Characterisation of an Expander for Small-Scale Absorption Power and Cooling Systems Activated By Solar Energy
Abstract
In an absorption cycle the energy in the form of ammonia at high pressure at the outlet of the generator could be used to produce mechanical energy. In this way solar absorption cooling systems could be converted into combined power and cooling systems driven by solar thermal energy at medium temperature. The main required operating conditions for a suitable expander for this application are used in this paper for its design and simulation. The numerical modelling and simulation of the expander is presented as a function of their main input parameters in a second stage the simulation is extended to include all the subsystems: solar thermal collectors and the absorption cooling and power system including the expansion unit modelled according to the results obtained with the expander simulation and validation. Finally, the design of a test rig for the experimental characterisation of this expander is also presented.