Experimental investigation adsorption chillers using micro-porous silica gel–water and compound adsorbent-methanol

Compound adsorbent of macro-porous silica gel/LiCl-methanol and micro-porous silica gel–water were used as working pairs in two adsorption cooling systems respectively. The adsorption performance was experimentally investigated and compared. The experiment results are that mass recovery process can improve cooling capacity significantly while heat recovery process can improve coefficient of performance (COP) more significantly. The silica gel/LiCl-methanol cooling system has higher adsorption capacity and working pressure. When the hot water inlet temperature, cooling water inlet temperature and chilled water outlet temperature are about 85 °C, 31 °C and 15 °C, the specific cooling power (SCP) of silica gel/LiCl-methanol cooling system is higher by 59.5% than that of silica gel–water cooling system. The silica gel/LiCl-methanol cooling system can also work for cold storage. When the hot water inlet temperature, cooling water inlet temperature and chilled water outlet temperature are about 88 °C, 25 °C and −4 °C, the cooling capacity and COP are 1.0 kW and 0.13.

► Macro-porous silica gel/LiCl-methanol and micro-porous silica gel–water were used.
► Mass recovery process can improve cooling capacity.
► Heat recovery process can improve COP significantly.
► The SCP of macro-porous silica gel/LiCl-methanol system is higher by 59.5% than that of micro-porous silica gel–water system.