Performance Analysis of Adsorption Refrigeration System with Water-Thermosyphon Cool Adsorber and Evaporator Enhanced with Near-Ultrasonic Wave

Abstract

Here we present an experimental study of the single-effect adsorption cooling system using activated carbon-methanol working pair. The test unit was comprised of an adsorber, a condenser and evaporator in vertical alignment. Heating and cooling of adsorber was mainly done by hot and cold water circulating through the water jacket. The evaporator and condenser was heated or cooled by flows of water through the internal coil. The adsorber was analyzed for its cooling rate when cooling was done by two approaches, either cooling water and/or three thermosyphon heat pipes, which both methods gave shortest cooling time. The investigated heat source and sink temperatures are; hot water temperature supplied to adsorber (70, 80, 90 oC), and cooling water temperature supplied to condenser (5, 10, 15 oC). An ultrasonic wave generator was attached to the bottom end of the evaporator, to generate wave frequency varied by 8, 10, and 14 kHz during evaporation phase. The ultrasonic wave can obviously reduce the evaporation time of methanol, as well as to improve the system performance in terms of COP, SCP and VCP. The system performance was considerably comparable to those from literatures. The highest COP and SCP obtained from this system was 0.718 and 248.90 W/kg, respectively.