Appropriate heat load ratio of generator for different types of air cooled lithium bromide–water double effect absorption chiller

•Effect of heat load ratio of generator on the performance was analyzed.•The performance is sensitive to heat load ratio of generator.•The appropriate heat load ratio of generator for four systems was obtained.•The change of appropriate heat load ratio of generator for four systems was studied.

The lower coefficient of performance and higher risk of crystallization in the higher surrounding temperature is the primary disadvantage of air cooled lithium bromide–water double effect absorption chiller. Since the coefficient of performance and risk of crystallization strongly depend on the heat load ratio of generator, the appropriate heat load ratio of generator can improve the performance as the surrounding temperature is higher. The paper mainly deals with the appropriate heat load ratio of generator of air cooled lithium bromide–water double effect absorption chiller. Four type systems named series, pre-parallel, rear parallel and reverse parallel flow configuration were considered. The corresponding parametric model was developed to analyze the comprehensive effect of heat load ratio of generator on the coefficient of performance and risk of crystallization. It was found that the coefficient of performance goes up linearly with the decrease of heat load ratio of generator. Simultaneously, the risk of crystallization also rises slowly at first but increases fast finally. Consequently, the appropriate heat load ratio of generator for the series and pre-parallel flow type systems is suggested to be 0.02 greater than the minimum heat load ratio of generator and that for the rear parallel and reverse parallel flow chillers should be 0.01 higher than the minimum heat load ratio of generator. Besides, the changes of minimum heat load ratio of generator for different type systems with the working condition were analyzed and compared. It was found that the minimum heat load ratio of generator goes up with the increase of temperature of high pressure generator as well as surrounding temperature and it goes down with the rise of evaporator temperature and effectiveness of high temperature heat exchanger. The dependence of minimum heat load ratio of generator for the series and rear parallel flow system on the effectiveness of low temperature heat exchanger is weak. While the minimum heat load ratio of generator of pre-parallel and reverse parallel flow chiller rises with the increase of effectiveness of low temperature heat exchanger. The minimum heat load ratio of generator of reverse parallel flow configuration is independent upon the distribution ratio. The minimum heat load ratio of generator of pre-parallel flow system goes up fast with the rise of distribution ratio when the distribution ratio exceeds to 0.55. But the minimum heat load ratio of generator of rear parallel flow configuration just rises slightly with the increase of distribution ratio as the distribution is greater than 0.5. The paper is helpful to the development and performance improvement of air cooled lithium bromide–water double effect absorption chiller.