Modeling of a nonlinear thermochemical energy storage by adsorption on zeolites

A two-dimensional model is built to analyze the coupled heat and mass transfers occurring in the zeolite 13X – water pair within a closed storage system. The proposed model consists of nonlinear coupled differential partial equations, is robust and solved for entire cycles under extreme conditions using the Gear method. The results match observations for a large set of adsorber dimensions even under extreme solicitations. They apply to both adsorption and desorption dynamics, allow energetic predictions and can be helpful to improve design and management of storage systems for building applications.