LAUSR

Abstract This paper addresses some thermodynamic aspects of adsorptive heat transformation (AHT) driven by ultralow-temperature (ULT) heat. This non-payable heat is available in abundance from various natural thermal sources and as heat wastes from industry, transport and power engineering. The link between the temperature thrush that drives an AHT cycle and the obtained temperature lift is analyzed using the Trouton rule. It is shown that even if only ULT heat with T ≤ 50 °C is available, it can effectively drive adsorptive cooling cycles and obtain an output temperature sufficient for air-conditioning, ice-making, and freezing. Moreover, heat amplification cycles can be driven by ULT heat with a temperature lower than 20 °C. The Dubinin adsorption potential ΔF is proposed as a quantitative measure of the adsorbent affinity, and the quantitative relationship between the temperature thrush and this potential is found for water as an adsorptive. This link can greatly help in choosing adsorbents optimal for the given AHT conditions.