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B. Tech.

Minor Project Report

SOLAR VAPOUR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATOR


Faculty Adviser

Dr. B. B. Arora
Student Members Sahil Chitkara (2K10/ME/109) Vatsal Randhar (2K10/ME/143) Vikas Gupta (2K10/ME/144) Vishal Verma (2K10/ME/150)
Department of Mechanical Engineering Delhi Technological University Delhi
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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the report entitled Solar Vapour Absorption Refrigerator submitted by Sahil Chitkara (2K10/ME/109), Vatsal Randhar (2K10/ME/143), Vikas Gupta (2K10/ME/144), Vishal Verma (2K10/ME/150) in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Delhi Technological University is an authentic work carried out by them under my supervision and guidance.

Dr. B.B. Arora, Asst. Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Delhi Technological University

DELHI TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY SHAHBAD DAULATPUR, BAWANA ROAD - 110042 (DELHI)

DECLARATION We Sahil Chitkara ,Vatsal Randhar, Vikas Gupta and Vishal Verma declare that the work which is being done in this thesis entitled SOLAR VAPOUR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATER in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Delhi Technological University is an authentic record of our own work carried out during a period from August 2012 to November 2012, under the supervision of Dr. B.B. Arora. The matter presented in this thesis has not been presented in any other Institute for the award of Bachelor of Technology Degree. ( )( )( )( )

Signature of the Students This is to certify that the above statement made by the candidate is a correct to the best of my Knowledge. Signature of the Supervisor

Dr. B.B. Arora Asst. Professor, DTU

Signature of Examiners

Dr. D.S. Nagesh Professor, DTU

Dr. V. Kamal Professor, DTU

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost we would like to thank our advisor, Prof. Dr. B.B. Arora for his immense patience and constant encouragement. A lot of the progress made in this project can be attributed to his support and guidance. We would also like to convey our thanks to the project evaluators Prof. D.S. Nagesh and Prof. V. Kamal for providing us with their precious time for listening to our work and providing the valuable inputs which will hold our further work in much better stead. Lastly, we would like to thank our friends and family for believing in our project and supporting us.

ABSTRACT
A technical design study and design and testing of solar vapour absorption has been undertaken as project. Solar energy is used to create refrigeration effect using vapour absorption cycle. Vapour Absorption depicts the advantage of flexibility in energy sources and can improve household energy efficiency when waste heat is available and the heat is made available through solar energy. Since Refrigerants play a major role in total cost so comparison of the performances of various working fluids in vapour absorption cycle is necessary. Though Ammonia water combination is most used but various other refrigerants are considered which can give better performance. A study of village ice maker is also made. Solar Energy is made to run round the clock by various alternate designs for 24 operating solar powered absorption refrigeration technology considered. Study of old refrigeration technologies is made which provides various ideas for design components that we can incorporate. Using ejector, bubble pump, two pumps, use of a heat exchanger, dry evaporator coil between ammonia receiver and absorption inlets increases efficiency, performances, and cost considerations. A temperature of 353 K reference temperature is best as obtained from modeling and simulation of Technology in India. The flux received by bubble pump of vapour diffusion refrigeration cycle is simulated and optimum flux was determined.

INDEX
1. Certificate 2. Acknowledgement 3. Abstract 4. Introduction 5. Vapour absorption cycle 6. Need for solar energy 7. Possibilities for research and development in solar energy 8. Cost of various solar refrigerators 9. Analysis of the Basic Absorption Cycle 10. Rigorous Analysis of the Ammonia-Water Absorption Cycle 11. Comparative Energetic Consumption 12. Vapour Absorption Cycles Types 13. Comparison of the Performance of various working fluids in Vapour Absorption Cycle 14. Working Fluids in Solar Absorption Cycle 15. Different Storage Systems 16. Alternate design for 24 operating solar Powered Absorption Refrigeration Technology a. Continuous Based Operation System b. Intermittent Solar Absorption Refrigeration 17. Development of a Village Ice-Maker 18. Old solar absorption refrigeration systems a. Solar absorption refrigeration system undertaken by trombe and foex (1964) b. Solar absorption refrigeration system undertaken by TROMBE and FOEX (1964) c. Flat Plate Solar Collector Solar Refrigeration 19. A new solar powered absorption refrigeration (SPAR) system with Variable Mass Energy Transformation and Storage (VMETS) technology 20. Effect of operating conditions on the performance of the bubble pump of absorptiondiffusion refrigeration cycles 21. Modelling of heat flux received by a bubble pump of absorption-diffusion refrigeration cycles 22. Modelling and simulation of a solar absorption cooling system for India 23. Simulation study of an innovative solar absorption refrigeration system made with TRNSYS to evaluate performance of collectors 24. Selection of Materials for the Construction of the PDSWH 25. Future Scope 26. Problem statement 27. Objective 28. Methodology 29. Bibliography 2 3 4 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 21

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INTRODUCTION
Worldwide there is major environmental concern regarding conventional refrigeration technologies including contribution to ozone layer depletion, global warming and electricity consumption. Refrigerators which contain ozone depleting and global warming substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are the most harmful. After CFCs were banned in the 1980s they were replaced with substances such as hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which still deplete ozone. The second big issue faced is power consumption. For example, in US, the electricity used just to power refrigerators contributes 102 million tons of CO2 emissions annually. Electricity demand peaks on hot summer days150 Giga Watts more in summer than winter in the U.S. Both of the above stated issues can be addressed by a single device, Solar Absorption Refrigerator. It uses solar energy to drive the refrigeration cycle, which brings down power consumption and does not use ozone depleting refrigerants. Further, solar energy is plentiful. It is inexpensive and it would give the electric grid much-needed relief. The solar energy hitting 54 square feet (five square meters) of land each year is the equivalent of all the electricity used by one American household, according to data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Energy Information Administration, both part of the U.S. Department of Energy. The use of solar energy to power refrigeration strives to minimize the negative impacts refrigerators have on the environment.

VAPOUR ABSORPTION
Absorptive refrigeration uses a source of heat to provide the energy needed to drive the cooling process. (e.g., solar, kerosene-fuelled flame, waste heat from factories or district heating systems) to provide the energy needed to drive the cooling system. Working fluid in an absorption refrigeration system is a binary solution consisting of refrigerant and absorbent. PRINCIPLE: Some liquids like water have great affinity for absorbing large quantities of certain vapours (NH3) and reduce the total volume greatly causing low pressure. The refrigerant evaporates due to the low pressure. This evaporation process causes the cooling of evaporator pipes which removes the heat stored in the product. PHASES: Evaporation: A liquid refrigerant evaporates in a low partial pressure environment, thus extracting heat from its surroundings the refrigerator. Absorption: The gaseous refrigerant is absorbed dissolved into another liquid - reducing its partial pressure in the evaporator and allowing more liquid to evaporate. Regeneration: The refrigerant-laden liquid is heated, causing the refrigerant to evaporate out. It is then condensed through a heat exchanger to replenish the supply of liquid refrigerant in the evaporator. As the separation process occurs at a higher pressure than the absorption process, a circulation pump is required to circulate the solution. Work input for the pump is negligible relatively. PROCESS:

The solution in the right vessel will absorb (exothermic) refrigerant vapor from the left vessel causing pressure to reduce and will reject heat. The temperature of the left vessel will reduce as a result of its vaporization causing cooling effect. Whenever the solution saturates refrigerant is refrigerant must be separated out from the diluted solution. Heat is applied to the right vessel in order to dry the refrigerant from the solution causing cooling in right vessel and heat rejected out of left. WHY THIS: The absorption refrigeration system differs fundamentally from vapour compression system only in the method of compressing the refrigerant. An absorber, generator and pump in the absorption refrigerating system (uses solar heat) replace the compressor (which uses electricity) of a vapour compression system. They are a popular alternative to regular compressor refrigerators where electricity is unreliable, costly, or unavailable, where noise from the compressor is problematic, or where surplus heat is available (e.g., from turbine exhausts or industrial processes, or from solar plants). One typical problem with many of the rural and remote areas is the continuous availability of electricity. Since space is not constraint, and most of these areas in tropical countries are blessed with alternate energy sources such as solar energy, biomass etc., it is preferable to use these clean and renewable energy sources in these areas. Solar driven absorption systems have been used in many instances. APPLICATIONS: Absorption refrigerators powered by heat from the combustion of liquefied petroleum gas are often used for food storage in recreational vehicles.

The quality of 70% is also affected by inadequate cold chain facilities. This shows the importance of proper refrigeration facilities in view of the growing food needs of the ever-growing population. Refrigeration helps in retaining the sensory, nutritional and eating qualities of the food.

Absorptive refrigeration can also be used to air-condition buildings using the waste heat from a gas turbine or water heater. A great progress in field of solar absorptive ice chillers and vaccine storage has already been achieved.

NEED FOR SOLAR ENEGY


Most of the countries developing or in adjacent to tropics have good solar radiation available. Energy is a critical need of these countries but they do not have widely distributed readily available supplies of conventional energy resources. Most of the developing countries are characterized by arid climates, dispersed and inaccessible populations and a lack of investment capital and are thus faced with practically insuperable obstacles to the provision of energy by conventional means, for example, by electrification. In contrast to this solar energy is readily available and is already distributed to the potential users. Because of the diffuse nature of solar energy the developments all over the world have been in smaller units which fits well into the pattern of rural economics. Direct and easy usability, renewable and continuity, maintain the same quality, being safe, being free, being environment friendly and not being under the monopoly of anyone. DRAWBACKS Functioning of a solar refrigeration system depends on availability of solar radiation. Limited solar energy is available throughout the day. Because this energy resource is variable, some form of energy storage (electrical or thermal) is required for most applications, which adds to the system size and cost. The operating costs of a solar refrigeration system should be lower than that of conventional systems, but at current and projected fuel costs, this operating cost savings would not likely compensate for their additional capital costs, even in a long term life-cycle analysis. Challenges - Planning, design Execution, Installation Commissioning, Testing, Control

POSSIBILITIES FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN SOLAR ENERGY


Solar energy research seems to have gathered momentum during the last two decades. Over this period there have been many publications, seminars and conferences dealing with solar energy. Solar evaporation has been a historical, traditional method of obtaining salt from sea water or brines; it remains important today on both a small and large scale in many countries. Water heating technology is well established and the needed development is largely to adapt the technology to use materials and manufacturing capabilities of the country in question. Solar distillation must still be regarded as experimental but small scale community stills are near to extensive commercial applications. A traditional and widespread use of solar energy is for drying, particularly, of agricultural products. Research and development in solar heating have been aimed almost entirely at applications in the temperate climates of industrialized countries Solar cooking appears to be simple in its technology and significant in its advantages if it can be successfully applied. However, extensive field trials in India, Mexico and Morocco have so far not resulted in social acceptance of these devices. The best methods of obtaining cooling with solar energy in developing countries are far from clear at this time and the immediacy and extent of needs for air conditioning are not known. There are many refrigeration cycles and systems that can be considered for solar refrigeration. It has yet to be established what may be the best scale on which to operate solar refrigerators in developing countries. Out of the solar energy applications that are in the experimental stage, space heating and air conditioning are not high priority needs in Asia, conversion to mechanical or electrical energy is best left to be carried out by well-equipped laboratories of industrialized countries and that the social acceptance of solar cooking is rather doubtful, This leaves solar refrigeration as a possible area of study.

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COST OF VARIOUS SOLAR REFRIGERATORS

A 50%-efficient evacuated tube collector at this temperature would cost approximately 550 pound /m2 . A 50%-efficient flat collector at 90 C, which costs 250 pound/m2 .The double-effect LiBrwater absorption and the single-stage adsorption systems are comparable in terms of total cost at around 1200 pounds /kW cooling. The total cost of a single effect LiBrwater absorption system is estimated as the lowest at 400 pound/kW cooling. Non-tracking solar collectors, a Sydney type collector, which is evacuated tubes with cylindrical absorbers and CPC concentrators at 600 pounds /m2, These solar panels convert a solar radiation of 1000 W/m2 into 100W of electricity and the various electric chillers transform this electric energy into cooling power according to their specified COPs.

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ANALYSIS OF THE BASIC ABSORPTION CYCLE


Energy is transferred in the form of heat at three temperature levels, i.e., atmospheric temperature Ta, at which heat is rejected in the condenser and absorber, the temperature at which heat is taken from the cold chamber Tc, the temperature at which heat is received in the generator Tg.
It is possible to imagine an arrangement of reversible machines performing a function equivalent to that of the absorption plant, Fig. 2.3. Firstly, a reversible heat engine receives a quantity of heat Q g, at a temperature Tg and rejects heat at a temperature Ta while producing a quantity of work Wga with an efficiency, where all temperatures are measured on the thermodynamic temperature scale

Secondly, a reversible refrigerator receives a quantity of heat Qc at Tc and rejects heat at Ta while absorbing a quantity of work Wca. The coefficient of performance of the refrigerator is

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If Wga is made equal to - Wca this plant will be equivalent to an absorption refrigerator, The coefficient of performance of the combined plant can be defined as Qc / Qg, which on combining the two previous expressions becomes,

The practical importance of this result is that if a C.O.P. for the cycle under consideration is known Tg may be calculated, since Ta is fixed and Tc is chosen by the designer.

RIGOROUS ANALYSIS OF THE AMMONIA-WATER ABSORPTION CYCLE

Even though the constant pressure cycle is the more efficient one it is difficult to realise in practice. Hence, the constant temperature cycle is examined in greater detail. In the constant temperature absorption cycle regeneration consists of two processes 1-3 and 3-4. In the refrigeration phase during the cooling process 4-6 the solution is cooled, usually by immersion in a water bath, to a temperature t6 which is equal to the initial temperature t1. Effective refrigeration takes place during the process 6-l. The expression for the amount of refrigeration is Qc = W'6Lm where Lm = mean latent heat of the refrigerant during the process 6-1. W'6 = weight on the refrigerant at point 6.
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The heat supplied during the regeneration process 1-3-4 is given by

where w = weight of the solution, suffix indicating the point of the cycle, H = specific enthalpy of the solution, suffix indicating the point of the cycle, Hv = specific enthalpy of the vapor boiling out of the liquid, dW = differential mass of the vapor boiling out of the liquid.

Thus the expression for the C.O.P. becomes

COMPARATIVE ENERGETIC CONSUMPTION

Despite the higher complexity exhibited by its apparatus, the absorption system seemed to be the dominant in the global market above other existing alternatives. Although absorption machines
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were generally not as economical as those employing compression, two main reasons were responsible for this situation: the superiority of the ammonia as refrigerant compared with the ethers used in most of the compressors at that time, and the proved higher yields shown by, either the F. Carres or the Reeces machines, regarding the inefficiencies involved in the transformation of heat into mechanical energy of the steam engines which then drove the different compressors.

STATUS OF NOT-IN-KIND REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR HOUSEHOLD SPACE CONDITIONING AND FOOD REFRIGERATION

Technologies such as thermoacoustic refrigeration, absorption, and adsorption refrigeration have lower energy efficiency compared to vapour compression refrigeration. However, these have the advantage of flexibility in energy sources and can improve household energy efficiency when waste heat is available. Absorption is the most developed NIK, adsorption is currently available for large airconditioning capacities, and thermoacoustic refrigeration is still developing. The thermotunneling refrigeration technology has advantage over thermoelectric refrigeration; however, materials and fabrication roadblocks limit its development.

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VAPOUR ABSORPTION CYCLES TYPES


At this moment, double-effect absorption systems using lithium bromide/water seem to be the only high performance system which is available commercially. Current research and development efforts on multi-effect cycles show considerable promise for future application. A combined ejector-absorption system is another possible option. This system can provide COP as high as a double-effect system with little increase in system complexity. A diffusion absorption refrigeration system is the only true heat-operated refrigeration cycle. This system has been widely used as a domestic refrigerator. However, it is only available with small cooling capacity and its COP is low (0.1 to 0.2). Many attempts have been made to improve its performance.

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COMPARISON OF THE PERFORMANCES OF VARIOUS WORKING FLUIDS IN VAPOUR ABSORPTION CYCLE


In order to compare the performance of ammonia-water, ammonia-lithium nitrate and ammoniasodium thiocyanate absorption cycles, a computer simulation program was developed based on the analyses. Effectiveness of solution heat exchanger is 80%. The main energy consumption occurs at the generator and that the mechanical work required for the pump is very small and can be omitted for general calculations or when information on solution density is not available. Since the energy supplied to the evaporator is the same for these three cycles, the energy consumption at the generator determines the level of COP values.

The results show that the ammonia-lithium nitrate and ammonia-sodium thiocyanate cycles give better performance than the ammonia-water cycle, not only because of higher COP values, but also because of no requirement for analyzers and rectifiers. Considering these facts, these two cycles are suitable alternatives to the NH3-H2O cycle.
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WORKING FLUIDS IN SOLAR ABSORPTION CYCLE


Chemical and thermodynamic properties of the working fluid: 1. A fundamental requirement of absorbent/refrigerant combination is that it should also be chemically stable, non-toxic, and non-explosive. 2. The difference in boiling point between the pure refrigerant and the mixture at the same pressure should be as large as possible. 3. Refrigerant should have high heat of vaporization and high concentration within the absorbent 4. Transport properties that influence heat and mass transfer, e.g., viscosity, thermal conductivity, and diffusion coefficient should be favorable. 5. Both refrigerant and absorbent should be non-corrosive, environmental friendly, and lowcost.
Although much of effort has been made to and improve the working Fluids for vapour absorption systems, lithium bromide-water and water-ammonia pairs are still the best in general use. Multicomponent working fluids, such as binary, ternary and quaternary solutions, can improve the performances of absorption systems for particular applications. However, there is no evidence that they will soon replace lithium bromide-water or water-ammonia working pairs at this stage. For ejector hybrid absorption-cycles, the H2O-LiBr pair is the most suitable working fluid. This is because (a) water vapour (the refrigerant) can be used directly as the working fluid for ejectors, which is flexible for the cycle arrangement; (b) the construction of the hybrid absorption cycles using H2O-LiBr is simple; and (c) it can deliver the best energy-performance. The efficiency of an absorption cycle is determined not only by the cycle design, but also by the working fluid used in the cycle. Therefore, the working fluid is an important subject in order to improve the efficiency of absorption cycles. For absorption refrigerators, the following pairs are frequently employed or discussed: NH3/H2O H2O/H2O-LiBr CH3OH/CH3OH-salt solution R22 (CHCIF2)/E181 or other organic solvent R133a (CH2CICF3)/ETFE Among the working fluids, H2O/H2O-LiBr and NH3/NH3-H2O are the most widely used in proprietary absorption refrigerators. This is because these two working-pairs have so far provided best energy performances compared with others. However, the water-LiBr solution is corrosive at high temperatures and crystallisation occurs at high concentrations. Water as the refrigerant also freezes at sub zero temperatures, which limit its applications. Although the ammonia-water pair does not crystallise and can work at sub-zero temperatures, the volatility of water with ammonia and the high vapour-pressure of the solution result in increased complexity of construction and high cost. Furthermore, the efficiency of the ammonia-water systems is lower than that of the LiBr-water system owing the need for rectification in the former. 18

In recent years, binary fluids have been studied in order to improve the H2O-LiBr and NH3-H2O working pairs. The aqueous solutions of LiBr can be used as absorbers for NH3 (ammonia) or for CH3NH2 (methylamine). In this case, the solution operation-zone is extended towards significantly higher generator-temperatures. Use of LiBr/water for absorption refrigeration systems began around 1930. Non-volatility of absorbent LiBr (the need of a rectifier is eliminated) and extremely high heat of vaporization of water (refrigerant) are its characteristics. However, using water as a refrigerant limits the low temperature application to that above 0C. As water is the refrigerant, the system must be operated under vacuum conditions. At high concentrations, the solution is prone to crystallization. It is also corrosive to some metal and expensive. Some additive may be added to LiBr/water as an corrosion inhibitor or to improve heat-mass transfer performance. For a given desorber temperature and pressure, the solution has a higher ammonia (or methylamine) composition in relation to H2O content in the liquid phase. This reduces the rectification requirements significantly. A similar improvement can, in principle, be obtained for H2O/LiBr with H2O as the working fluid. The crystallization limit is moved to high temperatures by adding a second anti-freeze liquid, for example, glycol. Homma et al. investigated a binary novel working fluid, LiBr+LiI-H2O, for a double effect absorption cycle. . At high concentration such as at high temperature, the solution is prone to crystallization. Compared with the LiBr-H2O pair, LiBr+LiI-H2O working fluid could extend the crystallization limit by 5 C and it was predicted up to a 12% higher thermal efficiency could be expected, according to their calculation. Saravanan compared 16 working fluid combinations for a vapour-absorption refrigeration system and concluded that the H2O-LiCl combination was better from the cut-of temperature and circulation ratio point-of-view and the H2O-LiBr+LiCl+ZnCl2 combination was better from the coefficient of performance and efficiency ratio point-of-view. Fluorocarbon refrigerant-based are also used as working fluids. R22 and R21 have been widely suggested because of their favorable solubility with number of organic solvents. The two solvents, which have stood out are Dimethyl Ether of Tetra ethylene Glycol (DMETEG) and Dimethyl Formamide (DMF).

