Modelling and numerical simulation of solar powered vapor

absorption refrigeration
System for hot areas of Ethiopia in case of Afar
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in
mechanical engineering

ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Name of candidates ID number
Fikremariam Tesfaw Kebede ETS 0443/08
Hawltu desalegn Semegn ETS0577/08
Hailegiorgis Kassaye Amare ETS0553/08

Advisor
Getachew shunki (Dr.ing )

JANUARY 2021
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
 APPROVAL PAGE

ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

MODELLING AND NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SOLAR POWERED VAPOR

ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION
SYSTEM FOR HOT AREAS OF ETHIOPIA IN CASE OF AFAR

Submitted by Signature Date

Approved by Signature Date

 DECLARATION
We hereby declare that the work which is presented in this thesis entitled “MODELLING AND
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SOLAR POWERED VAPOR ABSORPTION
REFRIGERATION SYSTEM FOR HOT AREAS OF ETHIOPIA IN CASE OF AFAR” is
original work of our own, has not been presented for a degree of any other university and that all
sources of materials used for the thesis have been acknowledged.

Submitted by Signature Date

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, we would like to thank Addis Ababa Science and Technology University
especially, College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechanical
Engineering for offering us this chance of doing final year project or thesis which is crucial
to develop skills that are valuable to do future research works.

Our deepest and sincere gratitude would go to our Advisor, Dr.ing Getachew Shunki, for his
supervision and guidance throughout the project. He has provided us with unreserved
support to do and present the project as clearly as possible. It was a great privilege and honor
to work under his guidance.

We are extending our thanks to those who directly and indirectly involved in helping us to
successfully finish our thesis. We are thankful to Mr. Desalegn, Mr. Demis and Mr. Mezid
for reviewing our proposal and giving us directions to correct and improve which we got
significant afterwards. Special thanks to our friends and roommates who have been
commenting, correcting and helping us in every aspect problems that we faced.
 ABSTRACT
In areas where solar energy is readily available, using a vapor absorption refrigerator is a wise
decision. VARS is a refrigeration system that uses low grade thermal energy as an input. This
project entails the modeling and simulation of Vapor Absorption Refrigeration System (VARS).
The system is applied in Afar region, Asayta Wereda for it is hot and the need for refrigeration is
significant. The problem in Asayta is that there is lack of electric city and some areas are off grid
too. So, applying our system will solve this problem and provide cooling system for hotels,
hospitals and other commercial purpose. The objective of the project is to design, analyze and
simulate VARS system. It is designed to provide a 1KW cooling load and the refrigerator has a
volumetric capacity of 500L. The refrigerant of the system is the combination of Ammonia and
Water. We use aqua ammonia solution mainly because of the system provides a cooling below
0oC. The evaporator works at -4oC. Unlike the VCS (vapor compression system), our system do
not use compressor, instead it uses absorber - generator set. The set is built with absorber, pump,
regenerator and generator. The advantage of VARS is that the pump uses less power than the
compressor and it is cheaper and the power needed to drive the system is generated from solar
system. The region is bestowed with abundant solar potential, according to the data accessed
from NASA Power-worldwide energy prediction. Solar intensity of that specific location is taken
from minimum annual value for horizontal arrangement of solar panels.
In the thermodynamics section, the system is numerically modeled by MATLAB to compute
different iterations to effect the best combination of variables for optimum COP. Different
graphs are generated to show variation of COP with Load and Temperature of different
components like generator and condenser. Pressure drop through pipes is taken as negligible as
the pipes are frictionless, small in length and no leakage is present. Evaporator and regenerator
are simulated with ANSYS to show that the distribution of different thermodynamic properties
like pressure drop and mass transfer rate. In addition to this, the system uses solar energy which
gives nearly zero operating cost with prolonged usage. The system design is reliable work of us
and our ANSYS result supports our design that evaporator and regenerator experiences minimum
pressure drop and desirable rate of mass transfer.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
APPROVAL PAGE..........................................................................................................................i

DECLARATION.............................................................................................................................ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..............................................................................................................iii

ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................iv

LIST OF FIGURE........................................................................................................................viii

LIST OF TABLE.............................................................................................................................x

LIST OF SYMBOLS, NOTATIONS AND ABBREVATIONS...................................................xi

CHAPTER ONE..............................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1

1.1. Background.......................................................................................................................1

1.2. Problem statement.............................................................................................................3

1.3. Objective...........................................................................................................................4

1.3.1. General objective.......................................................................................................4

1.3.2. Specific objective.......................................................................................................4

1.4. Scope.................................................................................................................................4

1.5. Significance of the project................................................................................................4

CHAPTER TWO.............................................................................................................................6

LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................6

2.1. Types of Vapor Absorption Chillers.....................................................................................8

2.1.1. Single Effect Absorption Chillers..................................................................................8

2.1.2 Double Effect Absorption Systems..............................................................................10

2.2 Working Fluids....................................................................................................................12

2.3 Performance Comparison of Single and Double Effect Absorption System.......................14

2.4 Effects of intermittent and continuous refrigeration............................................................14

 2.5 Solar technology overview..................................................................................................16

2.5.1 Photovoltaic..................................................................................................................17

2.5.2 Concentrated solar power.............................................................................................17

2.6 Literature Review Summary................................................................................................17

CHAPTER THREE.......................................................................................................................19

METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................................19

CHAPTER FOUR.........................................................................................................................21

THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS...............................................................................................21

