New Experimental Installation to Determine Adsorptive Properties of Magnesium Sulphate

Adsorption processes are of great interest in catalysis, material separation, and thermal management. In recent decades, adsorbents have been further investigated because of their applications in adsorption refrigeration, heat pumps, and thermal energy storage. Thus, there is an increasing need to determine the macroscopic properties of the adsorbent, specifically their adsorption/desorption capacity and speed, because these two factors determine the power and size of the corresponding adsorber. Many designs have been proposed, but there is still not a generally adopted technology for the analysis of those properties. In this paper, a novel instrument is described, which is capable of determining the macrokinetic properties of an adsorbent composite, with better control and higher accuracy than gravimetric, volumetric, or barometric installations, and lower price and complexity than spectroscopic installations. The design of the installation is detailed, highlighting the main challenges and critical factors. The two working modes of the installation are described, and one example is provided and analyzed for each of them.