A Statistical Approach to Optimize the Solar Adsorption Refrigeration System
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ISSN 1923-8460[PRINT] Energy Science and Technology ISSN 1923-8479[ONLINE] Vol. 3, No. 2, 2012, pp. 18-28 www.cscanada.net DOI:10.3968/j.est.1923847920120302.216 www.cscanada.org A Statistical Approach to Optimize the Solar Adsorption Refrigeration System Ghassan M. Tashtoush[a],* [a]Mechanical Engineering Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O.Box 3030 Irbid 22110, JORDAN. NOMENCLATURE *Corresponding author. A: collector area (m²) . Received 2 February 2012; accepted 3 April 2012 C: specific heat (J/kg K) h: convective heat transfer coefficient (W/m².K) I: total incident solar radiation on south facing inclined Abstract surface (W/m²) Solar-powered refrigeration based on adsorption cycles k: thermal conductivity (W/m.K) is simple, quiet in operation and adaptable to small L: Insulation thickness (m) medium or large systems. Application potentials include m: adsorbent mass (kg) storage of vaccines for immunization against killer P: pressure (Pa) diseases in remote areas, preservation of foodstuff Q: heat transfer rate (W) for future use and manufacture of ice. Already Solar U: thermal resistance (m².K/W) Adsorption Refrigeration (SAR) is a technical success, T: temperature (C) but it is not commercially competitive with either the U: overall heat loss coefficient (W/m².K) conventional vapor compression or PV refrigerators. 3 Further developmental research is, therefore, required ∆x: Adsorbent concentration (kg/m ) for improvements in existing designs either to increase Greek symbols system overall performances significantly or to reduce ε: emissivity system unit cost or both. In this study a statistical η: efficiency approach was used to optimize of solar adsorption air θ: angle of inclination conditioning or refrigeration unit using ANOVA analysis. ρ: density (kg/m³), reflectance It was found that the coefficient of performance (COP) of Subscripts a SAR system does not depend sharply on the evaporator amb: ambient temperature without any relation of the system conditions. con: condenser Instead COP depends significantly on both condenser c: collector temperature and type of couple used in the refrigeration ev: evaporator system. In addition some factors that concern about design reg: regenerator could have an effect on the COP. From the optimization t: top model the maximum value of COP was found under low g: glass condenser temperature and high generator temperature. s: solar Zeolite/water couple has the maximum COP value th: thermal whereas the activated carbon has the minimum value. e: edge Key words: Solar adsorption; Refrigeration; ANOVA; b: bottom SAR ref: refrigeration ad: adsorbent Tashtoush, G. M. (2012). A Statistical Approach to Optimize o: reference the Solar Adsorption Refrigeration System. Energy Science and p: plate Technology, 3(2), 18-28. Available from: URL: http://www.cscanada. net/index.php/est/article/view/10.3968/j.est.1923847920120302.216 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/j.est.1923847920120302.216 Copyright © Canadian Research & Development Center of Sciences and Cultures 18 Ghassan M. Tashtoush (2012). Energy Science and Technology, 3(2),18-28 INTRODUCTION since at least 1909 and refrigeration were commercially Adsorption has been shown to be achieved by refrigeration available in the 1920s. In 1929, Miller described several systems, which utilized silica gel and sulfur dioxide as an for a long time, while the development of solar [13] refrigeration systems using basic solid adsorption cycle adsorbent/adsorbate pair . didn’t emerge until the late 1970s. This interest is mainly Solar adsorption heat pump and refrigeration due to the fact that such systems are environmentally devices are of significance to meet the needs for cooling friendly and that they can produce cooling by using low requirements such as air-conditioning and ice making waste heat source (such as industrial waste energy) as and medical or food preservation in remote areas. They driving force. Additionally, solar adsorption refrigeration are also noiseless, non-corrosive and environmentally systems are attractive, mostly in remote areas without friendly. The classical physical mathematical analysis grid-connected electricity, since solar radiation is freely of solar adsorption system is based on determining the available, and the demand of refrigeration increases COP at any instant by solving complex nonlinear set of particularly in the sunny regions. Some units of solar equations. These equations are dependent upon constant adsorption refrigerators have been commercialized using factors and variables. The latter ones are the condensing, activated carbon–methanol and zeolite–water pairs. These evaporating, and generating temperatures