Experimental studies on combined cooling and power system driven by low-grade heat sources

Abstract An experimental investigation was undertaken to study the actual useful output and performance of a combined power and cooling system that uses low-grade energy. The cycle used was a combination of NH 3 -H 2 O absorption refrigeration cycle and Kalina extraction turbine cycle. The expected performance characteristics of the dual output system were first evaluated using an energetic and exergetic approach based on the quality of useful outputs; in the experimental confirmation. It was evaluated in Cooling Alone mode (CA mode) and Combined Cooling-Power mode (CCP mode), for the same operating conditions. The weak solution flow rate and generator temperature were maintained constant at 0.237 kg/s and 133 °C respectively throughout the experimental run. The maximum cooling load of 34.26 kW was achieved with a COP's of 0.57 in CA mode. In CCP mode, the system was operated at a split ratio of 0.5 with the useful cooling load of 15.26 kW and estimated expander load of 2.21 kW respectively, with power to cooling ratio of 0.14. The corresponding effective first-law and exergetic efficiencies were 13% and 48%. This study provides a feasible and flexible way to meet the desired combination of power/cooling ratio to generate varying demand profiles using available low-grade heat sources.

[1]  A. I. Kalina,et al.  Combined-Cycle System With Novel Bottoming Cycle , 1984 .

[2]  Gunnar Tamm,et al.  Theoretical and experimental investigation of an ammonia–water power and refrigeration thermodynamic cycle , 2004 .

[3]  O. M. Ibrahim,et al.  Absorption power cycles , 1996 .

[4]  Robert J. Moffat,et al.  Describing the Uncertainties in Experimental Results , 1988 .

[5]  Jiangfeng Wang,et al.  Thermodynamic analysis of a new combined cooling and power system using ammonia–water mixture , 2016 .

[6]  D. Y. Goswami,et al.  On Evaluating Efficiency of a Combined Power and Cooling Cycle , 2003 .

[7]  Noam Lior,et al.  Methodology for thermal design of novel combined refrigeration/power binary fluid systems , 2007 .

[8]  D. Y. Goswami,et al.  Effectiveness of cooling production with a combined power and cooling thermodynamic cycle , 2006 .

[9]  Shaoguang Lu,et al.  Optimization of a novel combined power/refrigeration thermodynamic cycle , 2002 .

[10]  Alberto Coronas,et al.  Modelling, simulation and analysis of solar absorption power-cooling systems , 2012 .

[11]  D. Yogi Goswami,et al.  Analysis of a combined power and cooling cycle for low-grade heat sources , 2011 .

[12]  Nasruddin,et al.  Energy and exergy analysis of kalina cycle system (KCS) 34 with mass fraction ammonia-water mixture variation , 2009 .

[13]  Roy C. Robertson,et al.  Thermodynamic Study of Ammonia-Water Heat Power Cycles, , 1953 .

[14]  Hongguang Jin,et al.  Thermodynamic analysis of a novel absorption power/cooling combined-cycle , 2006 .

[15]  Hongguang Jin,et al.  Experimental studies on a combined refrigeration/power generation system activated by low-grade heat , 2014 .

[16]  D. Yogi Goswami,et al.  Solar Thermal Power Technology: Present Status and Ideas for the Future , 1998, Successfully Managing the Risk and Development of Your Business and Technology.

[17]  D. Goswami,et al.  A combined power/cooling cycle , 2000 .

[18]  Yiping Dai,et al.  Parametric analysis and optimization for a combined power and refrigeration cycle , 2008 .

[19]  Zeting Yu,et al.  Theoretical study on a novel ammonia–water cogeneration system with adjustable cooling to power ratios , 2014 .

[20]  Refrigerating.  ASHRAE handbook of fundamentals , 1967 .

[21]  Hongguang Jin,et al.  A power and cooling cogeneration system using mid/low-temperature heat source , 2013 .

[22]  Daniel G. Friend,et al.  A Helmholtz Free Energy Formulation of the Thermodynamic Properties of the Mixture {Water + Ammonia} , 1998 .

[23]  W. Wagner,et al.  The IAPWS Formulation 1995 for the Thermodynamic Properties of Ordinary Water Substance for General and Scientific Use , 2002 .

[24]  Na Zhang,et al.  Proposal and analysis of a novel ammonia–water cycle for power and refrigeration cogeneration , 2007 .

[25]  E. D. Rogdakis,et al.  A Kalina power cycle driven by renewable energy sources , 2009 .