4.1 Mass and energy balance at the condenser..........................................................................22

4.2 Mass and energy balance at the generator...........................................................................23

4.3 Mass and energy balance at the evaporator.........................................................................23

4.4 Mass and energy balance at the absorber............................................................................24

4.5 Mass and energy balance at the throttle valve.....................................................................24

4.6 Mass and energy balance at the heat exchanger..................................................................24

4.7 Mass and energy balance at the pump.................................................................................25

4.7 MATLAB thermodynamics analysis and simulation..........................................................25

CHAPTER FIVE...........................................................................................................................38

DESIGN OF VARS ELEMENT...................................................................................................38

5.1 Solar System Design............................................................................................................38

5.1.1 Inverter..........................................................................................................................39

5.1.2 Battery...........................................................................................................................39

5.1.3 Solar Data Assessment of the Region...........................................................................40

5.2 Frame sizing.........................................................................................................................40

5.3 Condenser design.................................................................................................................40

5.3.1 Condensers....................................................................................................................40
 5.4 Evaporator design................................................................................................................43

5.5 Regenerator design..............................................................................................................44

5.5.1 Tubular Heat Exchangers.............................................................................................45

5.5.2 Plate Heat Exchangers.................................................................................................45

5.6 Generator selection..............................................................................................................49

5.7 Chemical Pump and motor selection...................................................................................49

5.8 Capillary tube selection.......................................................................................................49

5.9 Absorber selection...............................................................................................................50

5.10 Design result and discussion..............................................................................................51

CHAPTER SIX..............................................................................................................................52

SIMULATION RESULT AND DISCUSSION............................................................................52

6.1 ANSYS output for evaporator.............................................................................................52

6.2 ANSYS result of regenerator...............................................................................................55

CHAPTER SEVEN.......................................................................................................................59

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION............................................................................59

7.1 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................59

7.2 Recommendation.................................................................................................................59

REFERENCE................................................................................................................................60

APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................62

LIST OF FIGURE
Figure 1. 1 Schematic diagram of working principle of VARS .....................................................3
YFigure2.1Einstein refrigerator
diagram……………………………………………………………7
Figure 2. 2 Single effect absorption chiller ....................................................................................8
Figure 2. 3 Double effect absorption chiller .................................................................................11
YFigure 3. 1 work structure diagram of the
project………………………………………………..20
YFigure 4. 1 schematic diagram for
VARS………………………………………………………..22
Figure4. 2 Variation of pump load with evaporator temperature..................................................26
Figure4. 3 Variation of condenser load with evaporator temperature...........................................26
Figure4. 4 Variation of absorber load with evaporator temperature.............................................27
Figure4. 5 Variation of generator load with evaporator and condenser temperature....................28
Figure4. 6 Variation of COP with evaporator and condenser temperature...................................28
Figure4. 7 Variation of generator load with evaporator and condenser temperature....................29
Figure4. 8 Variation of COP with evaporator and condenser temperature...................................30
Figure4. 9 Variation of generator load with evaporator and condenser temperature....................30
Figure4. 10 Variation of COP with evaporator and condenser temperature.................................31
Figure4. 11 Variation of absorber pressure with evaporator temperature.....................................32
Figure4. 12 Variation of generator pressure with condenser temperature.....................................32
Figure4. 13 Variation of absorber temperature with evaporator temperature...............................33
Figure4. 14 Variation of generator load with evaporator and condenser temperature..................33
Figure4. 15 Variation of COP with evaporator and condenser temperature.................................34
Figure4. 16 Variation of COP with absorber and generator temperature at 30°C condenser
temperature ...................................................................................................................................36
Figure4. 17 Variation of COP with absorber and generator temperature at 40°C condenser
temperature ...................................................................................................................................36
Figure4. 18 Variation of COP with absorber and generator temperature at 50°C condenser
temperature ...................................................................................................................................37
YFigure 6. 1 aspect ratio figure 6. 2 mesh quality……… ………………
52
Figure 6. 3 absolute pressure distribution for evaporator……………………………………….. 53
Figure 6. 4 Reynolds number for evaporator……………………………………………………53
Figure 6. 5 mass transfer rate for evaporator……………………………………………………. 54
Figure 6. 6 iteration for regenerator……………………………………………………………...55
Figure 6. 7 velocity contour for tube side fluid…………………………………………………. 55
Figure 6. 8 velocity contour for shell side fluid………………………………………………….56
Figure 6.9 pressure contour for tube side fluid…………………………………………………..56
Figure 6. 10 pressure contour for shell side fluid……………………………………………….. 57
Figure 6. 11 density contour for shell side……………………………………………………….57
Figure 6. 12 density contour for tube side fluid………………………………………………….58
 LIST OF TABLE
YTable4. 1Thermodynamics properties and flow rates of the system at state point.....................35
Table4. 2 Energy at different device of the system.......................................................................35
YTable 5. 1 properties of aqua ammonia solution…………………………………………………
45
Table 5. 2 Capillary tube sizing.....................................................................................................50
 LIST OF SYMBOLS, NOTATIONS AND ABBREVATIONS
Symbol Description unit
Nomenclature
∆P Pressure drop pa
A area m2
Cp Specific heat capacity kj/ kg . k
hfg Enthalpy of vaporization kj/ kg
hi Convective heat transfer coefficient for inner side w /m 2 ℃
ho Convective heat transfer coefficient for outer side w /m2 ℃
K resistance coefficient unit less
Kwh Kilowatt hour kwh
LMTD logarithmic temperature difference ℃
mref Mass flow rate of refrigerant kg /sec
ms Mass flow rate of strong solution kg /sec
mw Mass flow rate of weak solution kg /sec
n Experimental constant that depends on the fluid unit less
Nu Nusselt number unit less
Pr Prandtl number of liquid unit less
Pwet wetted perimeter m
Qa Absorber load kw
Qc Condenser load kw
Qe Evaporator load kw
Qg Generator load kw
qnuc Boiling heat flux kw /m 2
Re Reynolds number unit less
Ts Surface temperature ℃
Tsat Saturation temperature ℃
U overall heat transfer coefficient w /m 2 ℃
Greek symbols
ρl =¿Density of liquid

