Implementation of an object-oriented dynamic modeling library for absorption refrigeration systems

The integration of absorption refrigeration equipment into Cooling, Heating and Power systems must guarantee economic viability, operability and reliability. Accurate control design is mandatory to fulfill such requirements, and make system design successful. The use of model-based control techniques and the introduction of controls testing via numerical simulation rely on the availability of accurate, robust and flexible dynamic models. In this paper, a model library of absorption systems with different working mediums and cycle configurations is presented. Library flexibility and extensibility is achieved through the adoption of object-oriented modeling techniques, allowing considerable reduction of the development time through model reuse. The library has been used to simulate the transient behavior, including startup and shutdown, of several systems. Validation against experimental data has proven the accuracy of modeling assumption.