Breakthrough converts low-temp waste heat into cooling

The breakthrough invention is a chemical adsorption heat pump system that incorporates an electrochemical compressor and can utilise waste heat with temperatures as low as 40^oC to generate cooling energy. Conventional adsorption cooling systems require heat sources above 70^oC, according to the researchers.

The technology is noiseless, vibration-free and does not rely on using electrical energy to compress refrigerant as part of the cooling cycle. Instead, it can take waste heat from facilities such as factories or data centres as an energy input.

Led by Dr Young Kim, Principal Researcher at KIMM’s Heat Pump Research Centre and in collaboration with Professor Minseong Kim and Professor Dongkyu Kim of Chung-Ang University, the research team found the technology substantially reduces electricity consumption for cooling.

KIMM’s researchers developed the chemical adsorption heat pump, which operates on low-temperature waste heat. The research team redesigned the adsorption bed, the core component of the heat pump, achieving a specific cooling power (SCP) of 346.5W/kg. The team states this is more than twice the performance of comparable international technologies.

Chung-Ang University’s team developed an electrochemical compressor for the system, which has no moving parts, resulting in noiseless and vibration-free operation, making it well suited to hospitals, schools, residential areas, and other noise-sensitive environments.

Through collaboration with Chung-Ang University, KIMM also advanced the development of a large-area ammonia compressor, bringing the technology closer to proof-of-concept validation and commercialisation.

Samjung Tech Co., Ltd. have manufactured a 10kW-class prototype of the heat pump that is being used for trials.

Image: Electrochemical compressor stack; image courtesy KIMM

“The most significant achievement of this research is the successful demonstration of cooling low-temperature waste heat at just 40^oC from factories and data centres,” Dr Young Kim says.

“We are currently conducting demonstration tests with a 10 kW-class prototype. Building on these tests, we plan to pursue further research to advance the technology for field demonstration.”

The project was supported by the Alchemist Project funded by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP).

KIMM’s team says the technology is expected to be applied to heating and cooling systems for data centres, factories, and commercial buildings.

“By utilising waste heat that would otherwise be discarded, it offers significant potential for energy savings,” the media announcement states.

“In addition, the system uses ammonia, a natural refrigerant, enabling compliance with international refrigerant regulations while providing an environmentally friendly heating and cooling solution.”

Main image: Researchers from the Heat Pump Research Center (KIMM), Dr. Young Kim, second from the left. Image courtesy of KIMM.

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