which usually units were technically successful, but their costs are not called the input variables of the system. The great competitive with the conventional vapor compression consumed effort for finding COP from analytical approach system In addition to their high costs, adsorption systems forced the researchers to inquire non-classical techniques have some other drawbacks, such as low specific cooling to minimize the execution time for COP calculation. The power and low coefficient of performance, due to the value of the coefficient of performance COP is affected by weak heat transfer within the adsorbers. three variables. These are the condensation, evaporation, Determination of suitable adsorbent–adsorbate pairs and generation temperatures for various applications was done through various studies Many researches had performed so much works, that also quantified the cooling COP with respect to [1-3] theoretically and experimentally, to find COP due to the the operating temperatures . These also pinpointed [14-17] several limitations like the low heat transfer coefficient change of one of these temperatures . This project in the adsorbent bed, which has a real influence on the aims to build a general simple multi-dimensional thermodynamic efficiency of the system. mathematical models from these collected data based Following that, research focused on improving on using a factorial analysis and design of experiment [14] heat transfer in adsorbent beds and regenerative heat statistical approaches. Theoretical collected data were transfer between beds in case of a continuous adsorption used to calculate COP under different conditions. Then refrigeration aiming to reduce size and cost and to the COP value for different input variables is calculated increase COP. Methods investigated or in the process of by this approach. The results are compared with classical examination mainly concern heat recovery between beds[4], theoretical data of COP under the same conditions. The consolidated adsorbent[5-7], thermal wave (or thermal comparison indicates very good agreement. Furthermore, regeneration) cycles[8-10]. Heat pipes use in this field have data collected from experimental setup of given solar been shown experimentally to improve heat transfer in adsorption system were used as an input for the statistical beds[11, 12]. In the field of adsorptive systems, different procedures[18]. The predicted COP at intermediate values types of solid-gas pairs were studied to build adapted between the chosen points, due to the variance of one cooling solar systems. The Zeolite-water pair is normally variable and keeping the other two variables constant, is chosen for refrigeration and the active carbon methanol compared with these values from experimental results. pair for ice production. The active carbon-ammonia pair The comparison shows excellent agreement to predict the is also usable for ice production. Both refrigerator type COP calculated by the proposed statistical procedures. and the ice maker type systems are examples of day/night This is because the statistical approach develops an cycle adsorptive solar cooling systems. There, the system optimum model that fit the given data. This optimization is mainly composed of a collector packed with adsorbent, enables us to determine COP due to the change of one, a condenser and an evaporator. two, and three input temperatures accurately. In the refrigerator type, a fluid, generally water, is frozen by the system in the water tank (located in an enclosure and expected to be kept at low temperature). 1. ADSORPTION REFRIGERATION SYSTEM The frozen fluid must be preserved at its most. As a preservative system, and by the means of a valve placed Adsorption cycles are only intermittent in operation, since between the collector and the evaporator, heat release the adsorbent cannot move through the components, and in the evaporator is prevented. Heat-driven sorption the cycle comprises two phases: heating–desorption– refrigeration cycles have existed in patent literature condensation phase and cooling – adsorption –evaporation phase. 19 Copyright © Canadian Research & Development Center of Sciences and Cultures A Statistical Approach to Optimize the Solar Adsorption Refrigeration System Figure 1 (a) Schematic and (b) Clapeyron Diagram for an Ideal Simple Adsorption Cycle[1] The operation of adsorption cycles for refrigeration of adsorbent and container to the maximum cycle can be easily compared to traditional compression cycles. temperature. At its condensing pressure corresponding to Adsorption is a reversible process by which a fluid a particular temperature, the refrigerant starts desorbing molecule is fixed onto a solid matrix, typically a surface from the adsorbent. As the refrigerant vapor is changed or a porous material. When the molecule is fixed,