TY - JOUR
T1 - Performance of a solar absorption cooling system using nanofluids and a membrane-based microchannel desorber
AU - Venegas, María
AU - García-Hernando, Néstor
AU - Zacarías, Alejandro
AU - de Vega, Mercedes
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 by the authors.
PY - 2020/4/1
Y1 - 2020/4/1
N2 - In this work, the performance of a single effect absorption cooling system fed by solar thermal energy is evaluated. The absorption chiller includes a membrane-based microchannel desorber using three types of nanoparticles: Al2O3, CuO, or carbon nanotubes (CNT). Correlations available in the open literature to calculate the thermal conductivity of nanofluids are reviewed. Using experimental data for the water-lithium bromide solution (H2O-LiBr) with Al2O3 and CNT nanoparticles, the most appropriate correlation for thermal conductivity is selected. Nanofluid properties are evaluated using a concentration of nanoparticles of up to 5% in volume. The largest increase in the desorption rate (7.9%), with respect to using pure H2O-LiBr solution, is obtained using CNT nanoparticles and the maximum concentration of nanoparticles simulated. The performance of the chiller is evaluated and the daily solar coefficient of performance (SCOP) for the solar cooling facility is obtained. The best improvement with respect to the conventional system (without nanoparticles) represents an increase in the cooling effect of up to 6%. The maximum number of desorber modules recommended, always lower than 50, has been identified.
AB - In this work, the performance of a single effect absorption cooling system fed by solar thermal energy is evaluated. The absorption chiller includes a membrane-based microchannel desorber using three types of nanoparticles: Al2O3, CuO, or carbon nanotubes (CNT). Correlations available in the open literature to calculate the thermal conductivity of nanofluids are reviewed. Using experimental data for the water-lithium bromide solution (H2O-LiBr) with Al2O3 and CNT nanoparticles, the most appropriate correlation for thermal conductivity is selected. Nanofluid properties are evaluated using a concentration of nanoparticles of up to 5% in volume. The largest increase in the desorption rate (7.9%), with respect to using pure H2O-LiBr solution, is obtained using CNT nanoparticles and the maximum concentration of nanoparticles simulated. The performance of the chiller is evaluated and the daily solar coefficient of performance (SCOP) for the solar cooling facility is obtained. The best improvement with respect to the conventional system (without nanoparticles) represents an increase in the cooling effect of up to 6%. The maximum number of desorber modules recommended, always lower than 50, has been identified.
KW - Absorption refrigeration
KW - Desorber
KW - HO-LiBr
KW - Microporous flat membranes
KW - Nanofluids
KW - Nanoparticles
KW - Rectangular microchannels
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85084658319&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/APP10082761
DO - 10.3390/APP10082761
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:85084658319
SN - 2076-3417
VL - 10
JO - Applied Sciences (Switzerland)
JF - Applied Sciences (Switzerland)
IS - 8
M1 - 2761
ER -