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Experimental System of Solar Adsorption Refrigeration with Concentrated Collector
Published on: October 18, 2017
Biomass-Derived Solvents and Low-GWP Refrigerants as Working Fluids for Sustainable Absorption Refrigeration
Miguel Viar1, Fernando Pardo1, Gabriel Zarca1
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Universidad de Cantabria, Av. Los Castros 46, Santander 39005, Spain.
This study introduces green organic solvents and low-global warming potential refrigerants for absorption refrigeration systems (ARS). Novel working pairs achieved high performance, offering a sustainable alternative for the refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump (RACHP) sector.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Engineering
- Thermodynamics
- Sustainable Technologies
Background:
- The refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump (RACHP) sector significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
- Conventional vapor compression cycles are energy-intensive and rely on environmentally harmful refrigerants.
- Absorption refrigeration systems (ARS) offer a sustainable alternative, especially when utilizing low-grade heat.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of using eco-friendly, biobased organic solvents as working fluids in ARS.
- To evaluate novel solvent-refrigerant pairs for improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact in RACHP applications.
- To assess the thermodynamic performance of these pairs in both conventional and compression-assisted ARS (CA-ARS).
Main Methods:
- Selection of five green organic solvents (solketal, propylene carbonate, terpinolene, γ-valerolactone, Rhodiasolv PolarClean) based on the CHEM21 solvent selection guide.
- Quantum chemical calculations (COSMO-RS) to assess affinity between selected solvents and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs).
- Experimental determination of vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) for binary systems and thermodynamic evaluation of promising pairs.
Main Results:
- Identified promising solvent-refrigerant pairs, particularly those utilizing γ-valerolactone and Rhodiasolv PolarClean.
- Achieved the highest reported Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 0.60 for R-1234ze-(E)-based pairs in analogous ARS.
- Compression-assisted ARS (CA-ARS) demonstrated competitive COP and circulation factor (f) compared to conventional systems.
Conclusions:
- Green organic solvents combined with low-GWP HFCs/HFOs represent a viable strategy for sustainable RACHP.
- The developed working pairs show significant potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the RACHP sector.
- This research paves the way for more environmentally friendly and efficient refrigeration technologies.
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