Study on a solar heat driven dual-mode adsorption chiller

• Main Authors: Habib, K., Choudhury, B., Chatterjee, P.K., Saha, B.B.
• Format: Article
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2013
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84888432013&doi=10.1016%2fj.energy.2013.10.001&partnerID=40&md5=32f1be37e0e2abdccd3a6552f2fd2c91; http://eprints.utp.edu.my/32478/

Environmental concerns and the rising energy cost necessitate looking for renewable energy driven environmentally benign adsorption cooling systems. Solar powered adsorption chillers with non-concentrating flat plate or evacuated tube collectors face the problem of not getting adequate driving source temperature during some months of the year. Multi-staging of the adsorption cycle is then needed to exploit the low driving source temperature. A simulation study of a solar thermal driven dual-mode, four-bed silica gel-water adsorption chiller is undertaken in this work. The solar thermal collector data of Durgapur (23.48°N, 87.32°E), India has been used as the heat source for the dual-mode chiller. For a driving source temperature above 60°C, the chiller works as a single stage four-bed adsorption chiller; while the chiller functions as a two stage adsorption chiller when the driving source temperature falls below 60°C. With a cooling water temperature of 30°C, this two stage chiller has been found to produce cooling effect with a driving source temperature as low as 40°C. Results indicate that the dual-mode chiller is capable of providing cooling throughout the year under the climatic condition of Durgapur, India. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.