Modeling a Novel Composite Adsorbent Based Adsorption Chiller Driven by Solar Energy

This paper aims to study the performance of a solar-powered adsorption chiller with a novel composite adsorbent material (silica activated carbon/CaCl₂) operating during some typical months in Hong Kong. Modeling is established to investigate the cooling performance of this adsorption chiller driven by flat-type solar collectors with three different configurations of glaze: 1) single glazed cover; 2) double glazed cover and 3) transparent insulation material (TIM) cover. The simulation results show that the higher the solar collector temperature is, the better the coefficient of performance (COP) and the specific cooling power (SCP) of the adsorption chiller are. It is suggested to select a double glazed collector with a small value of the lumped capacitance for this adsorption chiller. Seasonal effects are discussed in which the solar COP achieves its highest value during autumn. However, the cooling capacities in spring, summer and autumn are similar. All in all, this newly developed composite material as adsorbent used in the adsorption chiller could achieve a mean solar COP of 0.36 and SCP of 94W/kg on a typical summer day of operation.