Integration of the Experimental Results of a Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) Solar Plant to an Absorption Air-Conditioning System

Abstract

The present study reports the experimental results of a parabolic trough collector field and an absorption cooling system with a nominal capacity of 5 kW, which operates with the ammonia-lithium nitrate mixture. The parabolic trough collectors’ field consists of 15 collectors that are made of aluminum plate in the reflector surface and cooper in the absorber tube, with a total area of 38.4 m2. The absorption cooling system consists of 5 plate heat exchangers working as the main components. Parametric analyses were carried out to evaluate the performance of both systems under different operating conditions, in independent way. The results showed that the solar collectors’ field can provide up to 6.5 kW of useful heat to the absorption cooling system at temperatures up to 105 °C with thermal efficiencies up to 19.8% and exergy efficiencies up to 14.93, while the cooling system operated at generation temperatures from 85–95 °C and condensation temperatures between 20 and 28 °C, achieving external coefficients of performance up to 0.56, cooling temperatures as low as 6 °C, and exergy efficiencies up to 0.13. The highest value for the solar coefficient of performance reached 0.07.

Utilization of Solar Energy for Cooling Applications

“…Hence, there are other working fluids which may consider as an alternative approach, but LiBr-H2O is very common and easily available. [60,61] 5.2.2 Parabolic Dish Collector. -Parabolic dish collector is another type of concentrating collector which focus the beam of light on a focal point where receiver is installed.…”

Special Issue on Sciences in Heat Pump and Refrigeration

“…The main advantages of these systems are how: (i) natural refrigerants, usually water, is used, and (ii) the driving force is low-grade thermal energy, such as solar thermal energy and industrial waste heat. Solar cooling with a combination with absorption refrigeration was investigated by Galindo Luna et al [14] and Li et al [15]. In addition, Wang et al [16] studied the dynamic behavior of an absorption chiller under various operating conditions.…”

Realistic Simulation Tool for practical Analysis of Solar Cooling Thermal Systems driven by Linear Fresnel Collectors

“…In this period, several configurations have been studied and analyzed in terms of stages, absorberrefrigerant pairs, drive medium, applications and cooling capacities. In the literature, studies of solar cooling thermal systems have been found with single-effect absorption machines and driven by various types of solar collectors: with nonconcentrating or stationary solar collectors [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16], with parabolic cylinder collectors [6,14,17,18] and with linear Fresnel collectors [19]. Also, systems with absorption machines with two or more stages and with various types of solar collectors: with parabolic cylinder collectors [4,20] and with linear Fresnel collectors [21].…”