Rapid cycling solar/biomass powered adsorption refrigeration system

There is a need for heat operated refrigeration systems in areas of the world which have a warm climate and also have no firm electricity supply. Research is underway on carbon - ammonia refrigerators driven by the heat of steam condensing in a thermosyphon heat pipe. The heat source can be solar energy, biomass, or some combination of the two. New monolithic carbon adsorbent-aluminium composites have been developed which promise power densities of 1kW cooling per kg carbon. The high power density leads to much lower first costs. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved