Two Novel Solar Sorption Refrigerators using Salt-Ammonia Mixtures for Air-Conditioning and Ice Production
Abstract
Within REFSOL project, born in 2009 by an international collaboration between Mexican CONACYT and the European Union, two sorption refrigeration prototypes using salts as sorbents were developed. One continuous chiller using lithium nitrate-ammonia as working pair and able to provide a chilling power of 5kW for air-conditioning purposes at a minimum driving temperature of 100 °C. The other one, based on a thermo-chemical and discontinuous sorption cycle, which uses barium chloride-ammonia as working pair for food storing purposes as well as for ice production at a minimum driving temperature of 60ºC. For both refrigeration systems, the thermal energy supply is provided through two different solar collector systems, which were simulated in TRNSYS ambient for their optimal configuration.