DIFFERENT STORAGE SYSTEMS


Patrice et al. (2011) reviewed the principal methods available for seasonal storage of solar thermal energy focusing mainly on residential scale systems, and those which store sensible form of energy. Their review showed that chemical and latent principles still present difficulties such as identification of suitable materials that can offer good thermal stability and low cost. Ismael (2009) proposed a cylindrical thermal storage tank to analyze the COP of conventional and modified refrigerators, and to analyze the thermal stratification technique using a refrigerator with a modified condenser. It was determined that the modified refrigeration system did not show significant changes in its thermodynamic behaviour.
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Tardy and Samuel (2009) developed a mathematical model based upon the various mechanisms of conduction, convection as well as heat of fusion of the melted ice to predict the thermal behaviour of heat pipes with thermal storage during a cooling cycle. It was found that the developed model fairly predicted experimental data obtained Karim (2011) designed an air-conditioning system with naturally stratified storage tank and investigated the factors that influence the performance of chilled-water storage tanks. The results indicated that the storage tank stratified well consistently without any physical barrier and the storage efficiency decreased with increasing flow rate due to increased mixing of warm and chilled-water. David and Ibrahim (2009) investigated the performance of four main types of ice storage techniques for space cooling purposes, namely ice slurry systems, ice-on-coil systems(both internal and external melt), and encapsulated ice systems. The results showed that energy analyses alone do not provide much useful insight into system behaviour, since the majority of losses in all processes are a result of entropy generation. Guiyin (2009) investigated the performance of ice storage system with separate helical heat pipe. The experimental results showed that the system can stably work during charging and discharging period indicating that the system with separate helical heat pipe can be well adapted to cool storage air-conditioning systems in building. Zong (2011) simulated the charging and discharging process of internal melt ice-on-coil thermal storage system. Their analysis indicated that larger diameter can make better heat transfer. Ming (2010) investigated the thermal performance of a heat pump system with an ice storage sub cooler. The results show that the heat pump COP of ice storage system in the charge mode is 12% higher than that without ice storage tank whereas, under the discharge mode, the system provides 15% higher COP than the refrigerator without ice storage tank. Mehmet (2011) analyzed the energy and exergy for the charging period of an ice-on-coil thermal energy storage system. Their results indicated that storage capacity and energy efficiency of the system increases with decreasing the inlet temperature of the heat transfer fluid and increasing the length of the tube. Hiroyuki (2012) experimentally investigated the effect of storage on flow and heat transfer characteristics of ice slurry. It was determined in their analysis that the ratios of pipe friction and heat transfer coefficient decreased with storage time for laminar flow. Also it was found that for more than 12 h storage time, the adhesion between ice particles caused blockage in the tubes.

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ALTERNATE DESIGNS FOR 24 OPERATING SOLAR POWERED ABSORPTON REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY


CONTINUOUS BASED OPERATION SYSTEM
During the daytime, solar energy is gained by the solar collector (SC#1) which provides the heat to the strong aqua-ammonia solution in the generator. The collector does not have constant temperature level during the day and hence it does not require to install any thermal storage between the solar collectors and the chiller unit. As heat is provided to the generator, the strong aqua-ammonia solution becomes weak as aquaammonia vapors are generated and flow through the rectifying column into the Dephlegmator until the water content is removed from the vapors. This requires heat extraction at the Dephlegmator. The pure ammonia vapors then move to the condenser where condensation takes place producing saturated liquid ammonia at the exit of condenser. The saturated liquid ammonia then passes through the Vapor Liquid Heat Exchanger (VLHE) which sub-cools the liquid ammonia before it passes through the expansion valve. After expansion, a mixture of vapor and liquid is formed at low/refrigeration temperature which then passes through the evaporator and produces the required cooling effect. The cooling effect is provided by the evaporation of the liquid fraction of ammonia in the evaporator. The saturated vapor at the exit of evaporator then passes through the VLHE and becomes superheated vapor which then enters into the absorber. The weak aqua-ammonia solution which is at the saturation condition and at the highest temperature in the system leaves the generator and passes through the Liquid - Liquid Heat Exchanger (LLHE) where it is sub-cooled by the aqua-ammonia liquid coming from the absorber. This sub-cooled weak solution then passes through the expansion device before entering into the absorber. In the absorber the weak solution then mixes with the superheated ammonia vapor at the absorber to produce strong aqua-ammonia solution. This requires heat extraction at the absorber. The strong solution at the saturated conditions, from the exit of the absorber, is then pumped and pressurized through the solution pump. This pressurized strong solution then enters into the generator after gaining heat at the LLHE. Throughout the operation of the system, heat extraction is required from the absorber, condenser and Dephlegmator. A water cooling system proposed for this purpose works on thermo siphon process. As the system is designed to reject heat to the ambient therefore, both the absorber and condenser should be designed to operate at about 3-5 C higher than the ambient. Throughout the daytime operation of the system, cooling water from the coolant heat exchanger (at a temperature 3- 5 C lower than the condenser and absorber) initially splits into two parts i.e. one part goes to the condenser and the other part goes into the absorber, takes the heat from absorber and condenser and then mix again together to enter into the Dephlegmator.
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Dephlegmator operates at a temperature higher than the condenser so the cooling water then takes heat from the Dephlegmator and returns to the coolant heat exchanger for heat rejection to ambient. As the cooling water circuit is proposed to operate under thermo siphon effect, therefore, Dephlegmator is proposed to be placed at a higher elevation than that of the condenser and the absorber. Cooling water exit at the Dephlegmator is proposed to be connected to the inlet to the coolant heat exchanger. Cooling water exit at the coolant heat exchanger is proposed to be connected to inlet of condenser and absorber. Coolant heat exchanger can be designed to reject heat to the ambient using natural convection or by utilizing electrical operated forced draft fan. As the operations of both, heating addition and heat rejection, are proposed to be designed using thermo siphon effect, so the total electricity requirement for the operation of the whole system is based on the electrical requirement at the solution pump and at the forced draft fan (if utilized). In order to meet the requirement of uninterrupted day and night cooling, the continuous-based operation system needs to be integrated with a suitable storage system. Thus the continuous-based operation systems can be further classified 1. Continuous-based Cold-storage System (D1.1) 2. Continuous-based Refrigerant-storage System (D1.2) 3. Continuous-based Heat-storage System (D1.3)

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INTERMITTENT SOLAR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION


The intermittent refrigeration cycle has two major operations, regeneration and refrigeration. Regeneration is the process of heating the refrigerant-absorbent fluid to drive off the refrigerant vapour and condense the vapour in a separate container. Refrigeration takes place when the liquid refrigerant vaporizes, producing a cooling effect around the evaporator. The refrigerant is re-absorbed by the absorbent. Since the refrigerator is a purely experimental device it was decided to keep it as simple as possible. The configuration chosen is shown in Fig. 3.1. Simplicity has been achieved by having the condenser function as the evaporator and the generator function as the absorber. To accommodate the intermittent availability of solar energy, the refrigeration is carried out during the day and refrigeration takes place at night after the radiation is no longer available. During the regeneration, valve A is open and valve B is closed, and the strong solution in the generator being heated by the flat-plate collector boils, producing vapour at a high pressure. The weak solution returns from the top header to the bottom header by the insulated return pipes. The vapour in the top header is mainly ammonia because water has a much lower volatility than ammonia. The ammonia vapour passes into the condenser which is immersed in a tank of cold water to keep it cool. The pressure is uniform throughout the system. When heating stops valve A is closed and the vapour pressure in the generator drops. The concentration in the generator is now less than it was before regeneration. Before refrigeration is started the tank of cooling water is removed and valve B is opened. The condenser now functions as the evaporator. Ammonia vaporizes due to the pressure difference between the generator and evaporator. The vaporization of ammonia absorbs heat from the surroundings of the evaporator, thus producing the refrigeration effect. Ammonia vapour from the evaporator passes through the pipe taken to the bottom header of the generator so that the incoming vapour bubbles through the aqua-ammonia solution thus facilitating absorption in it. The glass covers are removed from the collector so that the heat of absorption can be dissipated to the sky from the generator risers. Refrigeration continues until all the liquid ammonia in the evaporator has vaporized. A full cycle of operation has now been completed.

