Cooling performance and energy saving of a compression–absorption refrigeration system assisted by geothermal energy

Abstract The objectives of this paper are to develop a novel combined refrigeration system, and to discuss the thermodynamic analysis of the cycle and the feasibility of its practical development. The aim of this work was to study the possibility of using geothermal energy to supply vapour absorption system cascaded with conventional compression system. Three working fluids (R717, R22, and R134a) are selected for the conventional compression system and the ammonia–water pair for the absorption system. The geothermal temperature source in the range 343–349 K supplies a generator operating at 335 K. Results show that the COP of a combined system is significantly higher than that of a single stage refrigeration system. It is found that the COP can be improved by 37–54%, compared with the conventional cycle, under the same operating conditions, that is an evaporation temperature at 263 K and a condensation temperature of 308 K. For industrial refrigeration, the proposed system constitutes an alternative solution for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

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