Development of a revolving drum reactor for open-sorption heat storage processes

•Use of an open adsorption concept for domestic heat supply was proved.•A rotating heat drum reactor concept was successfully applied.•Zeolite batches of 50 kg generated up to 12 kWh adsorption heat (580 kJ/kg).•Temperature shift in the rotating material bed was up to 60 K during adsorption.

To evaluate the potential of an open sorption storage process using molecular sieves to provide thermal energy for space heating and hot water, an experimental study of adsorption heat generation in a rotating reactor is presented. Dehydrated zeolite of the type 4A and MSX were used in form of spherical grains and humidified room air was blown through the rotating bed. Zeolite batches of about 50 kg were able to generate an adsorption heat up to 12 kWh and temperature shifts of the process air up to 36 K depending on the inlet air water content and the state of dehydration of the storage materials. A detailed study of the heat transfer effects, the generated adsorption heat, and the evolving temperatures show the applicability of the reactor and storage concept.