Heat and mass transfer in activated carbon composites with artificial macro pores for heat pump applications

This paper presents a new simulation model for the heat and mass transfer in activated carbon compounds with new kind of artificial pores using methanol as a working fluid. The artificial pores are generated by blending polymer fibers to the activated carbon and binder mixture. In a subsequent sintering process, the polymer fibers are gasified, leaving additional pores that increase the overall mass transfer. Three measuring techniques are developed to determine the model parameters, including temperature and load dependent thermal conductivity, pressure and temperature dependent macroporous diffusivity and adsorption kinetics.