Presentation for Final M.

Tech Dissertation on
Design and analysis of solar
air-conditioner using parabolic dish concentrator

Presented by: Under the guidance of:

Ghazi Mohd. Masood Dr. Onkar Singh
.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering

Harcourt Butler Technical University Kanpur
2020-2021
 Contents

 Objective

 Introduction

 Literature survey

 Schematic diagram

 Thermodynamic modelling

 Results

 Conclusions and future scope

 Publications

 References
 Objective

• To study the potential of solar energy.

• Thermodynamic modelling based on 1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics
for carrying out computer simulation to analyse and identify the
sources of inefficiency for improving the overall performance of the
cooling arrangements.
• Design and analysis of solar assisted air-conditioning system.
 Introduction

• Increasing demand of energy day by day.

• Inefficient conversion of fossil fuel by conventional conversion technology was

leading to global warming and green house gases.

• India’s current solar power installed capacity is around 3 GW, or less than 0.5% of
the estimated potential.

• Air conditioning system can be operated on solar and can be used in non-
electrified areas.

• Indian Air Conditioner Market revenues are projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.2%
during 2018- 2024.

• Solar air conditioning might play an increasing role in minimizing the consumption
of grid power.

*CAGR=Constant average growth rate

 Continued..

Refrigerant-absorbent systems:

At low temperatures, the combination of absorbent and refrigerant materials is

highly soluble and readily separated at high temperatures. In vapour absorption
cooling systems, this characteristic of refrigerant and absorbent materials is utilized
to form the thermodynamic cycle.

Condition for boiling point

There must be a significant difference in the usual boiling points of the two
substances, at least 200°C, between their normal boiling points.

The two most frequently encountered absorbent and refrigerant pairs are:
Solution Refrigerant Absorbent
NH3 + H2O NH3 H2O
LiBr2 + H2O H2O LiBr2
 Continued..
Vapour absorption cooling cycle

•Evaporation
The refrigerant is evaporated at a low
pressure and low temperature in the
evaporator.
 
•Absorption
The gaseous refrigerant is absorbed by
another liquid (e.g. a salt solution).
 
•Regeneration
The charged refrigerant is regenerated Figure 1: Vapour absorption cooling system[4]

by heating up the generator.

 

Sr. No. Title of paper
1. Performance evaluation and
life cycle analysis of new
solar thermal absorption air
conditioning system
2. Life cycle assessment of a
solar absorption air-
conditioning system
Literature survey
Author Year Publisher Remark
Rahman et al. 2020 Elsevier Portable solar cooling system
was designed based on vapour
absorption refrigeration system.
Life cycle analyses were also
carried out using Eco Audit CES
software to study the possibility
of the new design.
Olivares et al. 2019 Elsevier Environmental impacts of an
experimental Solar Absorption
Air-Conditioning System based
on a LifeCycle Assessment was
evaluated for the first time in
Mexico. For comparison, a
Commercial Air Conditioning
System that uses electricity from
fossil fuels was also evaluated.
In both cooling systems, the
Construction, operation and end
of-life cycle were analysed.
 Literature survey Continued..
Sr. No. Title of paper Author Year Publisher Remark
3. A universal method for Zhao et al. 2018 Elsevier The objective of this study is to
performance evaluation of propose a universal and
solar photovoltaic air- straightforward method for
conditioner performance evaluation of PVAC.

4. Design of direct solar PV Huang et al. 2016 Elsevier 6 solar air conditioners with
driven air conditioner different sizes of PV panel and air
conditioners were built and tested
 
outdoors to experimentally
investigate the running probabilities
of air conditioning at various solar

5. Performance analysis of Bi et al. 2020 Elsevier In this work, an independent-

solar air conditioning system developed solar parabolic trough
based on the independent- collector (PTC) for solar air
developed solar parabolic conditioning system with a three-
trough collector phase accumulator.
The composition and operation
strategy of the system are entailed in
a described manner.
 Literature survey Continued..

Sr. No. Title of paper Author Year Publisher Remark

6. Investigation on effect of Fong et al. 2019 Elsevier In this study, the solar air-
indoor air distribution conditioning systems included
strategy on solar air- solar absorption cooling system
conditioning systems (SAbCS), (SAdCS), (SDCS),
(HSAbDCS) and (HSAdDCS).
Their performances using SV
and MV were determined
through yearround dynamic
simulation.

