In recent years, power consumption for the operation of air conditioning systems has increased dramatically. Solar air conditioning is a smart, alternative cooling technology since load demand coincides with the availability of solar energy. In addition, the refrigerants used are environmentally friendly and less primary energy is consumed. The potential for environmental gain is remarkable given that in total, the building sector is responsible for 1/3 of CO2 emissions worldwide.
The most common solar air conditioning system is that of single-stage absorption. Worldwide, there are 9 companies in total which market such systems, whose cooling power starts from 100kW and reaches 2000kW.
Considering the need to reduce air conditioning loads as well as the increasing penetration of Renewable Energy Sources to cover thermal loads, the Laboratory of Applied Thermodynamics, Cooling Technology & Refrigerated Vehicles has installed and operated a single-stage absorption chiller. As the specific cooler is thermally driven, it can be ideally combined with a thermal solar system or a trigeneration system.
Since this application serves research purposes, there is a plate heat exchanger which acts as a refrigerant charge destroyer. The absorption system uses the 700kW cooling tower already installed on the roof of the building.
Characteristics
Rated power 300 kW
Cooling capacity 100 tons
Thermal performance COP=0.7
Adsorbent LiBr
Hot water inlet temperature 17oC
Measuring Systems Temperature and pressure sensors
