Evaluation of Mechanical and Thermomechanical Water Vapor Compression Techniques for Enabling High Temperature Lift Hydration-Based Chemical Heat Pumps

Achieving high temperature lifts (⁠$>200K$⁠) via a chemical heat pump based on salt hydration/dehydration reactions requires the transport of water vapor from low to high pressure. Alternative compression approaches require condensing of low-pressure water vapor, pumping of liquid water, and subsequent evaporation when the low-side pressure corresponds to sub-ambient water saturation temperatures. Thus, this study compares four steam compression methods for use within a chemical heat pump system based on a reversible calcium oxide hydration/dehydration reaction with a temperature lift from $350∘C$ heat to $>600∘C$⁠. Purely mechanical and thermochemical/mechanical compression technologies are considered. A parametric study of maximum allowable temperature, the isentropic efficiency of mechanical compressors, the effectiveness of heat exchangers, and the assumed allowable heat exchanger pressure drop is conducted to determine the mechanical and thermal energy consumed per kilogram of compressed steam. The system complexity in terms of the number of main system components, maximum pressure ratio, and maximum allowable temperature is estimated. Model results show an absorption-based steam compressor has the highest exergetic efficiency for the required chemical heat pump conditions. This system configuration was then experimentally demonstrated to illustrate the impact of system performance on component effectiveness.