Experimental study on the active enhancement mechanisms of heat and mass transfer in an absorption chiller (RP-1462)

Abstract

Based on the introduction of periodic vibration equipment in a sorption fluids system, the effect of an active mechanism on the heat and mass transfer enhancement in an absorber and the coefficient of performance (COP) enhancement in an absorption chiller was investigated. Different combinations of frequency (15–30 Hz), amplitude (0.1–0.4 mm), and flow rate (0.1–0.5 m3/h), with and without additive (2EH), were compared quantitatively. The results indicated the heat and mass transfer coefficients of the absorber and the COP of the absorption chiller significantly improved—by about 50% under certain conditions. There was a critical value for the amplitude (0.2 mm) and an optimal frequency (25 Hz) in the current study. The additive and solution flow rate also affected performance, but no exclusive conclusion was obtained from our experiment. A properly controlled and applied active mechanism would be of great value not only for the absorption chiller, but also for other chemical engineering applications. The results also begin to fill the knowledge gap between the analysis of mechanical motion and absorption chiller technology. The next phase of work is to find the active mechanism of heat and mass transfer enhancement from the microflow perspective.