Efficient Solar Cooling by Using Variable Effect LiBr-H2O Absorption Chiller and Linear Fresnel Solar Collector with Cavity Receiver
Abstract
A solar cooling system, which mainly consists of a variable-effect LiBr-H2O absorption chiller and arrays of linear Fresnel solar collector, has been investigated and analyzed by experiment. The 50 kW variable-effect absorption chiller, which can work from single to double effect mode continuously, depending on the temperature level of the linear Fresnel solar collector array, can obtain a COP span of 0.6–1.15. Compared to the conventional single- and double-effect solar absorption cooling, the solar variable-effect cooling is capable of operating for a longer time, leading to more cooling output. Such solar cooling plant has been tested and analyzed in depth. The experimental results show that thermal efficiency of the linear Fresnel solar collector is approximately 58.8%, and the operation temperature is as high as 147 °C. Thermal COP of the variable-effect LiBr-H2O absorption chiller varies between 0.84‒1.05 depending on the solar collector temperature. The solar cooling plant can convert solar radiation to cooling output accompanied by a solar COP span of 0.41–0.53 under given conditions.