Improvement of the performance of an absorption heat transformer through a single effect process to obtain freshwater

Abstract The thermodynamic cycles have a huge potential to increase the usage of energetic efficiency. A lot works about the Absorption Heat Transformers have been studied worldwide, since these can be coupled at different processes with residual and/or renewable energies from 60 to 80 °C. This paper shows new Configurations for an Absorption Heat Transformer and a water distillation system in order to increase its performance. The evaporation process used is a single effect for seawater. The sensible heat preheats the working solution from the generator, refrigerant from the evaporator or condenser, while the latent heat is used to preheat the seawater inlet. The theoretical analysis is done with a thermodynamic model, which was validated with data reported in the literature. Different scenarios have been analyzed in order to determinate the best optimal configuration under several operating parameters. Based on the results, the best behavior is searched when the sensible heat is applied between the condenser and the evaporator, since it is possible to increase the thermal performance up to 7.95% with respect to basic AHT and 16.38% when the AHT uses a SHX. The Specific Recuperation Heat and the Specific Useful Heat are recommended to know how much heat can be recovered per each 1 kg/s of distilled water.

[1]  Erasmo Cadenas,et al.  Analysis of the behavior of an experimental absorption heat transformer for water purification for different mass flux rates in the generator , 2013 .

[2]  Erasmo Cadenas,et al.  Exergy analysis of an experimental heat transformer for water purification , 2011 .

[3]  Frank P. Incropera,et al.  Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer , 1981 .

[4]  Rosenberg J. Romero,et al.  Increase of COP for heat transformer in water purification systems. Part I – Increasing heat source temperature , 2007 .

[5]  Rabah Gomri,et al.  Thermal seawater desalination: Possibilities of using single effect and double effect absorption heat transformer systems , 2010 .

[6]  A. Huicochea,et al.  Experimental study of an absorption heat transformer with heat recycling to the generator , 2014 .

[7]  Nagamany Nirmalakhandan,et al.  Renewable and sustainable approaches for desalination , 2010 .

[8]  Dapeng Hu,et al.  Performance analysis on a new multi-effect distillation combined with an open absorption heat transformer driven by waste heat , 2014 .

[9]  Rabah Gomri,et al.  Energy and exergy analyses of seawater desalination system integrated in a solar heat transformer. , 2009 .

[10]  Nagamany Nirmalakhandan,et al.  Low temperature desalination using solar collectors augmented by thermal energy storage , 2012 .

[11]  Rajagopal Saravanan,et al.  Experimental studies on absorption heat transformer coupled distillation system , 2011 .

[12]  Wilfrido Rivera,et al.  Exergy analysis of a heat transformer for water purification increasing heat source temperature , 2010 .

[13]  Soteris A. Kalogirou,et al.  Seawater desalination using renewable energy sources , 2005 .

[14]  H. Ettouney,et al.  Fundamentals of Salt Water Desalination , 2002 .

[15]  Roberto Best,et al.  Single stage and double absorption heat transformers used to recover energy in a distillation column of butane and pentane , 2003 .

[16]  Jiabin Chen,et al.  Application of absorption heat transformer to recover waste heat from a synthetic rubber plant , 2003 .

[17]  Mortaza Yari,et al.  Alternative absorption heat transformer configurations integrated with water desalination system , 2013 .

[18]  F. A. Holland,et al.  Thermodynamic study of advanced absorption heat transformers—I. Single and two stage configurations with heat exchangers , 1994 .

[19]  I. Horuz,et al.  Absorption heat transformers and an industrial application , 2010 .

[20]  Rosenberg J. Romero,et al.  Portable water purification system integrated to a heat transformer , 2004 .

[21]  Saffa Riffat,et al.  Opportunities for solar water desalination worldwide: Review , 2013 .

[22]  Rajagopal Saravanan,et al.  Exergetic performance of eco friendly absorption heat transformer for seawater desalination , 2011 .