ρ v =¿Density of vapor

σ =¿Surface tension for vapor liquid interface

μl=¿Viscocity of the liquid

Abbreviation
AC=alternating current
Ah=Ampere hour
Atm=atmosphere
COP=coefficient of performance
CSP=concentrated solar power
DAR=diffusion absorption refrigeration
DC=direct current
GAX=generator absorber heat exchanger
PV=photovoltaic
VA=vapor absorption
VAM=vapor absorption machine
VARS=vapor absorption refrigeration system
VCRS=vapor compression refrigeration system
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background

The project is about designing and analysis of a refrigeration system which is applicable in areas
where electricity is unavailable or abundant energy is available. Refrigeration has had a large
impact on industry, lifestyle, agriculture, and settlement patterns serving many applications,
including household refrigerators, industrial freezer, cryogenics, and air conditioning.
Refrigeration system is the combination of different components and processes to provide
refrigeration effect. Refrigeration effect is the absorption of heat energy from a product by a cold
refrigerant passing in the evaporator. There are two main types of refrigerant systems. The first
one is Vapor Compression Refrigeration System (VCRS). This system works based on four main
components (evaporator, compressor, condenser and throttling device.) in the VCRS system
refrigerant is compressed at high temperature and pressure; condensed in a condenser and
evaporates at low temperature there by providing cooling effect. The use of compressor makes
the VCRS more energy extensive and it is mostly suitable for industrial refrigeration systems.
Vapor Absorption Refrigeration System (VARS) is the other type of refrigeration which uses
pump instead of compressor. It is the advantage of VARS that it is driven by solar energy and the
pump requires less power to run the system. In this system, the compressor unit is replaced by an
absorber-generator solution circuit. The circuit main components are (absorber, solution liquid
pump, heat exchanger, generator and throttle valve.). These parts perform different functions
with controlled integration to give desired refrigeration effect.
1) Evaporator: it is the main part of refrigerators where cooling of the product comes in
effect. Low pressure and temperature refrigerant enters the evaporator and produces the
cooling effect. In VCRS the refrigerant leaving the evaporator is sucked by the
compressor but in VARS the refrigerant flows to the absorber that acts as a suction part
of the cycle.
2) Absorber: it is a vessel consisting of water that acts as absorbent and it also consists of
previously absorbed refrigerant (ammonia). But since the ammonia is continuously
 evaporated in the generator the concentration is weak. It is a common property that
ammonia is absorbed by water and the process is exothermic. The liberated heat must be
removed since hot water does not absorb ammonia as it is in cold state. Therefore an
external cooling water or air is required to take the heat way. Note here that the vapor
pressure of absorber must be lower than the evaporator pressure to sustain the flow.
3) Pump: pump is used to increase the pressure of aqua-ammonia solution through its way to
the generator.
4) Generator: the strong aqua-ammonia solution is heated by external source of heat that
could be obtained from solar energy or other process waste heat. The temperature of the
solution rises due to heating; this time, the refrigerant evaporates and leaves the solution
at high temperature and pressure.
5) Rectifier: rectifier is used to separate water vapor that left with vapor ammonia since the
presence of water drop affects the performance of the refrigerant and also degrades
materials. Rectifier filters out water in the form of condensate along with some ammonia
particles.
6) Regenerator: filtered out and weak solution goes back to the absorber via generator. But
the solution is hot and capable of pre-heating the strong solution that rises to the
generator. Regenerator is a heat exchanger used to recover energy from weak solution
and it also reduces cooling load in the absorber.
7) Condenser: After the generator via rectifier, the high temperature and pressure almost
pure ammonia vapor passes to the condenser. Condenser is a heat exchanger which
dissipates the heat to the environment. It can be water cooled or air cooled.
8) Expansion valve: expansion valve reduces the pressure of the refrigerant when it passes
through restriction. By the rule of thumb, temperature decreases as pressure does which
makes the refrigerant ready to cool or even freeze.
 Figure 1. Schematic diagram of working principle of VARS[CITATION cen1 \l 1033 ]

1.2. Problem statement

Electricity is not evenly distributed or could not be easily accessed in developing countries like
Ethiopia. Due to this, accessing air conditioning and refrigeration system is not guaranteed to the
county-side and off-grid areas. Hot regions like afar needs refrigeration system. In hot areas,
food deteriorates faster and the need for cold water is significant, so we provide a system design
that can keep food safe and fresh and it also gives cold drinking water. In addition to this it can
be used in hospitals. Despite the lack of electricity, Vapor Absorption Refrigeration System
(VARS) overcomes this problem since it uses renewable energy and other waste energies. It is
known that in hot areas solar energy is abundant; hence using VARS would give us a double fold
utility. Our project addresses this problem since it can work without electricity supply from the
main grid. Because it uses solar panels to convert energy needed for the system to run.
Therefore; off-grid areas and even towns with frequent power blackout can be beneficiaries of
this project.
1.3. Objective

1.3.1. General objective

The general objective of the project is to design, analyze and simulate the vapor absorption
refrigeration system which uses solar power to solve problems of hot regional residence.

