raw · papers · ingested 2026-06-19
Using Adsorption Chiller in Solar Cooling: Economic Benefits for Jordan
Source: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.11752
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Key findings
- Authors: Saidi, Albaali, Shahateet, Mohammad, Daher; Int. J. Energy Economics and Policy 11(6), 234-242 (2021). Compares solar-assisted (CASE) thermally driven chillers against conventional vapor-compression cooling (VCC) for Jordan.
- Market context: of existing solar cooling systems, ~60% use absorption chillers and ~11% use adsorption chillers; the studied unit is a Jordanian company (Millennium Energy Industries, MEI) two-stage adsorption chiller (ADC-2) developed for Middle East climate.
- Working pairs/fluids contrasted (Table 1): absorption chiller uses distilled water + LiBr (needs daily dilution cycle, continuous monitoring, heat-exchanger replacement, ~$20K-$30K/year maintenance); adsorption chiller uses municipal water + silica gel, continuous operation up to 8000 h/year, reaches full capacity within 8 min without negative impact from power loss, ~$5,000/year or less maintenance.
- Site: Aqaba region, max temperature 40 C; design assumptions 32 C surrounding temperature and 18 C chilled-water temperature; cooling season 10 months (Feb-Nov), heating Jan and Dec. Evacuated-tube solar collector (ESC) with CPC, tilt 20 deg / azimuth 0 deg; tilted daily solar radiation 6.73 kWh/m2/day summer, 4.18 kWh/m2/day winter.
- Economic method: RETSCREEN; assumptions VCC cost ~1000 JD/kW cooling, 4% fuel inflation, 4% discount rate, 15% salvage value, CO2 price 26.6 JD/t, T&D losses 13.16%. Metrics: lifecycle cost (OC+CC+MC), net current value (NCV), yearly saving of life cycle (YSLC), payback period; first-scenario circulation pump (Wilo Stratus, 296 W) saves up to 90% pump power, total system electric consumption 695 W.
- Four scenarios evaluated by heat-rejection sink and heat-driven source: (1) ambient dry cooler + CPC solar collector, (2) heat-recovery system + CPC solar, (3) ambient dry cooler + waste heat, (4) heat-recovery system + waste heat; load above ADC-2 capacity is covered by a downsized VCC.
- Cited COP reference values: triple-effect absorption 1.752, double-effect 51.9% higher than single-effect (0.852). The adsorption chiller’s lower moving-part stress and use of a solar-collector integration component drive its lower maintenance cost; study targets a developing-country (Jordan) application rather than the prior theoretical / developed-country literature.