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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Modeling and simulation of improved solar absorption cooling systems

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6475645
Solar absorption cooling is economically unattractive compared to vapor compression cooling. This is due to the high cost and relatively low efficiency of the equipment. Improved configurations of the different components of the solar absorption system were studied, and techniques for their evaluation developed. The method consists of mathematic modeling and computer simulations. Three advanced absorption cycles, the absorption-resorption, double effect, and the generator-absorber heat exchange cycles are described and modeled. An improved configuration of the generator-absorber heat exchange cycle is proposed. The ranges of cycle temperatures under which the performances of these cycles is better than that of the single effect cycle are calculated. To lower the cut-off temperature of an absorption cycle, a thermodynamic criterion for the selection of the refrigerant-absorbent pair is proposed. The effect of this thermodynamic property on the performance of various absorption cycles is estimated. An arrangement of the solar energy collection and the absorption cooling subsystem is proposed. An economic comparison between the solar absorption and the conventional system was made.
OSTI ID:
6475645
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English