1.3.2. Specific objective

 Thermodynamic analysis and simulation of VARS with MATLAB

 Design of the system
 ANSYS Simulation of evaporator and regenerator to show the variation of
thermodynamic parameters.

1.4. Scope

The main focus of this project is to design VARS that uses solar energy instead of electricity.
The project is delimited by specific geographic location. The location is Afar, Asayta because we
used data from NASA Power for this specific location. But the VARS system can apply
anywhere if waste energy is available by changing only our solar system design. The extent of
the project would extend up to Simulation of some VARS element and it does not include
prototype or any further experiment. The scope encompasses using MATLAB to numerically
compute optimum working parameters like load, pressure and temperature by using some design
parameters as an input. Based on the load obtained from MATLAB output, the elements of the
system are designed. Solar system is designed based on the load required to run generator and
pump. Battery is selected to enable the system work continuously for 12hrs. Another task in the
scope is to show the design results in evaporator and regenerator and then the project will be
presented.

1.5. Significance of the project

Upon completing this project, there would be substantial advantages:

▪ The project helps us (students who are in charge of doing this project) to apply and
internalize courses that we have been taking for years of study. The application of design
 procedure and analytical principles would enable us to experience solving real
engineering problems and serve as a prior knowledge for future engagement.
▪ The project would serve as applicable guidance and reference for those who want to do
research and project in this sector.
▪ The system design can be used in real household application to provide refrigeration
effect.
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW
An absorption refrigerator is a refrigerator that uses a heat source (e.g., solar energy, a fossil-
fueled flame, waste heat from factories, or district heating systems) to provide the energy needed
to drive the cooling process. The system uses two coolants, the first of which
performs evaporative cooling and is then absorbed into the second coolant; heat is needed to
reset the two coolants to their initial states. Absorption refrigerators were commonly used
in recreational vehicles (RVs), campers, and caravans because they can be powered with propane
fuel, rather than electricity. Unlike more common vapor-compression refrigeration systems, an
absorption refrigerator can be produced with no moving parts other than the coolants.
In the early years of the 20th century, the vapor absorption cycle using water-ammonia systems
was popular and widely used, but after the development of the vapor compression cycle it lost
much of its importance because of its low coefficient of performance (about one fifth of that of
the vapor compression cycle). But absorption refrigerators are a popular alternative to regular
compressor refrigerators where electricity is unreliable, costly, or unavailable, where noise from
the compressor is problematic, or where surplus heat is available (e.g., from turbine exhausts or
industrial processes, or from solar plants).
Absorption cooling was invented by the French scientist Ferdinand Carre in 1858. The original
design used water and sulfuric acid. In 1922 Baltzar von Platen and Carl Munters, while they
were still students at the Royal Institute of technology in Stockholm, Sweden, enhanced the
principle with a three fluid configuration. This design can operate without a pump.
Commercial production began in 1923 by the newly formed company AB Arctic, which was
bought by Electrolux in 1925. In the 1960s, absorption refrigeration saw a renaissance due to the
substantial demand for refrigerators for caravans. AB Electrolux established a subsidiary in the
United States, named Domestic Sales Corporation. The company marketed refrigerators for
recreational vehicles under the Domestic brand. In 2001, Electrolux sold most of its leisure
products line to the venture capital company EQT which created Domestic as a standalone
company.
In 1926, Albert Einstein and his former student Leo Szilard proposed an alternative design
known as the Einstein refrigerator. The Einstein Szilard refrigerator is an absorption refrigerator
which has no moving parts, operates at constant pressure and requires only a heat source to
operate. It was jointly invented in 1926 by Albert Einstein and his former student Leo Szilard
who patented it in the US on November 11, 1930. Water, ammonia and butane are the three
working fluids used in Einstein refrigerator.

Figure2. Einstein refrigerator diagram[ CITATION 21de \l 1033 ]

In 2008, electrical engineers at Oxford University’s energy and power group, part of the
university’s department of engineering science, revived the Einstein refrigerator as an attempt to
produce a no electricity refrigerator suitable for use in rural areas. The group led by Malcolm
McCulloch noted that the design was still far from being commercialized. But it might allow the
efficiency of the original Einstein-Szilard design to be quadrupled.
In 2007 a prototype of a commercial refrigeration device intended for use as a vaccine cooler
was shown by Adam Grosser at a TED talk the prototype operates at constant pressure, requiring
exposure to a cooking fire to activate it. Once heated the prototype would serve as a refrigerator
for 24 hours. As of 2020 Grosser’s prototype has not yet been put into commercial production.
At the 2007 TED conference, Adam Grosser presented his research of a new very small
intermittent absorption vaccine refrigeration unit for use in third world countries. The
refrigerator is a small unit placed over a campfire that can later be used to cool 15liters of water
to just 3℃ above freezing for 24 hours in a 30℃ environment.

