Performance Prediction of an Adsorption Solar Cooling System

Solar radiation is by far the largest and the most world's abundant, clean and permanent energy source. The amount of solar radiation intercepted by the Earth is much higher than annual global energy use. The energy available from the sun is greater than about 5200 times the global world's need in 2006. In recent years, many promising technologies have been developed to harness the sun's energy. These technologies help in environmental protection, economizing energy, and sustainable development which are the major issues of the world in the 21st century. One of these important technologies is the solar cooling systems that make use of either absorption or adsorption technologies. The solar adsorption cooling systems are good alternative since they operate with environmentally benign refrigerants that are natural, free from CFCs and therefore they have a zero ozone depleting potential (ODP). A numerical analysis and solar performance prediction of a solid adsorption solar system using activated carbon/methanol adsorbent/adsorbate pair are undertaken in this study. The modeling of the adsorption cooling machine requires the resolution of the equation describing the energy and mass transfer in the tubular adsorber that is the most important component of the machine. The Dubinin- Astakhov model of solid-adsorbat equilibrium is used to calculate the adsorbed quantity in the case of activated carbon (AC35)/methanol. The porous medium is contained in the annular space and the adsorber is heated by solar energy. Effect of key parameters on the adsorbed quantity and on the performance coefficient are analysed and discussed. The solar performance of the system that depends on the incident global irradiance during a whole day depends on the weather conditions