductivity of the first material comprising the backbone is greater than about 20 W/m·K. 
     
     
         16 . The composite adsorbent of  claim 14 , wherein the specific surface area of the second material comprising the filler is greater than about 1000 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         17 - 21 . (canceled)