raw · papers · ingested 2026-06-19
Evaluation and Design of Large-Scale Solar Adsorption Cooling Systems Based on Energetic, Economic and Environmental Performance
Source: https://doi.org/10.3390/en15062149
Read from local Zotero full-text PDF (group 5183627 / Joule Heist).
Key findings
- System: silica-gel/water adsorption chiller (ADC, TRNSYS Type 909) driven by evacuated-tube solar collectors (Type 71), sized for a neighborhood of 80 villas (197 m² each) in Riyadh, KSA; max cooling load 2 MWth, design range 1300-2000 kW. Simulated over 1 full year in TRNSYS 18.
- Adsorption chiller receives hot fluid at 60-95 °C from the storage tank to desorb refrigerant from the silica-gel bed; tempering valve (Type 953) + fluid cooler protect collectors above 120 °C; auxiliary natural-gas heater (Type 659) supplements when solar is insufficient.
- Solar fraction reaches 96% with a solar collector area of 5500 m² and storage tank volume of 350-400 m³.
- Annual energy cost reduced by 74% for the solar adsorption cycle vs the conventional vapour-compression cycle (VCC).
- CO₂ saving ≈ 75% for the solar adsorption cycle vs conventional VCC.
- Riyadh case-study site: global horizontal irradiance 6.01 kWh/m²/day, mean ambient temperature 28.06 °C, elevation 688 m; villa setpoint 24 °C.
- 3E economic/environmental assumptions: electricity 0.08 USD/kWh, natural gas 0.013 USD/m³/h, discount rate 5%, ADC lifetime 25 yr vs VCC 15 yr, ADC install cost 150% of levelised capital vs VCC 130%; CO₂ factors 750 kg/MWh (grid) and 202 kg/MWh (natural gas); primary energy factors 3.05 (electricity), 1.22 (natural gas).
- Cooling demand in GCC countries can exceed 70% of electricity consumption, motivating solar-thermal-driven adsorption to cut grid strain and emissions.