Abstract :
We show that an absorption-refrigeration system affected by the irreversibility of finite-rate heat transfer may be modelled as a combined cycle, which consists of an endoreversible heat engine and an endoreversible refrigerator. Finite-time thermodynamics of endoreversible heat engines and refrigerators is used to optimize the primary performance parameters such as the coefficient of performance, specific cooling load, heat-transfer areas of heat exchangers, temperatures of the working fluid in heat exchangers, and rate of entropy production.