Practical experiments on an adsorption air conditioner powered by exhausted heat from a diesel locomotive

Experimental studies on the practical performance of an adsorption air conditioning system powered by exhausted heat from a diesel locomotive are presented. The system incorporates one adsorbent bed and utilizes zeolite–water as a working pair to provide chilled water for conditioning the air in the driver’s cab of the locomotive. Performance tests under different running conditions have been carried out. Experimental results show that the suggested adsorption system is technically feasible and can be applied for space air conditioning of the locomotive driver’s cab, except the case when the locomotive tracts a way train. The average refrigeration power ranging from 3.0 to 4.2 kW has been obtained under typical running conditions.