Resurrection of carbon dioxide as refrigerant in solar thermal absorption cooling systems

The existing air conditioning and cold storage systems use conventional compressor based systems, compelling more electricity and greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions. The incumbent cooling system uses synthetic refrigerants (CFCs, HCFC, and HFCs) that outperform natural refrigerants but are banned or...

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Main Authors: Saad Dilshad, Naeem Abas, Qadeer ul Hasan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-07-01
Series:Heliyon
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023048417
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author Saad Dilshad
Naeem Abas
Qadeer ul Hasan
author_facet Saad Dilshad
Naeem Abas
Qadeer ul Hasan
author_sort Saad Dilshad
collection DOAJ
description The existing air conditioning and cold storage systems use conventional compressor based systems, compelling more electricity and greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions. The incumbent cooling system uses synthetic refrigerants (CFCs, HCFC, and HFCs) that outperform natural refrigerants but are banned or under time bared permission due to their harmful effects. The global community of (196 parties till 2017) has ratified Paris Accord to limit GHG emissions and use low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants, and after the ban on existing synthetic refrigerants, quested for suitable natural working fluids and retrofitting in the existing system. Among ASHRAE envisaged natural refrigerants, CO2 has resurrected as an emerging refrigerant after the availability of high pressure technologies. The proposed design of solar assisted absorption chiller employing CO2 as a heat transfer fluid for a commercial dwelling is simulated for a dwelling in the hot and humid, moderate and sun adverse region (Lahore, 31.5204° N, 74.3587° E) to assess the thermal properties of the proposed design. A thermal storage tank with immersed heat exchangers augmented to meet the intermittency of solar energy. A solar evacuated glass tube collector (EGTC) with U-shaped copper tubes is used to collect solar heat energy. Integration of renewable energy (RE) systems is inevitable due to the persistent energy crisis and climate change situations. Solar energy is a promising source of energy abundantly available in hot areas. CO2 is a natural refrigerant that outperforms ASHRAE envisaged natural refrigerants due to the low critical point. A solar thermal cooling system employing a 35.2 kW absorption chiller driven via heat energy harnessed with EGTC using R-744 supported by an auxiliary furnace is simulated in a TRNSYS® Simulation environment. The simulated system covers the cooling requirements of a large three-room dwelling in Lahore, Pakistan. The proposed design comprises an R-744-based solar heating system combined with a hot water-fired absorption chiller. The results were dynamically simulated for the hot climate of Lahore, