Optimization Study of a Hybrid Solar Air Conditioner

In order for the solar air conditioners (A/Cs) to become a real alternative to the conventional systems, their performance and total cost has to be optimized. In this study, an innovative hybrid solar A/C was simulated using the transient systems simulation (TRNSYS) program, which was coupled with MATLAB in order to carry out the optimization study. Two optimization problems were formulated with the following design variables: collector area, collector mass flow rate, storage tank volume, and number of batteries. The Genetic Algorithm (GA) was selected to find the global optimum design for the lowest electrical consumption. To optimize the two objective functions simultaneously, a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) was used to find the Pareto front within the design variables’ bounds while satisfying the constraints. The optimized design was also compared to a standard vapor compression cycle. The results show that coupling TRNSYS and MATLAB expands TRNSYS optimization capability in solving more complicated optimization problems.© 2013 ASME