Numerical Investigation of an Absorption-Diffusion Cooling Machine Using C3H8/C9H20as Binary Working Fluid

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the analysis and the simulation of a heat-driven absorption-diffusion cooling machine which can operate with low-grade heat sources. The simplified configuration of the heat-powered absorption-diffusion refrigerating machine considered in this study is based on the Platen-Munters single pressure refrigerators principle [Platen B.C.V. and Munters C.G. (1928) Refrigerator, US Patent 1, 685-764J. Three working fluids are used, nonane as an absorbent, propane as a refrigerant and hydrogen as the inert auxiliary gas. The designed cooling capacity of the machine is 1 kW which is suitable for a domestic use for refrigeration purposes. We restricted the maximum temperature of the driving heat supplied to the generator to 130 °C, a temperature achievable with evacuated-tube solar collectors. The simulations are carried out using a commercially available flow sheeting software with the PengRobinson equation of state as property prediction method. In this paper, we analyze the heat and mass transfer characteristics in all relevant machine components (absorber, condenser, generator and solution heat exchangers). The simulations results allow determining the values of different parameters of the systems such as the refrigerant and the solvent temperatures in various points of the machine, the liquid and the vapor flow rates and compositions. The system performances were parametrically analyzed using the flow sheeting software. Performance characteristics were determined for a wide range of operating conditions allowing investigating and evaluating the effect of various design parameters.