Numerical Simulation of a Solar Cooling System Based on Variable-Effect NH3-Water Absorption Chiller using TRNSYS

Around the globe, a 60 % increase in energy demand is predicted to occur by the end of the year 2030 due to the ever-increasing population and development. With a registered temperature up to 50 °C in August 2020, which is classified as one of the hottest regions in the world, the demand for cool temperatures in Gabes-Tunisia to achieve the thermal comfort of people ensuring the product storage has become more and more intense. Removing heat from buildings represents the most extensive energy consumption process. In this paper, an absorption-refrigeration system driven by solar energy is proposed. A parametric simulation model is developed based on the TRNSYS platform. A comparison between different models for global radiation calculation and experimental meteorological data was carried out. It has been proven that the Brinchambaut model seems to be the most convenient in describing the real global radiation, with an error of up to 3.16 %. An area of 22 m² of evacuated tube solar collector ensures the proper functioning of the generator and achieves a temperature up to 2 °C in the cold room.