Modelling and performance study of a continuous adsorption refrigeration system driven by parabolic trough solar collector

This article suggests a numerical study of a continuous adsorption refrigeration system consisting of two adsorbent beds and powered by parabolic trough solar collector (PTC). Activated carbon as adsorbent and ammonia as refrigerant are selected. A predictive model accounting for heat balance in the solar collector components and instantaneous heat and mass transfer in adsorbent bed is presented. The validity of the theoretical model has been tested by comparison with experimental data of the temperature evolution within the adsorber during isosteric heating phase. A good agreement is obtained. The system performance is assessed in terms of specific cooling power (SCP), refrigeration cycle COP (COPcycle) and solar coefficient of performance (COPs), which were evaluated by a cycle simulation computer program. The temperature, pressure and adsorbed mass profiles in the two adsorbers have been shown. The influences of some important operating and design parameters on the system performance have been analyzed. The study has put in evidence the ability of such a system to achieve a promising performance and to overcome the intermittence of the adsorption refrigeration systems driven by solar energy. Under the climatic conditions of daily solar radiation being about 14 MJ per 0.8 m2 (17.5 MJ/m2) and operating conditions of evaporating temperature, Tev = 0 °C, condensing temperature, Tcon = 30 °C and heat source temperature of 100 °C, the results indicate that the system could achieve a SCP of the order of 104 W/kg, a refrigeration cycle COP of 0.43, and it could produce a daily useful cooling of 2515 kJ per 0.8 m2 of collector area, while its gross solar COP could reach 0.18. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.