Modeling and simulation of a single stage solar absorption cooling machine under Algerian climate

With the increasing of energy demand for air conditioning purpose in Algeria, absorption solar cooling systems represents a very good alternative for clean cooling production where over-consumption of electricity occurs. In this paper, a modeling and simulation of an absorption solar cooling machine under Algerian climate is presented. This study was based on a single stage absorption cooling machine operated by the binary pair LiBr-H2O with cooling capacity of 17.6 kWcool. The system was modeled with Engineering Equation Solver (EES) and Matlab simulation tools. Thermodynamic analysis of different components of the system allowed us to determine the theoretical performance of the system. The coefficient of performance (COP) and the second law coefficient of performance (COPII) were calculated using the first and second low analysis. Also, by evaluating and discussing the exergy destruction of each component, the absorber and the generator were found to be the major components of the system that would require optimization. The data taken from Bousmail weather station were used in the simulation model and COP of 0.70 to 0.80 was found for absorber and condenser temperatures varying between 35 and 45 °C and 7 to 12 °C for the evaporator temperature. For two Algerian states, the annual total solar fraction "f" of the solar collectors´ field satisfying the thermal need of the absorption system was calculated using f-Chart method.