Heat recovery from automotive engine

Heat recovery from automotive engines has been predominantly for turbo-charging or for cabin heating. Studies relative to application of the recovered heat to run absorption chillers is scarce. In this project, a 10.55 kW (three ton) absorption chiller was modified for hot gas intake and matched to a 2.8 L V6 internal combustion engine. Mathematical model and experimental test results suggest that the concept is thermodynamically feasible and could significantly enhance system performance depending on part-load of the engine. However, possible challenges during transient operations as well as issues related to scalability and reliability require further investigation.