2.1. Types of Vapor Absorption Chillers

 Single effect absorption chiller

 Double effect absorption chiller

2.1.1. Single Effect Absorption Chillers

Figure2. Single effect absorption chiller[ CITATION ram17 \l 1033 ]

The single-effect absorption chiller includes a single generator, condenser, evaporator, absorber,
heat exchanger, and pumps. Fig.2.2 shows a Single Effect Chiller. Physically in a single effect
VA chiller, the evaporator and absorber are contained inside the same shell, allowing refrigerant
vapors generated in the evaporator to migrate continuously to the absorber. Also the condenser
and generator are in same shell. The basic absorption cycle as discussed earlier may be modified
in several ways to reduce the heat required to operate the chiller and to reduce the extent of heat
transfer surface incorporated in the machine. One is to utilize all possible opportunities for heat
recovery within the cycle in order to improve the heat economy within the cycle. For example, a
heat exchanger is placed to recover some of heat from the concentrated hot lithium bromide
solution going from the generator to the absorber to heat the dilute cold lithium bromide solution
going from the absorber to the generator. Heat exchangers optimize the energy transfer between
the hot, concentrated lithium bromide that is recycling and the cooler, dilute sorbent solution that
is yet to be boiled. Also the modifications are possible in cooling circuit; for example, the
cooling water is arranged in series i.e. made to pass through absorber first followed by
condenser. Some absorption chiller designs split the cooling water and deliver it directly to both
the absorber and the condenser. A typical single effect system use low pressure steam. Some
modifications have been done on single effect vapor absorption systems. These are:

2.1.1.1 Diffusion absorption refrigeration system (DAR)

The Diffusion Absorption Refrigerator (DAR) patented by Platen and Munters (1928) uses
ammonia as refrigerant, water as absorbent and a non-absorbable auxiliary gas in order to
reduce the partial pressure of the refrigerant in the evaporator and the absorber and to allow the
evaporation and the absorption processes to take place. The DAR has no moving parts, it is
reliable and no particular manufacturing technologies have to be used. The DAR can operate
either with an electrical connection or supplied by a natural gas burner. The main disadvantage is
its low efficiency: COP, defined as the ratio between the cooling power removed at the
evaporator and the heat power supplied to the generator, generally do not outperform 0.3. This is
due to the presence of the auxiliary gas inside the evaporator reduces the refrigerant mass flow
rate evaporating and thus the cooling capacity. Zohar et al. proposed a complex thermodynamic
model and found the maximum COP when the ammonia concentrations in strong and weak
mixtures were respectively 0.25 - 0.5 and 0.1. The assumption was that the vapor leaving the
rectifier is pure ammonia and no traces of water were present. This is rarely true, due to the not
full efficiency of the rectifier in the process of separating the water from the ammonia. In
addition, it must be pointed out that the temperature of the saturated liquid mixture strongly
depends on ammonia concentration. For instance, at 25 bar a reduction from 1.00 to 0.98 of the
ammonia molar concentration in the liquid mixture causes an increase of the liquid saturation
temperature from 331.10 to 332.13 K, higher temperatures at the condenser and a DAR
coefficient of performance (COP) decrease[ CITATION Zoh05 \l 1033 ]. In their previous work,
Starace and De Pascalis(2012) provided a thermodynamic model of the DAR cycle with no pure
ammonia as refrigerant assumptions and taking into account the thermal pump heat losses
towards the ambient[ CITATION Sta12 \l 1033 ]. This model resulted in a more flexible and
more realistic thermodynamic simulation of the cycle as well as in a better description of the real
operation of the cycle than that of Zohar et al.

2.1.1.2 Absorption refrigeration cycle with an absorber-heat-recovery

The use of a solution heat exchanger improves the system COP. Rich-refrigerant solution from
the absorber can be preheated before entering the generator by transferring heat from hot solution
coming from the generator. By introducing an absorber-heat-recovery, temperature of the rich-
refrigerant solution can be further increased.
Similar to the GAX (Generator Absorber heat exchanger) system, the absorber is divided into
two sections. Heat is rejected out at a different temperature. The lower temperature section
rejects heat out to the surroundings as usual. This system was studied theoretically by using
various working fluids; water/NH3 and LiNO3/NH3. The cycle with an absorber-heat-recovery
was found to have 10% improvement in COP[ CITATION Aro \l 1033 ].

2.1.2 Double Effect Absorption Systems

A double-effect chiller is very similar to the single-effect chiller, except that it contains an
additional generator. In a single-effect absorption chiller, the heat released during the chemical
process of absorbing refrigerant vapor into the liquid stream, rich in absorbent, is rejected to the
cooling water. In a multiple-effect absorption chiller, some of this energy is used as the driving
force to generate more refrigerant vapor. The more vapor generated per unit of heat or fuel input,
the greater the cooling capacity and the higher the overall operating efficiency.
 Figure2. Double effect absorption chiller[ CITATION ram17 \l 1033 ]
In the high-temperature generator, very high temperature steam or hot water flows through tubes
that are immersed in an absorbent solution that is at an intermediate concentration. The solution
absorbs heat from the warmer steam or water, causing the refrigerant to boil and separate from
the absorbent solution. As the refrigerant boils away, the absorbent solution becomes
concentrated and returns to the absorber. The hot refrigerant vapor produced in the high-
temperature generator migrates to the low-temperature generator, where it flows through tubes
that are immersed in a dilute solution. The solution absorbs heat from the high temperature
refrigerant vapor, causing the refrigerant in the low-temperature generator to boil and separate
from the absorbent solution. As that refrigerant boils, the concentration of the absorbent solution
increases and the concentrated solution returns to the absorber. The low-temperature refrigerant
vapor produced in the low-temperature generator migrates to the cooler condenser. Additionally,
the liquid refrigerant that condensed inside the tubes of the low-temperature generator also flows
into the condenser. Next, the refrigerant travels through the condenser, expansion device,
evaporator and absorber in a manner similar to refrigerant travel in the single effect absorption
chiller.
Double-effect systems can be configured either in series or parallel flow. The difference between
the two systems is the fluid path taken by the solution through the generators.
2.1.2.1 Series flow cycle

