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ElectroChemical Compression
Xergy’s technology for a new class of clean, green compressor for refrigeration and cooling (code named Kuel-cell ) is potentially transformational and disruptive for the conventional refrigeration industry. It uses stable and well-understood technology from the Fuel-cell industry, in a novel fashion that simply requires electricity to produce refrigeration without the need for motors or CFC refrigerants. Devices utilizing such technology could be deployed in any number of commercial, residential and automotive applications in a cost-effective, efficient and environmentally-friendly manner.
Xergy’s green refrigeration technology devices would produce small-volume, lightly pressurized hydrogen from electricity, in a sealed unit to drive a motor-less, non-CFC refrigeration cycle. It leverages existing proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) technology, and hydrogen’s excellent thermodynamic characteristics and ability to co-exist with other fluids, to create a refrigeration-cycle. Xergy refers to this refrigeration approach as Electro-chemical (EC)
An electrochemical (EC) compressor and heat pump system includes an EC cell and a mixed gas refrigerant-based cooling system. The EC cell is capable of producing high pressure hydrogen gas from a mixed fluid system including an electrochemically-active component such as hydrogen and at least one refrigerant fluid. The cooling system can include a condenser, compressor, and evaporator in thermal communication with an object to be cooled. Hydrogen gas is pressurized across the membrane electrode assembly (MEA).
The hydrogen gas enters a gas space, where it is compressed into a vapor refrigerant. As the vapor refrigerant is compressed, it is forced through the condenser where the refrigerant is liquefied. The liquid refrigerant then passes through the evaporator where the liquid refrigerant is evaporated by absorbing heat from the object to be cooled. The mixed fluids then enter the EC cell where hydrogen is pressurized again.
The core technology in the device is a PFSA membrane as the compressor component in a typical 4-stage refrigeration cycle system. The surface being cooled will act as an evaporator component. A micro-machined orifice in the device will act as a refrigeration-cycle expansion valve. Condensation will occur above the PFSA membrane surface, on a heat exchanger surface elsewhere in the device (see Figure 1).
Heat absorption: Cool Liquid mixture + hydrogen gas circulate internally at the interface between the item to be cooled and the device itself (and absorb heat).
Compression: Above, the membrane and electrode assembly absorbs the liquid and hydrogen gas and transports them both to the other side, pressurizing the mixture. The pressure of Hydrogen gas is several PSI above atmospheric pressure.
Condensation: The slightly pressurized fluids release energy to the environment at a higher rate than the surface of the heat absorption region, in a high surface-area, heat exchanger.
Expansion: The slightly pressurized Gas/Liquid fluid mixture is conveyed through an orifice where it expands and cools down with higher liquid content.
ElectroChemical Compression …
1. Can be used as alternative in Household Refrigerators and AC, and Auto-AC
2. Requires no CFC’s refrigerants (or other forms of GHG-producing refrigerants)
3. Requires no electric-motor for its compressor
4. Is 2x to 3x more efficient than current technology
5. Requires no Rare Earth Metals (REMs)
6. Has a highly flexible form-factor
7. Produces little or no noise
8. Requires less manufacturing and less maintenance in operation
9. Can be designed in sizes from 50 Watts to 5000 Watts
10. Is modular so a series of units can be effectively used
11. Supports part-load operation without performance penalty
Xergy Inc, Wins GE Ecomagination Award
Bamdar BAHAR
Xergy Inc. a high technology company based in Georgetown Delaware is proud to announce that it has been selected as one of five winners of GE’s ecomagination global innovation award.
GE is driving a global energy transformation with a focus on innovation and R&D investment to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technology. Since its inception in 2005, 110 ecomagination-approved products have been brought to market with revenues reaching $18 billion in 2010. The company will invest $10 billion in R&D over five years and double operational energy efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. As part of the initiative, GE launched “GE ecomagination Challenge: Powering the Grid”, a $200 million financial commitment challenging innovators to join in developing clean energy technologies. It is extending this Challenge with the “GE ecomagination Challenge: Powering Your Home,” to develop technologies that help households manage their energy usage. For more information, visit the ecomagination website at http://ge.ecomagination.com/index.html.
Bamdad Bahar, co-founder and inventor of Xergy’s technology visited New York on June 24rd to formally receive the award with co-founder Richard L. Williams. Bamdad made the following statement to industry media during the internationally televised event:
“I am very proud of our team, and GE’s recognition of our hard work. This has been a very long process for us of quietly doing our work while operating our other businesses. Quite frankly without an incredible business community in Delaware, it would have been impossible to get this far. First of all Delaware is home to the global leaders in the solid state ion exchange membrane technology with Dupont, Gore, and Ion-Power all based there. Secondly, it is also home to the University of Delaware that has one of the leading Chemical Engineering Departments in the world. It is astounding that we were able to access renowned Professors like Stanley Sandler with a simple phone call and ended up very quickly conducting very complex thermodynamic modeling that supported our development. It is important to note too, that without the opportunities afforded to us by many local companies such as Perdue Farms, who strongly believe in supporting local communities, we simply would not have been able to devote the resources to bring our inventions to this stage. The Delaware Economic Development Office was instrumental in assisting us with permitting for our labs; and our local community bank, County Bank of Rehoboth has been pivotal with further assistance to accelerate our programs. In truth, this really is a tribute not to us, but to the whole commercial infrastructure in Delaware. We hope to be able to place Delaware on the leading edge of a new global industrial revolution creating a sustainable future for our planet and transforming how the world creates, connects to and uses energy.”
Xergy Inc was founded in 2009 to commercialize a series of patents based on “electrochemical compression” to launch a new class of clean, green compressors for the refrigeration and cooling industry. Xergy’s technology is based on utilizing electrochemical compression of clean non-GHG (non-Green-House-Gas) depleting refrigerants. This technology provides for highly-efficient, noiseless, vibration free, modular and scalable Cooling Systems. This technology is potentially transformational and disruptive for the conventional refrigeration industry. It uses stable and well-understood technology from the Fuel-cell industry in a novel fashion that simply uses electricity to produce refrigeration without the need for motors or polluting refrigerants. Devices utilizing this technology could be deployed in any number of commercial, residential and automotive applications in a cost-effective, efficient and planet-friendly manner. It leverages existing proton-exchange-membrane technology with hydrogen’s excellent thermodynamic characteristics and ability to co-exist with other fluids, to operate a clean and efficient refrigeration cycle.
Funds from this award will be used to expand our facilities and hire additional scientists. For more information, please call Cassandra Asher at 302-856-3500.
Xergy is based at 310 North Race Street, Georgetown, DE 1994
Patents
Self-Contained Electrochemical Heat Transfer System
US2011127018
Tubular System for Electrochemical Compressor
US2011108246
ELECTROCHEMICAL COMPRESSOR AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEM
WO2010065423
Solid electrolyte composite for electrochemical reaction apparatus
US7931995
Solid electrolyte composite for electrochemical reaction apparatus
US6635384
