The 3rd Regional Symposium on

Alternative Refrigerants for Air-Conditioning Industry in HighAmbient Temperature Countries; Bridging Environment,
Standards and Research

ABSORPTION SOLUTIONS
CAN IT WORK FOR A/C
UNITARY APPLICATIONS
ESPECIALLY IN HIGH-AMBIENT
TEMPERATURE COUNTRIES
.

DUBAI , UAE (10-11 SEPT. 2013)

BY: DR. ALAA OLAMA.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient Temperature Countries

Contents:

1.0 Introduction.
2.0 Absorption for residential applications.
3.0 Absorption for light commercial applications.
4.0 Absorption for commercial applications and solar
cooling.
5.0 Conclusions.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient Temperature Countries

Three general categories (ASHRAE):

Residential equipment, up to 19 kW (5.5 TR).
Light commercial equipment, up to 40 kW (11.25

TR).
Commercial equipment, higher than 40 kW.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient Temperature
Countries

2.0 Residential Applications: (> 19 kW)

Main obstacle is air cooling. Without air cooling

residential type absorption units are not viable.

H2O-NH3 working solutions are available , air cooled.,
two capacities 10 and 18 kW. (3 and 5 TR)
LiBr-H2O solutions are not miscible over their entire
concentration range, creating a crystallisation curve near
operating conditions.
With water cooling, operation is close to crystallisation
curve, with air cooling it is in the crystallisation curve.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

2.0 Residential Applications (cont.)

- Many research were made to resolve problem by either of
two approaches:
- Mechanical approach.
- Chemical approach.
-Both approaches have to ensure the performance
enhancer ; 2-Ethyl Hexanol (Octyl Alcohol) is preserved.
-Mechanical approach means much improved heat
exchangers to minimize operating too near crystallisation
curve. Available for moderate Ambient temperature
countries. Inadequate for High- Ambient countries.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

2.0 Residential Applications (cont.)

- Chemical Approach:
. Modify crystallisation line to allow for higher
operation concentrations associated with air cooling
without causing crystallisation using additives.
. Additives must keep solutions viscosity low and
preserve 2-Ethyl Hexanol heat and mass transfer
enhancements.
. This is verified by keeping absorber sub-cooling at
around 1 C.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

2.0 Residential Applications (cont.)

- Chemical Approach:
. The discovery of the Carrol solution, LiBr-H2O and
Ethylene Glycol, by Carrier, allowed gains in the
crystallisation curve while keeping absorber subcooling performance high and allowing air cooling at
high ambient conditions.
. Prototypes are available, cost of solar collectors in
the 70s and 80s prevented commercial production.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

3.0 Light Commercial Applications.(< 40 kW)

- The International Energy Agency task 38 shows the

number of solar cooling units increased by a factor of

- 6 between 2004 and 2009. Today there are probably
around 1000 applications.
- Solar cooling units in above figures are divided into:
89 % Absorption Units , 8 % Adsorption Units and 3 %
Desiccant Units.
- Estimated potential market size is about 50 million
installations.

Number of Installed solar cooling systems in the period 2004

to 2009
89 % Absorption Units , 8 % Adsorption Units and 3 % Desiccant Units
Source: Mugnier D., Solar cooling economics workshop, Aarhus, International Energy Agency, task
38

Absorption machines released to the market (until 2012)

Manufacturer Country
Type
Working pair
.

Nominal
capacity [kW]

COP

Heat Source
[C]

Application

Coolant

AGO

Germany

Single eff.

NH3-H2O

50

0.61

Water

Broad

China

Double eff.

H20-LiBr

16/23

1.2

HW1
(95)
GF
PHW (160)

AC

Water

Cooltec5

USA

GAX

NH3-H2O

17.6/35

0.68

GF

AC

Air

Climatewell

Sweden

Single effect
,sto.

H20-LiCl

10

0.68

HW
(110)

AC

Water

EAW Wergcall

Germany

Single eff.

H20-LiBr

15/30

0.75

AC

Water

Pink
(SolarNext)

Austria
(Germany)

Single eff.

NH3-H2O

10/12

0.63

HW
(90)
HW
(85)

AC/R

Water

Rinnai Osaka
gas

Japan

Double eff.

H20-LiBr

6.7

1.2

GF

AC

Water

Robur

Italy

Single eff.

NH3-H2O

0.7 0.53

Air

Spain

Single eff.

H20-LiBr

AC

Solarice

Germany

Single eff.

NH3-H2O

25/40

0.6

Water
Air
Water

Sonnenklima
(Phonix)

Germany

Single eff.

H20-LiBr

10

0.78

GF
PHW
HW
(90)
HW
(80)
HW
(75)

AC/R

Rotartica

17.7
12.8
4.5

AC

Water

Termax

India

Single eff.

H20-LiBr

17.5/35

0.7

AC

Water

Yazaki

Japan

Single eff.