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The results for the investigated 5 kW ammonia/water absorption chillers over a period of 24 h (day and night) at a refrigeration (load) temperature of 9 C indicate: 1. Intermittently operating refrigeration systems with cold storage have high mass requirement and low COP but can only provide night time cooling. 2. Continuously operating refrigeration systems with cold storage have low mass requirement and high COP but can only provide daytime cooling. 3. Continuously operating refrigeration systems with refrigerant storage have comparatively low mass requirement and high COP & it can provide day and night cooling. 4. Continuously operating refrigeration systems with heat storage, although have slightly higher COP yet the requirement of solar concentrators makes it a less favourable option. The refrigeration system with refrigerant storage is the best-suited design. Because of high COP of the refrigerant-storage systems, the collector size will be comparatively small compared to other alternatives. Also, non-insulated storage tanks will be required for refrigerant storage systems. These two factors do indicate that the cost of the refrigerant-storage system will be less compared to other alternative.

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DEVELOPMENT OF A VILLAGE ICE-MAKER


A solar ice maker may be designed for domestic or village use. The larger village sized units would be more efficient and hence relatively cheaper. The main objective will therefore be to design, construct, and test a solar ice maker that produces 100 kilograms of ice per day without using oil or electricity. It must be rugged and easy to operate. A unit producing 100 kilograms of ice per day requires a solar collecting surface of about 20 square metres. The efficiency of the system will be improved in several ways. High generation temperatures will be avoided by keeping the ammonia concentration in the generator constant with the help of a reservoir containing excess solution. The thermal capacity of the solar heater will be reduced by using a packed column separator instead of a larger diameter header. Heat exchangers will be used to save heat during regeneration and to save cold during refrigeration. In the daytime, during regeneration, valve A is open, and B is closed. Strong solution from the top of the reservoir passes through the heat exchanger to the bottom of the heater, and weak solution returns to the bottom of the reservoir. Ammonia vapour from the separator is condensed in a coil immersed in cold static water, and the ammonia liquid is collected in the receiver. At night, during refrigeration, valve A is closed, and B is open. Ammonia from the receiver passes through the heat exchanger, the expansion valve B, and evaporator. The vapour is then absorbed in weak aqua-ammonia from the bottom reservoir. The heat of solution is dissipated by the solar heater, and the strong solution returns to the top of the reservoir. Also, the static water surrounding the condenser is cooled by exposure to the night sky. In this system the workability of all the individual units has been reported in the literature, but they have never been combined in this way before. However, the system is unlikely to present any serious technical problems.

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OLD SOLAR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS


SOLAR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION SYSTEM UNDERTAKEN BY TROMBE AND FOEX (1964)
Trombe, F., and FOEX, M., (1964), Economic Balance Sheet of Ice Manufacture with and Absorption Machine Utilizing the Sun as the Heat Source, New Courses of Energy, Vol. 4, U.N. Publication Sales No. 63.I.38, pp. 56-59

Fig. shows the general set-up of the system, which has these main features: ammonia-water solution is allowed to flow from a cold reservoir through a pipe placed at the focal line of a cylindro-parabolic reflector. Heated ammonia-water vaporized in the boiler is subsequently condensed in a cooling coil. The evaporator is a coil surrounding the container used as an ice box. The cylindro-parabolic reflector measured 1.5 m'. In the prototype trials, the daily production of ice was about 6 kilograms or about 4 kilograms of ice per square metre of collecting area for four-hour heating.

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SMALL FOOD COOLER IN 1957 INTENDED FOR USE IN UNDER DEVELOPED RURAL AREAS

Williams and others at the University of Wisconsin built a small food cooler in 1957 intended for use in underdeveloped rural areas. The apparatus consisted of two vessels linked together by a pipe as shown in Fig. The energy was provided by a parabolic mirror of moulded 1.27 mm polystyrene with an aluminized mylar polyester film and stiffened at the rim by metal tubing. Ammonia-water and R-21-glycol ether were used as working solutions. This study showed that refrigeration can be achieved by the use of intermittent absorption refrigeration cycles. Although performance is limited by the characteristics of the intermittent cycle, the simplicity of the system accounts for the low temperature obtained in the evaporator. Finally, the study showed that ammonia-water has a superior performance over R-21-glycol ether in an intermittent refrigeration system.

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FLAT PLAT SOLAR COLLECTOR SOLAR REFRIGERATION

1. CHINNAPPA, J.C.V., (1961), Experimental Study of the Intermittent Vapour Absorption


Refigeration Cycle Employing the Refrigerent-Absorbent Systems of Ammonia-Water, and Ammonia-Lithium Nitrate, Solar Energy 5 pp. 1-18. CHINNAPPA (1962) built a simple intermittent refrigerator operated with a flat-plate collector at Columbo, Ceylon as shown in Fig. The generator-absorber in this refrigerator was of welded pipe construction and incorporated with a flat-plate collector and a water cooled absorber. The solar collector was a copper sheet measuring 152.4 cm by 106.7 cm, 0.76 mm thick, and painted black. The plate was solded to six 6.35 cm diameter steel pipes and the pipes were welded to headers. There were three glass covers on the collector which were supported by strips of cork board. An ammonia-water solution was used as the working fluid. While it has been generally expected that the flat-plate collector would be more suitable for the lower temperature of generation required in air conditioning, tests in the investigation by CHINNAPPA (1962) indicated that it is possible to use a flat-plate collector incorporated with the generator to produce cooling at a temperature as low as -12C. It is noted that ice can be produced in this refrigerator at one kg a day per 0.7 m2 of solar collecting surface. Results in this investigation were not spectacular, but they showed that a simple intermittent refrigerator using a low temperature heat collecting device such as the flat-plate collector can achieve cooling.

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2. SWARTMAN, R.K., and SWAMINATHAN, C., (1971), Solar Powered Refrigerator,


Mechanical Engineering, June 1971, Vol. 6, pp. 22-24.

