Feasibility limits and performance of an absorption cooling machine using light alkane mixtures

The performance of a heat-driven vapor absorption chiller with various alkane mixtures as working pairs was studied. A Thermodynamic analysis showed that under specified operating conditions and with a generator temperature below 130 °C, temperature achievable with a simple flat plate collector when solar energy is expected as the driving heat source, the application of some of the proposed alkane mixtures is not feasible. Simulations using ASPEN Plus flow sheeting program are then done with the selected working pairs. All simulations were done specifying the Peng-Robinson equation of state as the property method. A parametric study was carried out allowing the investigation of the generator temperature effect on the system performance and the comparison between performances released with each working pair. Results revealed that a water-cooled absorption machine using the C3H8/n-C9H20 pair as working fluid releases the best performances from a heat driving temperature level of about 100 °C.