Solar cooling systems utilizing concentrating solar collectors - An overview
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an overview of solar cooling systems utilizing concentrating solar collectors worldwide; the reasons behind the selection of these solar collection technologies for solar cooling applications; a quick assessment of the main performance figures for the different solar cooling schemes based on Monte Carlo simulations; the technical requirements of the technologies for future developments.
About: This article is published in Energy Procedia.The article was published on 2012-01-01 and is currently open access. It has received 29 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Solar air conditioning.
Citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the background theory on solar-powered absorption chillers is presented followed by a comprehensive literature review of the recent existing theoretical and experimental investigations on this technology is conducted.
153 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the feasibility of solar heating and cooling (SHC) absorption systems based on combining three types of LiBr-H 2 O absorption chillers (single-, double-, and triple-effect) with common solar thermal collectors available on the market is investigated.
125 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a simulation-based, multi-objective optimization of three common, commercially available lithium bromide-water absorption chillers is presented, and the performance of these three configurations at their optimal designs is compared to that of a reference conventional system.
117 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider cooling systems for residential and utility buildings in both South and North Europe and investigate the most promising alternatives when solar energy is to be used to supply the cooling demand of these buildings while the heat rejection temperatures are high.
Abstract: Solar energy can potentially contribute to 10% of the energy demand in OECD countries if all cooling and heating systems would be driven by solar energy. This paper considers cooling systems for residential and utility buildings in both South and North Europe and investigates the most promising alternatives when solar energy is to be used to supply the cooling demand of these buildings while the heat rejection temperatures are high. Both the solar electric and solar thermal routes are considered. The discussion considers both concentrating and non-concentrating thermal technologies. It is concluded that presently vapor compression cycles in combination with PV collectors lead to the economically most attractive solutions. The second best option are vapor compression cycles driven by electricity delivered by parabolic dish collectors and Stirling engines. The best thermally driven solution is the double-effect absorption cycle equipped with concentrating trough collectors closely followed by desiccant systems equipped with flat-plate solar collectors. Adsorption systems options are significantly more expensive.
112 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared solar thermal driven compression cooling with photovoltaic driven compression chillers and compared with the PV-driven system first with respect to the overall system efficiency.
Abstract: Many technologies are available to produce solar cooling. The most widespread options are solar thermal driven sorption and photovoltaic driven compression chillers. Sorption chillers can be single or double effect LiBr–H 2 O water cooled or H 2 O–NH 3 air cooled. The requested temperatures are respectively around 90 °C for the first engine and 160 °C for the other two. The solar section can be realised with flat plate or evacuated tube collectors at a fixed tilt or parabolic trough collectors with a tracking system. The possible solar cooling systems are evaluated during a sunny day and compared with the PV driven system first with respect to the overall system efficiency. Finally the comparison regards also the investment cost for the various systems. Whereas in the past the PV driven system was considered too expensive with respect to the solar thermal, now it is quite comparable above all if the systems are air cooled.
78 citations
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TL;DR: An overview of the parabolic-trough collectors that have been built and marketed during the past century, as well as the prototypes currently under development can be found in this paper.
Abstract: This paper presents an overview of the parabolic-trough collectors that have been built and marketed during the past century, as well as the prototypes currently under development. It also presents a survey of systems which could incorporate this type of concentrating solar system to supply thermal energy up to 400 °C, especially steam power cycles for electricity generation, including examples of each application.
915 citations
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...Army Yuma Proving Ground with a 1191 m powered by parabolic through collectors (PTC) [5]....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented a prototype of a water-ammonia absorption system designed for solar-powered refrigeration in small rural operations, which has been designed to operate with a concentrating solar power system to obtain the required temperatures.
57 citations
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...Another study in 2000 was done by the Polytechnic University of Madrid on a prototype PTC collector using thermal oil as a heat transfer fluid coupled to a single effect ammonia/water absorption chiller [10]....
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TL;DR: In this article, the Montlouis Laboratory developed a solar refrigerating system using an intermittent ammonia cycle in which the ammonia solution was directly heated by solar radiation, and daily production of ice was about 6 kgm.
40 citations
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...In 1956, two small solar cooling systems with concentrating collectors were reported in Montlouis in France and in Flordia in US consisting of parabolic trough collectors coupled to prototype single stage water-ammonia absorption chillers [3]....
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TL;DR: An insulated steel sheet cabinet of 0.6 × 0.3 m face area and 0.5 m depth was designed to store vaccine in remote desert areas, away from the electrical national grid as mentioned in this paper.
34 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the performance of a non-storage, continuous, solar operated absorption refrigeration cycle is described based on the operation of the unit when there was enough solar energy to power its generator.
33 citations
Additional excerpts
...The University of Jordan tested a prototype absorption chiller for air-conditioning by coupling the chiller to a prototype flat plate collector with a PTC collector in 1991 [8]; later, in 2000, a prototype PTC with an absorption chiller for refrigeration purpose in desert areas was tested [9]....
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