Fig. Intermittent Solar Refrigerator Built at University of Western Ontario

SWARTMAN and SWAMINATHAN (1971) built a simple, intermittent refrigeration system incorporating the generator-absorber with a 1.4 m2 flat-plate collector at the University of Western Ontario. Fig. 2.8 shows the system schematically. The collector-generator assembly consisted of 1.27 cm steel pipes connecting a 5.1 cm feeder and 15.2 cm header. Thin copper sheet was soldered to the tubes and the whole assembly was enclosed in a wooden box with insulation material at the bottom and a two-layered glass cover on the top. Ammonia water solutions of concentration varying from 58 to 70 percent were tested. Tests were relatively successful; evaporator temperatures were as low as -12C, but due to poor absorption, the evaporation rate of ammonia in the evaporator was low. Another study at the University of Western Ontario in 1970 investigated an ammonia-sodium thiocyanate solution in the same system as that described above. Results of the investigation showed that the coefficients of performance for NH3 -NaSCN range from 0.11 to 0.27 compared with 0.05 to 0.14 for NR3-H20 obtained from the earlier study, Nevertheless, the system was still unable to make any considerable amount of ice at the evaporator. It was concluded that NH3NaSCN has a better performance than that NH3-H20. It also offered lower equipment cost as it did not need a rectifying column due to the low volatility of the NaSCN salt. An optimal concentration of 54% was suggested for intermittent refrigeration.

3. FARBER, E.A., (1970), Design and Performance of a Compact Solar Refrigeration System,
Paper No. 6/58, 1970, International Solar Energy Society Conference, Melbourne, Australia. FARBER (1970) has built the most successful solar refrigeration system to date. It was a compact solar ice maker using a flat-plate collector as the energy source. Fig. 2.9 shows the flow diagram of the system. The solar collector-generator was 1.49 m2, consisting of a 6.35 cm top
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header. The 2.54 cm pipes were spaced on 10.2 cm centres and soldered to a 20 gauge galvanized iron sheet. This unit was placed in a galvanized sheet metal box with a single glass cover and one inch of Styrofoam insulation behind the absorber-generator element. In addition to the usual components, such as condenser, evaporator, ice box, heat exchanger, there was an ammonia absorbing column of the shell-and-tube type and two pumps to circulate the liquid ammonia and chilled water in the evaporator.

Fig. 2.9 - Solar Ice Maker Built at the University of Florida by FARBER (1970)

It was reported that an average of about 42,200 kJ of solar energy was collected by the collector per day and ice produced was about 18.1 kilograms. This gave an overall coefficient of performance of about 0.1 and 12.5 kilograms of ice per m2 of collector surface per day. But, the system would not work in areas where electricity is not available since the system was not totally solar-powered as there were two pumps operated by electricity.

A NEW SOLAR POWERED ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION (SPAR) SYSTEM WITH VARIABLE MASS ENERGY TRANSFORMATION AND STORAGE (VMETS) TECHNOLOGY
The VMETS technology helped to balance the inconsistency between the solar radiation and the air conditioning (AC) load. The aqueous lithium bromide (H2OLiBr) was used as the working fluid in the system. The energy collected from the solar radiation was first transformed into the chemical potential of the working fluid and stored in the system. Then the chemical potential was transformed into thermal energy by absorption refrigeration when AC was demanded. The system consists of the following components: (1) Evacuated solar collector with a metallic absorber, (2) Solution storage tank, (3) Condenser cooled by cooling air or cooling water, (4) Water storage tank, (5) Evaporator, (6) Absorber, (7) Solution pump, (8) Solution heat exchanger, (9) Auxiliary pump, as well as some control and expansion valves.
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The working solution in the evacuated solar collector (1) receives solar heat. Its temperature rises and reaches the saturation point. Then it vaporizes partially and leaves at State 1 as a vapor liquid mixture. The two-phase mixture enters an insulated solution storage tank (2) where liquid and vapor are separated. The liquid is mixed with the solution stored in its storage tank. The temperature and LiBr mass fraction or concentration of the solution in its storage tank increases gradually. On the other hand, the vapor at State 2 flows into the condenser (3) where it is condensed and the condensation heat is extracted by cooling air or cooling water. The condensed water at State 3 enters a non-insulation water storage tank (4) and is stored there. When average density difference between the working solution in the evacuated collector and in the solution storage tank is large enough to drive the working solution flow naturally by thermo siphon action, the valve V1 opens. Otherwise, the auxiliary pump (9) runs and the valve V1 is closed. During this energy charging process, the mass in the solution storage tank decreases gradually as the water is continually desorbed from the solution. As a result, LiBr mass fraction of the solution in its storage tank increases so that it has stronger capacity to absorb the water vapor. The chemical potential of the solution is changed and the refrigerating potential is obtained. Consequently, the energy transformed from the collected solar heat is stored in the solution tank. When AC is needed, the control valve V2 and the expansion valve V3 are opened. The water from the water storage tank at State 4 flows through the valve V3 into the evaporator (5) where it receives the low-temperature thermal energy from the chilled water and vaporizes to produce the refrigerating effect. The vapor at State 5 is drawn into the absorber (6) and absorbed by the cooled strong solution (State 9) from the solution storage tank (State 8) which flows through the solution heat exchanger (8). The absorption heat is rejected by the cooling water. During this process, the chemical potential of the solution stored in its storage tank is transformed to cold energy. The weak solution at State 6 from the absorber is pressured by the solution pump (7) and returns to the solution storage tank at State 7 through the heat exchanger. During this energy discharging process, the energy in the solution storage tank varies depending on the rate of energy charging and discharging. When the energy charging and discharging processes are carried out simultaneously, the energy charging and discharging processes co-exist and may not be clearly separated. When the charging rate is larger than the discharging rate, the remaining energy is stored in the system. On the other hand, when the discharging rate is larger than the charging rate, the stored energy is released, the mass in the solution tank increases but the LiBr mass fraction of the solution in its tank decreases gradually. When the stored energy is fully discharged, the cycle is completed. Also, from Fig. , it is seen that the working flow of the SPAR system can be divided into two loops. One loop shows the working solution receiving the solar heat through the collector, in which the water vapor is distilled from the working solution and the collected energy is converted and stored into the solution storage tank. Thus, this loop is called the energy charging loop and is shown on the left side in Fig. The other is the loop of the absorption refrigeration, in which the chemical potential stored in the solution tank is converted into the cold energy. This loop is called the energy discharging or refrigerating loop and is shown on the right side.
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(1) The proposed system can solve the problem of the unconformity between solar radiation and AC demand. In fact, with the VMETS technology, more solar energy can be used and the refrigeration system driven by solar energy can be simplified. (2) Compared to the common refrigeration system driven indirectly by solar energy through hot water circulation, the working fluid in the energy charging loop of the new system is directly driven by solar energy and hence, is more efficient. Specifically, the heat exchange temperature difference can be reduced and the solar collector efficiency can be raised. The electricity consumption of the system can also be decreased because no hot water pump is used. (3) The condenser in the new system can be cooled by cooling air or by cooling water. Using the air cooling condenser can simplify the cooling process, but the high condensation temperature and pressure reduces the solar collector efficiency and hence, requires more solar collector area. On the other hand, using the water cooling condenser results in high efficiency but increases the systems complexity. (4) The collected solar energy cannot be fully transformed into the chemical potential of the solution since part of it is transformed into the sensible energy. The sensible energy cannot be transformed into the cold energy. (5) Under a typical operating condition, the COP of the new system can reach 0.7525 (cooling air) or 0.7555 (cooling water), the required solar collector is 66 m2 (cooling air) or 62 m2 (cooling water) and the energy storage density of the system is 368.5 MJ/m3. (6) The heat load of the components in the system always varies. The mass flow rates through the control valve, throttle and pump change as well. This should be taken into consideration during the system design and control.

