Abstract
Adsorption heat pump system is expected to increase energy efficiency. However, insufficient performance of the system is still a critical issue. To improve the efficiency, fundamental phenomena of water adsorption and desorption on silica gel need to be elucidated. In this study, adsorption and desorption process on silica gel were investigated by using X-ray computed tomography. As a result, water distribution on silica gel during adsorption and desorption process was visualized successfully. The visualized images indicated that the desorption process occurs uniformly in the silica gel. On the other hand, the non-uniform water distribution was observed in the adsorption process. It suggested that the outer part of the silica gel adsorbed more water than the inner part.