In the series flow cycle, the dilute solution from the absorber is pumped entirely to the high-
temperature generator. As the refrigerant boils away and migrates to the low-temperature
generator, the absorbent solution becomes concentrated. The resulting intermediate solution then
flows to the low temperature generator, where it is further concentrated by the refrigerant vapor
that was created in the high temperature generator. The concentrated solution then flows back to
the absorber to repeat the cycle. The series flow cycle has been the mainstay of most double-
effect absorption chiller designs for many years. It is simple because it requires only one
generator pump and is fairly straightforward to control. The series cycle, however, requires a
significantly larger heat exchanger to obtain similar COP to the other cycles.

2.1.2.2 Parallel flow cycle

In the parallel flow cycle, the dilute solution from the absorber is split between the low-
temperature and high-temperature generators. Both streams of dilute solution are concentrated in
the generators and mix together again before returning to the absorber. The parallel flow cycle
can be implemented using one generator pump, if a throttling device is used to control the flow
of solution to the low-temperature generator. Separate generator pumps should be used for
control over the full range of operating conditions.

2.2 Working Fluids

According to the open literature, several working mixtures have been suggested for use in
absorption systems but due to problems such as high cost, reduced miscibility limits, high
corrosion, explosiveness, toxicity, environmental hazards, poor transport properties and
chemically instability, most of them have been discarded. Moreover, the working mixtures
ammonia/water (NH3/H2O) and water/lithium bromide (H2O/LiBr) have proved to have better
characteristics and nowadays are the most widely used pairs on the absorption cooling/
heating systems market. The NH3/H2O absorption system is mainly used for refrigeration
applications (< 0 °C) due to the very low ammonia freezing point (-77 °C at 1 atm). Ammonia as
refrigerant provides outstanding thermodynamic and thermos physical properties. Besides,
ammonia is environmentally friendly and any possible emissions will not contribute to global
warming. Furthermore, the use of plate heat exchangers or advanced surfaces heat exchangers
and the great potential of ammonia for use in low charge systems allow reducing the impact of
its toxicity[CITATION Pea121 \l 1033 ]. Use of the NH3/H2O mixture allows the absorption
system to operate at high heat dissipation temperatures, so the system can be air cooled and the
use of humid cooling towers can be eliminated. However, NH3/H2O systems require high
activation temperatures to keep the refrigerant cooling capacity at the desired low evaporation
temperatures. Furthermore, NH3 and H2O are volatile at the conditions of interest thus making
the use of an extra component necessary. This is to rectify the vapor leaving the generator to
ensure its high concentration in ammonia which prevents water accumulating in the condenser
and evaporator. When rectifier is used during reducing the evaporation temperature and
increasing the generation temperature, the performance of the cycle with NH 3/H2O significantly
decreases. Another important aspect of the NH3/H2O system and the predominant reason why the
double-effect absorption systems working with NH3/H2O are not commercially available at the
moment is the high pressure reached in the generator. Although other disadvantages of the
NH3/H2O system include toxicity and incompatibility with copper-based metals, this mixture is
environmentally friendly and has a low cost. Thermodynamic properties and their correlations
for the NH3/H2O mixture can be found in the open literature at a wide range of solution
concentrations and temperatures. The effects of different nanoparticles and high temperature on
viscosity, thermal conductivity and absorbance of NH3/ H2O have also been reported
lastly[ CITATION Jia171 \l 1033 ].
With regard to H2O/LiBr absorption systems, they appeared on the market some years later than
the NH3/H2O ones, in response to the low performance of NH3/H2O systems for air-conditioning
applications. The performance of H2O/LiBr systems at lower activation temperatures is better
than NH3/H2O systems, which make H2O/LiBr systems more suitable for solar cooling. Besides,
the fact that LiBr is a salt (non-volatile) with a great affinity for water allows for the system to be
operated without the need of a refrigerant vapor rectifier. Moreover, H 2O/ LiBr systems are only
used for air-conditioning applications (> 0 °C) due to the water (the refrigerant) freezing point is
0 °C at 1 atm. Use of water as refrigerant also implies that the evaporator and absorber must be
operated under vacuum conditions, which results in high vapor specific volumes and
consequently in bigger components.
The main problems of using the LiBr based absorption systems are, the solution crystallization
that takes place at high salt concentrations in the absorber, the high corrosion of some metals and
the high cost of the salt. The crystallization limits for H2O/LiBr are close to the operating
concentrations required for H2O/LiBr absorption chillers. This has made it difficult to change
from air-cooled H2O/LiBr prototypes to what may be highly attractive commercial systems.
Based on the above reasons, the use of humid cooling towers for heat dissipation is required and
this involves an increase in the cost of the whole system. In the case of small capacity H2O/LiBr
systems, cooling towers are not suitable because of the cooling tower maintenance requirements.
Thermodynamic properties and their correlations for the H 2O/LiBr working fluid are available in
a wide range of compositions.

