Experimental performance analysis on an adsorption cooling system using zeolite 13X/CaCl2 adsorbent with various operation sequences

Abstract In this study, an adsorption cooling system with a novel composite material (zeolite 13X/CaCl2) as the adsorbent and water as the adsorbate has been built and the system performance was studied experimentally under various working conditions. A much lower desorption temperature can be utilized to desorb the composite adsorbent when compared with the zeolite 13X adsorbent. Under the same operating condition, the SCP of the adsorption cooling system using the composite adsorbent is approximately 30% higher than that of the same system using silica-gel as the adsorbent. Although a longer adsorption/desorption phase time (cycle time) is required for the adsorption cooling system equipped with the composite adsorbent, it shows a better cooling performance than that of the silica gel adsorbent if a lower chilled water temperature is required. Various operating sequences (i.e. heat recovery, mass recovery, pre-heating and pre-cooling cycles) of the adsorption cooling system have also been investigated. The heat and mass recovery cycle has a huge improvement on the SCP and COP of the adsorption cooling system, improving the SCP and COP by about 126% and 125%, respectively. However, heat recovery requires fitting of extra equipment to the adsorption cooling system. Therefore, mass recovery together with the pre-heating and pre-cooling cycle is preferred, achieving the SCP and COP of about 106 W/kg and 0.16, respectively. It is about 129% and 100% increase compared with the basic cycle.

[1]  Kyaw Thu,et al.  Experimental investigation on the optimal performance of Zeolite–water adsorption chiller , 2013 .

[2]  K. Ng,et al.  Waste heat driven dual-mode, multi-stage, multi-bed regenerative adsorption system , 2003 .

[3]  Derek K. Baker,et al.  Experimental investigation of a natural zeolite–water adsorption cooling unit , 2011 .

[4]  Guangming Chen,et al.  Experimental investigation on a fluidized-bed adsorber/desorber for the adsorption refrigeration system , 2012 .

[5]  Ruzhu Wang,et al.  Adsorption refrigeration- : An efficient way to make good use of waste heat and solar energy , 2006 .

[6]  K. Ng,et al.  Thermophysical Properties of Novel Zeolite Materials for Sorption Cycles , 2013 .

[7]  Yury Aristov,et al.  New family of solid sorbents for adsorptive cooling: Material scientist approach , 2007 .

[8]  C. Chao,et al.  Activated carbon, silica-gel and calcium chloride composite adsorbents for energy efficient solar adsorption cooling and dehumidification systems , 2012 .

[9]  Yuri I. Aristov,et al.  Experimental testing of a lab-scale adsorption chiller using a novel selective water sorbent “silica modified by calcium nitrate” , 2012 .

[10]  Kim Choon Ng.  Recent Developments in Heat-Driven Silica Gel-Water Adsorption Chillers , 2003 .

[11]  Cooper H. Langford,et al.  SOLAR ENERGY STORAGE USING CHEMICAL POTENTIAL CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH DRYING OF ZEOLITES , 1979 .

[12]  Kim Choon Ng,et al.  Experimental investigation on activated carbon–ethanol pair for solar powered adsorption cooling applications , 2008 .

[13]  Takao Kashiwagi,et al.  Mass recovery adsorption refrigeration cycle—improving cooling capacity , 2004 .

[14]  Yuri I. Aristov,et al.  A new generation cooling device employing CaCl2-in-silica gel–water system , 2009 .

[15]  Ruzhu Wang,et al.  Study of a novel silica gel-water adsorption chiller. Part II. Experimental study , 2005 .

[16]  Ruzhu Wang,et al.  Experimental performance of a silica gel¿water adsorption chiller , 2005 .

[17]  Takao Kashiwagi,et al.  Experimental study on performance improvement of a four-bed adsorption chiller by using heat and mass recovery , 2006, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer.

[18]  Yong Tae Kang,et al.  Heat exchanger design effect on the system performance of silica gel adsorption refrigeration systems , 2000 .

[19]  Alessio Sapienza,et al.  Development and lab-test of a mobile adsorption air-conditioner , 2012 .

[20]  Christopher Yu Hang Chao,et al.  Performance analysis of a waste heat driven activated carbon based composite adsorbent – Water adsorption chiller using simulation model , 2012 .

[21]  C.-C. Wang,et al.  Design and performance of a solar-powered heating and cooling system using silica gel/water adsorption chiller , 2009 .

[22]  J. K. Kiplagat,et al.  Study on a compact silica gel–water adsorption chiller without vacuum valves: Design and experimental study , 2010 .

[23]  Takahiko Miyazaki,et al.  The performance analysis of a novel dual evaporator type three-bed adsorption chiller , 2010 .

[24]  Christopher Yu Hang Chao,et al.  Performance predictions for a new zeolite 13X/CaCl2 composite adsorbent for adsorption cooling systems , 2012 .

[25]  Kyaw Thu,et al.  Performance evaluation of a zeolite–water adsorption chiller with entropy analysis of thermodynamic insight , 2014 .

[26]  R. Z. Wang,et al.  Study of the new composite adsorbent of salt LiCl/silica gel–methanol used in an innovative adsorption cooling machine driven by low temperature heat source , 2014 .

[27]  Ruzhu Wang,et al.  Composite adsorbent of CaCl2 and expanded graphite for adsorption ice maker on fishing boats , 2006 .

[28]  Ruzhu Wang,et al.  Study on heat and mass recovery in adsorption refrigeration cycles , 2001 .

[29]  Kyaw Thu,et al.  Thermo-physical properties of silica gel for adsorption desalination cycle , 2013 .

[30]  Ruzhu Wang,et al.  Performance improvement of adsorption cooling by heat and mass recovery operation , 2001 .

[31]  W. S. Loh,et al.  Adsorption Isotherms and Isosteric Enthalpy of Adsorption for Assorted Refrigerants on Activated Carbons , 2012 .

[32]  Ruzhu Wang,et al.  Literature review on solar adsorption technologies for ice-making and air-conditioning purposes and recent developments in solar technology , 2001 .

[33]  D. Andrew S. Rees,et al.  Numerical investigation of coupled heat and mass transfer inside the adsorbent bed of an adsorption cooling unit , 2012 .

[34]  Kai Choong Leong,et al.  System performance of a combined heat and mass recovery adsorption cooling cycle: A parametric study , 2006 .

[35]  Takao Kashiwagi,et al.  Experimental investigation of mass recovery adsorption refrigeration cycle , 2005 .

[36]  M. Pons.  Analysis of the adsorption cycles with thermal regeneration based on the entropic mean temperatures , 1997 .

[37]  Kim Choon Ng,et al.  How Heat and Mass Recovery Strategies Impact the Performance of Adsorption Desalination Plant: Theory and Experiments , 2007 .

[38]  R. K. Akikur,et al.  A review of solar thermal refrigeration and cooling methods , 2013 .

[39]  Ruzhu Wang,et al.  Experimental study on an adsorption chiller employing lithium chloride in silica gel and methanol , 2012 .

[40]  Valentin N. Parmon,et al.  “Chemical Heat Accumulators”: A new approach to accumulating low potential heat , 1996 .

[41]  Kim Choon Ng,et al.  Adsorption cooling cycles for alternative adsorbent/adsorbate pairs working at partial vacuum and pressurized conditions , 2009 .

[42]  K. Ng,et al.  On the thermodynamics of refrigerant + heterogeneous solid surfaces adsorption. , 2013, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[43]  Michał Turski,et al.  Research on an adsorption cooling system supplied by solar energy , 2012 .

[44]  Le Zhang,et al.  Design and testing of an automobile waste heat adsorption cooling system , 2000 .