EFFECT OF OPERATING CONDITIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BUBBLE PUMP OF ABSORPTIONDIFFUSION REFRIGERATION CYCLES
The mathematical model will be able to predict the operated condition (required tube diameters, heat input. and submergence ratio). That will result in a successful bubble pump design and hence a refrigeration unit in the present works a one-dimensional 2 fluid model of boiling mixing ammonia water under constant heat flux is developed. The present model is used to predict the outlet liquid and vapor velocities and pumping ratio for different heat flux input to pump. The influence of operated conditions such as: ammonia fraction in inlet solution and tube diameter on the functioning of the bubble pump is presented and discussed. It was found that, the liquid velocity and pumping ratio increase with increasing heat flux, and then it decreases. Optimal heat flux depends namely on tube diameter variations. Vapor velocity increases linearly with increasing heat flux under designed conditions.

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MODELING OF HEAT FLUX RECEIVED BY A BUBBLE PUMP OF ABSORPTION-DIFFUSION REFRIGERATION CYCLES


In the present study, the heat flux received by a bubble pump, which was simulated to a vertical tube 1 m long and with a variable diameter, was optimized. A numerical study was carried out in order to solve balance equations concerning the waterammonia mixture in the up flow. The two-fluid model was used to derive the equations. A numerical study was carried out on a heat flux between 1 and 70 kW m-2 and the liquid velocity was determined. The optimum flux was determined for a tube diameter equal to 4, 6, 8 and 10 mm and a mass flow rate ranging from 10 to 90 kg m-2 s-1. The optimum heat flux was correlated as a function of the tube diameter and mass flow rate, while the minimum heat flux required for pumping was correlated as a function of the tube diameter.

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MODELING AND SIMULATION OF A SOLAR ABSORPTION COOLING SYSTEM FOR INDIA


Modeling and simulation of a solar-powered, single stage, absorption cooling system, using flat plate collector and water-lithium bromide solution is presented. The effects of hot water inlet temperatures on the coefficient of performance (COP), fraction of total load met by non-purchased energy (FNP) and the surface area of the absorption cooling component are studied. A 353 K reference temperature is the best choice. It is found that high reference temperature increases the system COP and decreases the absorber and solution heat exchanger surface area but lower reference temperature gives better results for FNP than high reference temperatures.

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SIMULATION STUDY OF AN INNOVATIVE SOLAR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION SYSTEM MADE WITH TRNSYS TO EVALUATE PERFORMANCE OF COLLECTORS
For modeling of the absorption chiller type use of performance data is made available by the manufacturer the and cold storage type is modeled like a stack of uniform temperature layers of ice capsules surrounded by refrigerant. Two different medium temperature collectors are compared, a Fresnel linear reflector and a parabolic trough. With a chiller rate capacity of 13 kW and a load peak power of about 6 kW the system has proved to work with reasonable values of collector area and storage volume at 100% SF and at any of the selected locations. About 70 m2 of Fresnel collector area and 4 m3 of storage tank are necessary to cover the load year round. The parabolic trough would require less area, about 40 m2, but would cost more on the basis of the projected costs of the two solutions. Savings in both solar field area and cold storage volume are possible when using an auxiliary heater series connected to the collector in the solar loop. At 90 % solar fraction, the system would require 70% of the collector area and 50% of the storage volume as calculated for 100% solar fraction. A simple economic analysis shows that the here presented concept has a good economical potential when compared to an equivalent PVelectrical vapor compression solution The collector-absorption solution is more economical due to the cost of the solar field, which is lower than the cost of PV panels in its PV based counterpart.

SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PDSWH


The design and development of a parabolic dish solar water heater for heating water in for continuous heat storage system for refrigeration (up to 100C) is described. With the exception of the linear actuator (Superjack) all the other components were made from locally available materials. This promotes local content utilization of manufactured goods and services. Material for the Body of the Dish: Aluminium was selected over steel because of its lightness, lower cost, ease of fabrication and energy effectiveness in use of material. Its light weight reduces the overall weight of the PDSWH, and also reduces the amount of work to be done by the SuperJack in turning the dish from east to west and vice versa.

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Assembled drawing of the parabolic dish solar water heater Material for the Reflecting Surface: To reduce the overall weight of the solar water heater, a light glass mirror of 2mm thickness, of high surface quality and good specular reflectance was selected. A glass mirror was selected over polished aluminium surface because its reflectivity of 95% is better than that of aluminium (85%). Also, glass surface is easier to clean than aluminium surface. Material for the Absorber: Aluminium was selected over copper and steel because of its lower cost, light weight, ease of fabrication and energy effectiveness in use of material. Its light weight reduces the overall weight of the solar water heater and also reduces the amount of work to be done by the SuperJack in turning the dish about its horizontal axis. Material for the Absorber Surface Coating: Black paint was selected for the absorber coating. It is selected over other coatings because of its higher absorptivity at angles other than normal incidence, adherence and durability when exposed to weathering, sunlight and high stagnation temperatures, cost effectiveness and protection to the absorber material. Heat Transfer Fluid Water was selected as the heat transfer fluid for the solar heater because of its stability at high temperatures, low material maintenance and transport costs, safe to use, and is the most commonly used fluid for domestic heating applications. Material for the Vertical Support of the Dish: A rectangular, hollow, steel bar was selected for the support of the dish and the SuperJack. This is because of its strength, rigidity, resistance to deflection by commonly encountered winds, and its ability to withstand transverse and crosssectional loads of the entire heating portion of the PDSWH.
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Material for the Base of the PDSWH: A combination of angle and flat, steel bars were chosen for the base which supports the whole solar water heater structure. Flat and angle bars were chosen to provide solid and rigid support for the rectangular, vertical axis steel bar which supports the parabolic dish.

FUTURE SCOPE
1. Integration of Ejector with the Solar Vapour Absorption cycle at generator temperature of around 100C and optimization of ejector parameters through CFD for better Absorption Refrigeration. 2. Combining Double effect regenerative Multipressure Cycles with Vapour Absorption Cycle in order to prevent falling of COP due to decrease in working fluid temperature. 3. Development of new modified absorption cycles and working fluids to reduce the high initial cost of Absorption Refrigerators. 4. Improvement of Current Intermittent operated Absorption cycles so that 24 hour designs can get commercialized. 5. Incorporating Vapour Adsorption system in current solar vapour absorption systems to make it run round the clock at zero cost. 6. Use of Flat mirror and testing it at various locations to enhance the solar heating of the generator in refrigerator.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT
To designing an economical, 24 hour working Solar Absorption Refrigerator.

