Design of an isopropanol–acetone–hydrogen chemical heat pump with exothermic reactors in series

• We propose the IAH-CHP system with exothermic reactors in series.
• The COP and exergy efficiency of the system increase by 7.6% and 10.3% respectively.
• The work input of the system is reduced notably at the same quantity of heat released.

The isopropanol–acetone–hydrogen chemical heat pump system with a series of exothermic reactors in which the reaction temperatures decrease successively is proposed. This system shows the better energy performances as compared with the traditional system with a single exothermic reactor, especially when the higher upgraded temperature is need. At the same amounts of the heat released, the work input of the compressor and the heater are both reduced notably. The results indicate that the advantages of the IAH-CHP system with exothermic reactors in series are obvious.