Detailed thermodynamic analysis of a diffusion-absorption refrigeration cycle

This paper proposes an advanced simulation model for a Diffusion-Absorption Refrigerator DAR using ammonia/water/hydrogen as working fluids, and developed to describe and predict the behavior of the device under different operating conditions. The system is supposed to be cooled with ambient air and actuated with solar hot water available at 200 °C. The DAR is first simulated for a set of basic data; a COP of 0.126 associated to a cooling capacity of 22.3 W are found. Basing on the obtained results an exergetic analysis of the system is performed which shows that the rectifier contribution to the exergy destruction is the most important with 34%. In a second step, the thermal capacities of all heat exchangers of the DAR are evaluated and the mathematical model so modified that the calculated capacities are now used as input data. A parametric study of the cycle is then carried out. The COP is found to exhibit a maximum when the heat supplied to the boiler or to the bubble pump is varied. Similar behavior is observed for variable submergence ratio. It is further noted that the COP is very sensitive to the ambient air temperature and to the absorber efficiency.