An adsorption heat pump with a direct contact system for steam generation has been developed and the feasibility of the proposed system was confirmed both theoretically and experimentally. The basic cycle for the system has been proposed to use zeolitewater working pairs in the p-T-x equilibrium curve. To generate steam above 150 degrees C from low-energy level water at 80 degrees C, a direct contact adsorption heat pump prototype was constructed. The experimental results show that steam could be generated by the direct contact system and the relationship between the amount of water adsorbed and the change in temperature with time is discussed. This study is expected to serve as a foundation for developing continuous adsorption heat pump systems for steam generation. Copyright (c) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.