H20-LiBr

17.6/35

0.7

HW
(90)
HW
(88)

AC

Water

Japan

d. eff .

H2O28
LiBr/LiCl/LiI

GF

AC

Yazaki

0.67

0.85

Air

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

3.0 Light Commercial Applications.( cont.)

- The industry main drivers are solar thermal cooling

and micro- CCHP technologies.

- Those two technologies are the main reason why
there is growing interest in this category of
absorption cooling.

Solar thermal fired Absorption System- 35 kW, with thermal

storage

Typical Energy flow of a Combined Cooling Heating and

Power System (CCHP)

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

3.0 Light Commercial Applications.(cont.)

Cost considerations of systems:
1-Absorption chiller price still high compared to vapour compression
Cost ratio could be as high as 1: 10.
2- Cost of solar collectors still high, but has gone down considerably over the last
few years.

In 2010, Dickinson et al* demonstrated the cost of a solar fired absorption cooling
system of 35 kW refrigeration Capacity for a government building, the cost of the
components compared to the system total cost can be analysed as follows;

Controls, valves, piping : 38 %

Solar collectors
: 28 %
Auxiliaries ( cooling
tower and storage tank) :
20%
Chiller
: 14 %
total : 100%
( US$ 13,000.- cost per TR)
_________
* ASME Conference Proceedings, 2010(2010).

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

3.0 Light Commercial Applications.(cont.)

Cost Remarks:
Even at about US$ 2,000.-/ TR, the chiller cost
constitute only 14 % of the system total cost.
Total system cost about US$ 130,000. If the chiller cost goes down by 50 %, the total system
cost will go down by about US$ 9,000. While if the rest of the equipment cost goes down by 50
%, total system cost will go down by over US$ 50,000. The main issues of competiveness, apart from high solar
rates and long operating hours, is not so much the cost of
the chiller but in innovation to the system components
cost.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

4.0 Commercial Applications and solar cooling systems (>

40 kW).
Uses a different construction design, shell and tube

instead of coil and tube to allow for horizontal type

machines.
The most mature category, well established and
competitive.
Commercially marketed systems in Japan, predict that
solar cooling system in this range provide about 20 % 0f
the energy needed for air conditioning, while cutting CO2
emissions by about 21 % in a system for a 3 to 4 stories
building with a total floor space area of 4,000 m2,
utilising N. Gas fired absorption system.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

4.0 Commercial Applications and solar cooling systems (>

40 kW).
Tokyo Gas and others demonstrate such systems utilising

absorption chillers, hot water fired, high efficiency

vacuum tube collectors and specially designed energy
management system.
The following slides shows the schematic diagram of
such systems, the roof view for the Tokyo demonstration
building and the machine room.

Commercial solar cooling system in Japan

Tokyo Gas Nakahara Building (solar cooling system demonstration plant)

Solar hot water fired chiller, pumps and storage

tank

Chiller, hot water storage and chilled water storage

tanks

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

4.0 Commercial Applications and solar cooling systems

(cont.)
The largest installed system is claimed to be in a district

cooling plant serving a university campus in Singapore

with a total solar cooling capacity of 1,500 kW, built on
B.O.O basis.
Systems economics are viable and will deliver its
calculated return on investment when designed, installed
and maintained efficiently.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

5.0 Conclusions:
5.1 Residential applications( technology not yet mature)
Must be air cooled. Units exist for moderate-ambient temperature

countries, but not for high-ambient temperature countries.

Two technologies hurdles exist and must be resolved before tech.
takes root:

A- Shifting crystallisation line of LiBr-H2O solutions to allow for

higher concentrations solutions associated with air cooling.

B- Maintaining small sub-cooling in the absorber while keeping

high rates of heat and mass transfer for the solution, associated with
Octyl Alcohol as a performance enhancer.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

5.0 Conclusions ( cont.):

5.2 Light commercial applications ( technology semi- mature)
Two technologies drive this category:

Solar thermal cooling and micro-CCHP.

The high cost of solar thermal systems in this category is an

important factor.
Solar collectors price have gone down appreciatively in the
last few years, this improved economics.
Large number of operating hours and high rates of solar
radiation associated with high-ambient temperatures
countries improves economics of the system.
System is viable in those conditions
.

Absorption Solutions
Can it Work for A/C Unitary Applications especially in High-Ambient
Temperature Countries

5.0 Conclusions ( cont.):

5.3 Commercial applications ( technology mature)

Technologies driven by solar absorption cooling/heating

assisted applications:

Commercially viable, saving in operating cost of about 20 % for

an average size building in Japan of 4,000 m2 and a 21 % saving

in CO2 emission compared to N. gas fired system.

In the Middle Eat, demonstration projects are being prepared

both UNIDO and UNEP and others to implement demonstration

projects to disseminate the technology and help it take root in
the area.