7. Techno-economic analysis of Opokua et al. 2018 Elsevier Performance of a hybrid solar

a hybrid solar, PV-grid PV grid powered ac for daytime
powered air-conditioner office cooling: A case study at
for daytime office use in hot Kumasi city, Ghana
humid climates – A case
study in Kumasi city, Ghana

 
 System description

Figure 2. Schematic of parabolic dish concentrator based solar air conditioning system
 Thermodynamic Modelling
The following assumptions are taken into account during thermodynamic
modelling.
The coolant condition is saturated steam at the evaporator outlet
As a result of the high temperatures of the absorber and the generator, the
solutions that exit the units are saturated liquids
The pressure in the absorber is equal to the pressure in the evaporator and
the pressure in the generator to the condenser
The solution's pressure when it enters the generator is equal to the
generator's pressure
The throttling and pumping processes are adiabatic
For the sake of exergy study, the dead state temperature is assumed to be the
same as the ambient temperature .
Exergy destruction by refrigerant PRV and strong solution PRV is very small
and considered to be negligible
*PRV=Pressure restrictor valve
 Thermodynamic modelling Continued..

Table 1: Mass and Energy balance equations for energy analysis of following
component of PDC-based air conditioner
 Thermodynamic modelling Continued..

Table 2: Exergy loss rate equations for exergy analysis of following component of
PDC-based air conditioner
Thermodynamic modelling Continued..
 Thermodynamic modelling Continued..

Table 3: Input parameters

Parameter Value Parameter Value

PD Collector Diameter Efficiency of Solution heat
2.5 meter 85%
exchanger
Solar Radiation 5.8 Generator Temperature 90°C
kWh/m2/day
Collector effectiveness 90% Condenser Temperature 50°C
Condenser Pressure (Sat.) 0.123 bar Evaporator Temperature 15°C
Evaporator Pressure (Sat.) 0.017 bar Absorber Temperature 40°C

Initial percentage of LiBr in

54% Ambient Temperature 36°C
solution
Final percentage of LiBr in
60% Dead state Temperature 25°C
solution
Solution heat exchanger Specific volume of the
0.5 0.00055 m3/kg
effectiveness solution

Efficiency of refrigerant PRV 70%

Variation of COP with different ambient temperature and at different LiBr
concentration

Condenser Temperature=35°C Condenser Temperature=40°C

Figure 4.(a) Figure 4.(b)

Condenser Temperature=45°C Condenser Temperature=50°C

Figure 4.(d)
Figure 4.(c)
Variation of COP with different ambient temperature and at different LiBr
concentration
continued..
OBSERVATIONS
Condenser Temperature=55°C
On increasing LiBr concentration in weak
solution, COP of system decreases

At each condenser temperature, for fixed

initial LiBr concentration, the system's COP
remains constant as the ambient temperature
rises
Figure 4.(e)
The increase in condenser temperature from
35°C to 55°C with a 5-point difference is
accompanied by the decrease in COP of the
system as 0.903713, 0.902453, 0.901193,
0.899934, and 0.898674 respectively for 25°C
ambient temperature and 45% initial LiBr
concentration.
Variation of cooling effect with different ambient temperature and at
different LiBr concentration

Condenser Temperature=35°C Condenser Temperature=40°C

Figure 5.(a) Figure 5.(b)

Condenser Temperature=45°C Condenser Temperature=50°C

Figure 5.(c) Figure 5.(d)

Variation of cooling effect with different ambient temperature and at
different LiBr concentration
continued..
Condenser Temperature=50°C

OBSERVATIONS

 On increasing LiBr concentration in weak

solution, cooling effect of system decreases

 It is seen that at each condenser

temperature, for fixed initial LiBr
concentration, the cooling effect increases
Figure 5.(e) as the ambient temperature rises

 it can be shown that the cooling effect

decreases as the condenser temperature
rises from 35 to 55 degrees at 5 degree
intervals as 0.681154 Ton, 0.680205 Ton,
0.679255 Ton, 0.678306 Ton, and 0.677357
Ton
Variation of generator exergy loss rate with different ambient temperature
and at different LiBr concentration

Figure 6.(a) Figure 6.(b)

Figure 6.(c) Figure 6.(d)

Variation of generator exergy loss rate with different ambient temperature
and at different LiBr concentration continued..

