Auxiliary active motor vehicle heating and air conditioning system

Abstract

An auxiliary active heating and air conditioning system for a passenger area of a motor vehicle comprising a heat exchanger in the passenger area piped to receive conditioned heat transfer fluid, a sorption cooling system located outside the passenger area and having first and second reactors, each reactor containing a metal salt or a complex compound formed by absorbing a polar gas on a metal salt comprising a halide, nitrate, nitrite, oxalate, perchlorate, sulfate or sulfite of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, zinc, cadmium, tin or aluminum, or sodium borofluoride or a double metal halide, the reactors having a heat transfer section for thermally exposing a heat transfer fluid and/or condensed polar gas refrigerant in heat exchange communication with the metal salt or said complex compound, a refrigerant loop including an evaporator piped to deliver conditioned heat transfer fluid to the heat exchanger during air conditioning, a heater for heating heat transfer fluid, and a valve assembly comprising one or more valves for directing heat transfer fluid heated by the heater. In a preferred embodiment each reactor contains a sorbent/substrate composition comprising a substrate material inert to the polar gas and incorporating the salt or the complex compound.