Development of a solar-powered passive ejector cooling system

This paper describes the development of an ejector refrigeration system that is powered by solar thermal energy. The cooling system contains no active parts and is therefore deemed passive. Water is used as the refrigerant though other natural refrigerants could be used for lower temperature operation. A prototype system was built with a nominal cooling capacity of 7 kW. This system was laboratory tested and then installed in an existing office in Loughborough, UK. The system has operated with a COP of up to 0.3 at this location. The system is also able to provide up to 20 kW of heating to the building during the winter.