Solar Air Conditioning System Research Articles

A hybrid solar air conditioning system

A new system is proposed that is a hybrid, being partly an absorption system and partly a vapor compression system. Hence, it combines the two most popular types of solar refrigeration systems. The proposed system offers the advantages of a lower initial cost than the absorption system and a lower operating cost, and power consumption, than the vapor-compression system. It permits designing with an optical mix of solar and electrical energy for driving the system. (WDM)

Operation and performance of the University of Florida solar air-conditioning system

This paper discusses the operation and performance of the continuous absorption refrigeration system using ammonia and water as the working fluid and being operated by flat-plate solar absorbers. This system has been operating continuously over the greater part of the day producing 2.4 tons of refrigeration with peak loads of 3.7 tons of refrigeration. During steady-state operation the refrigeration effect to the heat input was 0.57. This could be raised to 0.72 with minor system modifications, namely, enlarging the heat exchanger between absorber and generator of the absorption system. Based on operation with auxiliary heat sources this system seems to be able to deliver as much as six tons of refrigeration if enough heat is supplied to the system. This would require the enlargement of the collecting surface from the present 400 square feet to about 1000 square feet. The concentrations used in the system varied from about 58 percent in the absorber to about 39 percent in the generator. Water supply temperatures varied from 140 to 200 degrees F with usual operation at about 175 degrees F.

Experience with solar houses

Since 1959 four solar houses have been constructed by the author in the Washington, D. C. area. This report is primarily concerned with status of the solar heating, air conditioning, and water-heating system in the first house after about 6 years of service. Inspection of the heat storage bin shows no deterioration. The plumbing system has proved satisfactory and has required only minor repairs. The standby oil-heating system has needed only minor repairs. The collector glazing materials were deteriorating and were completely replaced at the end of 5 years. Rooftop evaporative cooling at night, while satisfactory most of the time was inadequate at others. After two years a low-power refrigerating compression system was substituted. The solar reflector-flux intensifier installed on the second house remains in good condition after 3 1 2 years, but its reflective surface is some-what dulled and is less efficient than when new. The experience to date, in short, is that no major flaw in design or construction has shown up.