Evaluating the techno-economic viability of different solar collectors integrated into an adsorption cooling system in tropical climate conditions

Abstract

The technology and performance of solar adsorption cooling systems have reached maturity, enabling them to meet the growing demand for air conditioning. High upfront and operating costs have, however, hindered the commercial spread of solar adsorption cooling systems. Comparing the solar adsorption cooling system with commercial air conditioners, the solar thermal system offers superior efficiency. In order to enhance the techno-economic potential of solar adsorption cooling in Malaysia, this study developed a combination of analytical and conceptual frameworks in the form of a multilayer computational network to identify the most efficient solar thermal system. TRNSYS, MATLAB, and REFPROP software were used to model and simulate the solar adsorption cooling system. A Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO) implemented in MATLAB and linked to TRNSYS was then used to determine the optimal components and variables for each solar thermal system. To determine the most efficient solar thermal system, a techno-economic assessment was conducted to evaluate the solar adsorption cooling system incorporating optimized solar thermal systems. The findings reveal that among the various types of collectors investigated, the evacuated tube collectors demonstrated the highest efficiency in providing the necessary heat energy for the adsorption cooling system. In contrast, the linear Fresnel reflector collector and parabolic trough collectors display exceptional performance, mainly under clear sky conditions. Meanwhile, the photovoltaic-thermal collectors exhibit the greatest energy-saving and techno-economic potential. This advantage arises from their ability to simultaneously generate power and heat, taking advantage of the cost disparity between electricity and natural gas in Malaysia.