2.3 Performance Comparison of Single and Double Effect Absorption System

Single effect units typically have a COP of 0.6 to 0.75 while Double effect units typically have
COP of 1.0 to 1.2. Double effect absorption chiller has greater COP but it requires high grade
thermal energy. The performance of a double-effect absorption chiller mainly depends on the
choice of operating conditions, the amount of heat transfer surface area, the effectiveness of the
purge system, the materials of construction, the design of the controls, and the manufacturing
techniques[ CITATION Aro \l 1033 ].

Efficiency of Vapor Absorption Machine (VAM): Efficiencies of absorption chillers is described

in terms of Coefficient of Performance (COP), and is defined as the refrigeration effect, in Btu,
divided by the net heat input, in Btu.
cooling capacity at the evaporator
COP=
heat input at the generator
The COP can be thought of as a sort of index of the efficiency of the machine. The absorption
systems with a COP of 1.0 will burn 12,000 BTUs of heat energy for each ton-hour of cooling.
For example, a 500-ton absorption chiller operating at a COP of 0.70 would require: (500 x
12,000 Btu/h) divided by 0.70 = 8,571,429 Btu/h heat input. Cooling capacity is measured in
tons of refrigeration. A ton of refrigeration is defined as the capacity to remove heat at a rate of
12,000 Btu/hr at the evaporator.
2.4 Effects of intermittent and continuous refrigeration

Many experimental and theoretical investigations on the intermittent solar absorption

refrigeration systems have been reported in the literature. For instance, Said et al studied the
alternative designs for a 24-h operating solar powered absorption refrigeration system. The
alternatives included continuous operating systems with refrigerant, cold and heat storages as
well as the intermittent system with cold storage. Their analysis indicated that continuously
operating system with refrigerant storage was the most suitable alternative design for an
uninterrupted supply of cooling effect[ CITATION Sai121 \l 1033 ]. Moreno-Quintanar et al
developed a solar powered intermittent absorption refrigeration system producing 8kg ice per
day at 80C using ammonia/lithium-nitrate (NH3/ LiNO3) and ammonia/lithium-nitrate/water
(NH3/LiNO3/H2O) mixtures. Their results indicate that with the ternary mixture the coefficient of
performance achieved is 24%higher than those obtained with the binary mixture[CITATION
Riv031 \l 1033 ]. Rivera et al presented a novel solar intermittent refrigeration system for ice
production operating with the ammonia/lithium nitrate mixture. Their system achieved the
evaporator temperatures as low as 11oC with coefficient of performance up to 0.08[ CITATION
Riv11 \l 1033 ]. Chidambaram et al reviewed research articles in the field of solar cooling
techniques, solar collectors, storage methods and their integration, along with performance
improvement studies using thermal stratification and cascaded thermal storage
systems[ CITATION Chi111 \l 1033 ]. Tangka and Kamnan designed, fabricated and tested a
simple solar energy powered aqua-ammonia intermittent absorption refrigeration system. The
coefficient of performance (COP) of the system was estimated to be 0.487 at the refrigeration
temperature of 4°C. Rasul and Murphy performed an experimental analysis of NH3/CaCl2
solutions for intermittent solar absorption refrigeration. The COP of the system was found to be
0.26 because ammonia is found to have less affinity towards CaCl2 compared to water. Thus
higher absorption area is required which resulted in low COP for their system[ CITATION
Ras061 \l 1033 ].
El-Ghalban designed and constructed a prototype for an intermittent absorption refrigeration
system to examine its operating characteristics. Their results indicated that a COP of 19% which
was 2% less than their designed value[ CITATION ElG02 \l 1033 ]. El-Shaarawi and Ramadan
manufactured and tested an experimental intermittent solar refrigerator using aqua-ammonia in
the Egyptian climate. It was found difficult to prevent water from being transferred into
condenser. It was suggested that the rectifier needs to be re-designed for efficient performance in
refrigeration applications. El-Shaarawi and Ramadan also investigated the effect of varying the
condensing temperature on the performance of an intermittent solar refrigerator using water
ammonia solutions. It was found that for certain specified initial temperature and solution
concentration and a given maximum generator temperature, decreasing the condensing
temperature causes an increase in the COP of the cycle. However, for every condensing
temperature, there is an optimum maximum generator temperature beyond which the COP
decreases gradually[CITATION ElS871 \l 1033 ].

2.5 Solar technology overview

Solar energy is electromagnetic radiation in the form of light and heat that is harnessed using a
range of ever-evolving technologies such as solar heater, photovoltaic or solar thermal
concentrator. Sun is an important source of renewable energy and Geography affects solar
energy potential because areas that are closer to the equator have a greater amount of solar
radiation. However, the use of photovoltaics that can follow the position of the Sun can
significantly increase the solar energy potential in areas that are farther from the equator. Time
variation affects the potential of solar energy because during the nighttime there is little solar
radiation on the surface of the Earth for solar panels to absorb. This limits the amount of energy
that solar panels can absorb in one day. Cloud cover can affect the potential of solar panels
because clouds block incoming light from the Sun and reduce the light available for solar cells.