OBSERVATIONS

It depicts that at each condenser temperature,

for fixed initial LiBr concentration, the rate of
exergy loss of the generator increases with an
increase in ambient temperature
Figure 6.(e)
The generator's exergy loss rate is unaffected by
a increase in condenser temperature from 35°C
to 55°C

At any ambient temperature, the rate of exergy

loss of the generator is found to be maximum for
the initial value of LiBr concentration of 57% and
increases with the increasing value of initial LiBr
concentration as 45%, 48%, 51%, 54%, and 57%
Variation of condenser exergy loss rate with different ambient
temperature and at different LiBr concentration

Figure 7.(a) Figure 7.(b)

Figure 7.(c) Figure 7.(d)

Variation of condenser exergy loss rate with different ambient
temperature and at different LiBr concentration
continued..

OBSERVATIONS

It is seen that at each condenser

temperature, for fixed initial LiBr
concentration, the condenser's exergy loss
increases as the ambient temperature rises
Figure 7.(e)
The increase in condenser temperature from
35°C to 55°C with a 5-point difference is
followed by a rise in the condenser's exergy
loss as 0.552 kW, 0.78 kW, 0.958 kW, 1.098
kW, and 1.214 kW for 50°C ambient
temperature and 45% of initial LiBr
concentration
Variation of evaporator exergy loss rate with different ambient
temperature and at different LiBr concentration

Condenser temperature=40°C

Figure 8.(a) Figure 8.(b)

Figure 8.(c) Figure 8.(d)

Variation of evaporator exergy loss rate with different ambient
temperature and at different LiBr concentration
continued..

OBSERVATIONS

exergy loss of the evaporator is found to be

maximum for the initial value of LiBr
concentration of 45% and decreases with the
increasing value of initial LiBr concentration as
48%, 51%, 54%, and 57%.
Figure 8.(e)
the rise in condenser temperature from 35°C
to 55°C with a 5-degree difference is followed
by a reduction in the evaporator’s exergy loss
of 3.375 kW, 2.656 kW, 2.096 kW, 1.651 kW,
and 1.286 kW, respectively
 Conclusions
 The initial concentration of LiBr has a significant impact on the system's
COP and cooling effect. The COP and cooling effect of the system are
reduced as the initial LiBr concentration rises with the strong solution
concentration fixed at 60 percent

 With an increase in ambient temperature, each parameter considered for

analysis in this study, such as COP, cooling effect, and exergetic efficiency
of the system, increases.

 The results of the analysis also show that the optimum initial LiBr
concentrations range for operating the device basically is between 48 to
54 percent, with the high solution concentration fixed at 60 percent, and
that the system runs smoothly without crystallization

 At ambient temperature of 50oC, the maximum exergy loss rate for the
evaporator is 3.375 kW at a LiBr initial concentration of 45 percent, while
the exergy loss rate for the generator is 2.535 kW at a LiBr initial
concentration of 57 percent.
 Continued..

The generator has the largest destruction loss. The characterization of

transfer of heat through elevated temperature fluctuations shows that there
is always a good chance of its improvement through increment in heat
transfer, which in turn decreases temperature gradient.

The refrigerant storage tank is inexpensive because the refrigerant is stored

at room temperature, which eliminates the need for insulation or special
materials. It is suitable for low capacity solar assisted air conditioners as it
works efficiently with a small solar concentrator area

The projected payback period for a PDC-based solar powered air-

conditioner with a one-ton capacity is about six months considering the air
conditioner powered by solar energy.

The findings indicate that the suggested new approach is both

economically and environmentally feasible and can be a viable alternative
especially in India, where electricity costs are high and variable.
 Future scope

For assessing the performance and practicality of the system suggested in

this research, a prototype based on the current design is essential.

To get the best results in practical applications, the parabolic dish
concentrator must be equipped with a sun tracking system.

Scope of in-depth investigation of the behaviour of LiBr-water solution in

order to develop a germane mathematical model for estimating the fluid's
thermodynamic characteristics.

With limited capacity air conditioning equipment, energy storage is the

greatest difficulty for running the system 24 hours a day, seven days a week
without grid assistance.
 Publications from Present Work

Accepted and presented

1. G.M. Masood, O.Singh, Thermodynamic investigations on PDC based
solar air conditioning system. Scopus and WoS indexed proceedings of the
International Symposium on Fluids and Thermal Engineering (FLUTE 2021),
July 22, Amity University, Noida, Paper No. 63.
Communicated
1. G.M. Masood, Onkar Singh. Exergo-economic study of a solar PDC-based
vapour absorption air conditioning system. Journal of The Institution of
Engineers (India): Series C (IEIC) (IEIC-D-21-00303)
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 Thank You
Email: masoodhbtu@gmail.com
Contact no. : 9889323785