Is there such a thing as a solar thermal-powered heat pump?

Factual Questions
1

I have always thought it would be nice to somehow use the copious amounts of sun we get here in Austin to run my air conditioner. I know there are single pressure refrigeration systems such as the Einstein-Szilard refrigerator that just use a flame, but I don’t know if those scale up for something like central air. Does anyone know if there is such a thing?

Thanks,
Rob

2

there may not be a single unit to do this.

you can get electricity from the sun indirectly (thermal) and power a generator.

also electricity can be generated through wind power which has solar thermal inputs.

sourcing your electricity through either of those would be useful, there are small scale consumer level systems for wind. people have constructed thermal powered generators.

3

Most Solar AC research is being done in desiccant systems.

4

I wasn’t talking about thermocouples or any other type of electricity generation. The refrigerator I mentioned has, I believe, no moving parts and is powered by a flame. I don’t know if you can scale such a system up to cool a house, though. If you could, it ought to be reasonably simple to use the sun as the heat source.

5

http://sopogy.com/blog/2009/08/20/solar-air-conditioning-explained/

6

Absorption systems use heat and the only moving parts will be pumps to move the solution and water. And the refergerant that is used on larger absorption units is water.

7

Looking at some of the links provided, I saw a system that dehydrated air by exposing it to a brine spray. Does that really work?

Thanks,
Rob

8

I believe that Einstein and Szillard patented a type of refrigerator that worked on a simple heat differential, and required no moving parts. Patent number FR 670428

9

I believe I mentioned that. The question is, could you use the tech for central air?

Thanks,
Rob

10

I wondered the same thing as the op and this looks like the answer.