In addition, land availability has a large effect on the available solar energy because solar panels
can only be set up on land that is otherwise unused and suitable for solar panels. Roofs have been
found to be a suitable place for solar cells, as many people have discovered that they can collect
energy directly from their homes this way. Other areas that are suitable for solar cells are lands
that are not being used for businesses where solar plants can be established. Solar power is the
conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly
using concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems
to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. PV converts light into electric current using
the photoelectric effect.

Solar power is anticipated to become the world's largest source of electricity by 2050, with solar
photovoltaics and concentrated solar power contributing 16 and 11 percent to the global overall
consumption, respectively. In 2016, after another year of rapid growth, solar generated 1.3% of
global power.

Commercial concentrated solar power plants were first developed in the 1980s. The 392
MW Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, in the Mojave Desert of California, is the largest solar power
plant in the world. Solar projects exceeding 1 GW are being developed, but most of the
deployed photovoltaics are in small rooftop arrays of less than 5 kW, which are connected to the
grid using net metering and/or a feed-in tariff.

2.5.1 Photovoltaic

In the last two decades, photovoltaic (PV), also known as solar PV, has evolved from a pure
niche market of small scale applications towards becoming a mainstream electricity source.
A solar cell is a device that converts light directly into electricity using the photoelectric effect.
The first solar cell was constructed by Charles Fritts in the 1880s. In 1931 a German engineer,
Dr Bruno Lange, developed a photo cell using silver selenide in place of copper oxide. Although
the prototype selenium cells converted less than 1% of incident light into electricity, both Ernst
Werner von Siemens and James Clerk Maxwell recognized the importance of this
discovery. Following the work of Russell Ohl in the 1940s, researchers Gerald Pearson, Calvin
Fuller and Daryl Chapin created the crystalline silicon solar cell in 1954. These early solar cells
cost 286 USD/watt and reached efficiencies of 4.5–6%. By 2012 available efficiencies exceeded
20%, and the maximum efficiency of research photovoltaic was in excess of 40%.

2.5.2 Concentrated solar power

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a
large area of sunlight into a small beam. The concentrated heat is then used as a heat source for a
conventional power plant. A wide range of concentrating technologies exists; the most developed
are the parabolic trough, the concentrating linear fresnel reflector, the Stirling dish and the solar
power tower. Various techniques are used to track the Sun and focus light. In all of these systems
a working fluid is heated by the concentrated sunlight, and is then used for power generation or
energy storage.
2.6 Literature Review Summary

Different literatures show the early significance of VARS and its development through time.
Using aqua ammonia solution for the cycle was popular and efficient in terms of heat transfer.
Ammonia as a refrigerant provides excellent thermodynamics and thermo physical properties,
besides; ammonia is environmental friendly and zero contribution to global warming. Lithium
Bromide water solution was also used for cooling system that works above 0 oC. Triple
refrigerants were also used by refrigerators like Einstein refrigerator which found to be complex
and less efficient. By comparing and analyzing our system from the literature we select Aqua
ammonia refrigerant. The literature also shows VARS can be employed not only in refrigerators
but in chillers as well and double effect chillers are more efficient than single effect. Zohar et al.
proposed a complex thermodynamic model and found the maximum COP when the ammonia
concentrations in strong and weak mixtures were respectively 0.25 - 0.5 and 0.1. From this, we
take our system to work on ammonia concentration of 0.5 in the weak mixture and 0.1 in strong
solution. For solar system the solar panel is appropriate than solar collector in order to get a
double fold application for generator and pump.
 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY
⮚ First assess solar potential of Afar; data like mean monthly temperature and solar
irradiance is obtained from NASA POWER world data archive by using latitude and
longitude input. Moving average method is used to forecast the future data.
⮚ The thermodynamic analysis is modeled by MATLAB and the right combination of
parameters is selected for optimum performance.
⮚ Different combination of state properties like temperature of generator, condenser,
evaporator and other elements with best value of COP will be defined from MATLAB
result.
⮚ Solar system design is carried out based on the energy needed to run the system
⮚ Selection of each component is made based on the analysis.
⮚ By using ANSYS package software simulation of some parts like evaporator and heat
exchanger would be carried out. In this section the evaporator is simulated with ANSYS
fluent and multiphase model. The regenerator is simulated with ANSYS fluent
Observation and data collection
Modeling of thermodynamic system by MATLAB
Selection of reasonable working parameters
Design and selection of VARS element
Assembly
Design of solar system
cost analysis
ANSYS simulation

Result and conclusion

Figure 3. work structure diagram of the project

 CHAPTER FOUR

THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS
The following assumptions are made in the thermodynamic analysis of VARS:  
 The pressure drop through the heat exchangers and their connecting pipes is negligible.
 The ammonia mass concentration of the aqua ammonia solution remains uniform inside
the generator and absorber.

 The pressure difference between generator and condenser is negligible. 

 The pressure difference between absorber and evaporator is negligible.
 The refrigerant expansion/flashing processes are adiabatic.
 Perfect rectification of generated aqua-ammonia vapors take place inside the rectifier.
 The refrigerant condenses as saturated liquid inside the condenser.
 There are no leaks in the piping or other components of the system.
The thermodynamic process with state points is expressed on the figure 4.1
From the figure below, the system is worked as the absorber absorbs the vapor ammonia and it
becomes strong solution. The solution is pumped to the generator passing through the heat
exchanger. The generator separate the solution and vapor section flows to the condenser and the
weak solution return back to the absorber by transferring heat to the strong solution through the
heat exchanger. The vapor ammonia condensed and flow to the evaporator passing through the
throttle valve.