OBJECTIVES
To study the current research done in the field of solar absorption Optimize the system to increase the COP. Making appropriate design changes so as to make the refrigerator work 24x7 To study the effect of solar collectors of variable dimensions on the system To make setup more efficient by use expansion valve with a dry evaporator coil To use Heat exchanger to recover heat from absorber To prevent fall in temperature of working fluid by use of regenerative mutipressure cycles

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METHODOLOGY
Design changes to optimize basic ammonia water solar absorption cycle:-

1. For saving energy In order to improve cycle performance, a solution heat exchanger will be added to the cycle, as shown in Figure. 1, it is an energy saving component but not essential to the successful operation of the cycle. The solution heat exchanger is important for the heat recovery. The solution heat exchanger is important for the heat recovery. Without heat recovery, the COP values would be much lower. The heat flow pattern to and from the four heat exchange components in the absorption cycle is that high temperature heat enters the generator, while low temperature heat from the substance being refrigerated enters the evaporator. The heat rejection from the cycle occurs at the absorber and condenser at temperatures such that the heat can be rejected to the atmosphere. 2. For water volatility The above description is typical for a H2O-LiBr cycle. However, for the NH3-H2O absorption cycle, it not only consists of all the components previously described, but also a rectifier and dephlegmator. The need for the latter two is occasioned by the fact that water is volatile. 3. For water vapour removal When ammonia is evaporated off the generator, it also contains some water vapor. When this water enters the evaporator, it elevates the evaporating temperature, it may also freeze along the pipelines. To remove as much water vapor as possible, the vapor driven off at the generator first flows countercurrent to the incoming solution in the rectifier, next, the solution passes through the dephlegmator and condenses some water-rich liquid draining back to the rectifier. By this process, only a small amount of water vapor escapes the dephlegmator and passes from the evaporator to the absorber.
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4. For decreasing solution circulation ratio Solution circulation ratio is found 2 to 5 times greater than the theoretical value. This is due to a non-equilibrium state of solution in the absorber. 1. The most common type of approach is use of LiBr/water system absorption of vapor refrigerant into a falling film of solution over cooled horizontal tubes. In this type of absorber, during the absorption process, heat is simultaneously removed from the liquid film. This design requires a high recirculation rate in order to achieve a good performance. 2. Another approach - absorption of vapor refrigerant into liquid film on cooled rotating discs. Size of an absorber used based on this design is much smaller than a convention falling film design.
5. For making it run round the clock at zero cost

The adsorption system is similar to vapour absorption system in which ammonia vapour is adsorbed on calcium chloride. Ammonia reacts with calcium chloride to give ammonium chloride and calcium crystals. The reaction is a reversible one. On heating this mixture, ammonia vapour is liberated from the mixture. This vapour is passed through an air cooled condenser to liquefy ammonia. This liquid ammonia is stored in a tank. When the generator begins to cool, the valve between the condenser and the storage tank is closed. Then the liquid ammonia is allowed to pass through the evaporator tubes. Water kept in the evaporator cabin solidifies due to the evaporation of liquid ammonia inside the evaporator coil. The ammonia vapour thus formed is directed towards the generator where this vapour recombines with calcium chloride. The ice formed in the evaporator cabin provides cooling effect during night. 6. For making available setup more efficient The first is an expansion valve with a dry evaporator coil connected between the ammonia receiver and the absorption inlets. The evaporator coils will be used to cool a box for making ice. The second feature is a flat mirror used to enhance the solar heating of the generator. Various positions of the mirror attachment will be tested. 7. For increasing cop a) An ejector is placed between a generator and a condenser of a single-effect absorption system. LiBr/water is used as the working fluid. The ejector uses high-pressure water vapour from the generator as the motive fluid. Thus, the generator is operated at a pressure higher than the condenser. This allows the temperature of the solution to be increased without danger of crystallization. If the temperature and pressure are simultaneously increased, the solution concentration is maintained constant and the heat input to the generator is only slightly increased. The ejector entrains vapour refrigerant from the evaporator, hence, more cooling effect is produced. COP is significantly increased over a conventional single-effect absorption system. Experimental investigation showed that COPs as high as 0.86 to 1.04 was found. b) A steam jet system is used as an internal heat pump, which was used to recover rejected heat during the condensation of the refrigerant vapour from a single-effect absorption cycle. The heat pump supplies heat to the generator of an absorption system. The refrigerant vapour generated from the generator is entrained by the steam ejector and is liquefied together with the ejectors motive steam by rejecting heat to the solution in the generator. In this system the
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The experimental COP of this system was found to be 1.03. However, this system must be operated with a high temperature (200 C) that is a major limitation for them. 8. For maintaining high temperature of working fluid and prevent fall in cop For high efficiency in these applications, the working fluid needs to retain a high temperature in its boiler. However, in conventional absorption system boilers, where constant pressure is maintained, the working fluid temperature decreases sharply. To remedy that, the pressure can be varied ranging from condenser pressure to evaporator pressure which keeps fluid temperature high. To do this the condenser and evaporator sections are kept essentially the same as in a conventional system but the generator and absorber are modified. The boiler or generator consists of several sections each comprising a boiling stage. After fluid goes through one stage, it expands through a valve into the next stage, therefore the absorber is broken down into the same number as the generator sections. As a result of these features, an essentially constant boiling temperature is maintained.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alternative designs for a 24-h operating solar-powered absorption refrigeration technology by Syed A.M. Said, Maged A.I. El-Shaarawi, Muhammad U. Siddiqui from International Journal of Refrigeration Multi-pressure absorption cycles in solar refrigeration: A technical and economical study by Shahab Alizadeh from Solar Energy Vol. 69, No. 1, pp. 3744, 2000 The Design and Development of a Solar Powered Refrigerator by: R.H.L. Exoll, Sommai Kornsakoo, and D.G.D.C. Status of not-in-kind refrigeration technologies for household space conditioning, water heating and food refrigeration by Pradeep Bansal, Edward Vineyard, Omar Abdelaziz from International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment(2012) Innovations in vapour-absorption cycles by Shenyi Wu, Ian W. Eames from Applied Energy 66 (2000) 251 to 266 Solar Absorption Refrigeration System using New Working Fluid Pairs by Jasim M. Abdulateef, Kamaruzzaman Sopian, M. A. Alghoul, Mohd Yusof Sulaiman, Azami Zaharim & Ibrahim Ahmad Solar energy research institute from 3rd Iasme/wseas Int. Conf. on Energy & Environment, University of Cambridge, UK, February 23-25, 2008 An investigation of the solar powered absorption refrigeration system with advanced energy storage technology by S.M. Xu, X.D. Huang , R. Dub from Solar Energy 85 (2011) 17941804 Solar refrigeration and cooling by R. BEST and N. ORTEGA from Renewable Energy 16 (1999) 685-690 Effect of operating conditions on the performance of the bubble pump of absorptiondiffusion refrigeration cycles by Ali BENHMIDENE, Bechir CHAOUACHI, Mahmoud BOUROUIS , and Slimane GABSI from Thermal Science, Year 2011, Vol. 15, No.3, pp. 793-806 Modelling and simulation of a solar absorption cooling system for India by V Mittal, KS Kasana, NS Thakur from Journal of Engineering in South Africa, Vol. 17, No. 3, August 2006 A review of absorption refrigeration technologies by Pongsid Srikhirin, Satha Aphornratana, Supachart Chungpaibulpatana from Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 5 (2001) 343372

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