Simulation Study of Continuous Solar Adsorption Refrigeration System Driven by Compound Parabolic Concentrator

Solar adsorption refrigeration is promising technology especially in the developing countries and remote areas because the system can be driven by solar energy without involving electricity. Therefore, it is technologically possible and socially feasible in the areas where electricity is not enough but solar energy is rather easy to obtain. The conventional system works intermittently and produces cooling only during night. In this article, a solar adsorption refrigerator is presented that produces cooling continuously using only solar energy. The system consists of two beds with CPC collectors, a condenser and evaporator. The one cycle complete in two days. A simulation model was developed to evaluate the system performance. The objectives of this study were to investigate the dynamic behaviour of the system, and to compare the system behaviour with the conventional system. The results show that system produces continuous cooling. Cooling rate decreased in the middle of the day because of relatively high ambient temperature. The performance of the system increased with high value of heat transfer coefficient between receiver and bed, and decreased by increasing the adsorbent mass. The performance of the continuous system was compared with that of intermittent system. It was found that the evaporator temperature in the intermittent system increased during the day because cooling is not produced during day in that system, while proposed system kept the evaporator at low temperature continuously. This study will facilitate the future researches in solar adsorption continuous refrigeration technology because achieving continuous cooling only with solar energy is very attractive.