Thermodynamic analysis of single-stage and single-effect two-stage adsorption cooling cycles using indigenous coconut shell based activated carbon-CO2 pair

The CO2 adsorption pressure concentration isotherms of indigenous coconut shell based activated carbon are measured using Sievert's type experimental setup. The thermodynamic properties viz. isosteric heat of adsorption at surface loading, Gibbs free energy, entropy and specific heat capacity are estimated using measured adsorption isotherms data. These measured adsorption isotherms data and thermodynamic properties are used for the thermodynamic analysis of single-stage and single-effect two-stage adsorption cooling system. The performance of the adsorption cooling cycle in terms of the maximum theoretical specific cooling effect and coefficient of performance at different driving heat source temperatures (80 °C for single-stage and 65 °C for single-effect two-stage) and evaporator temperatures (0, 5, 10 and 15 °C) is estimated. The maximum values of specific cooling effect and coefficient of performance are obtained as 9.26 kJ kg−1 and 0.06 for single-stage and 8.85 kJ kg−1 and 0.04 for single-effect two-stage cooling system respectively.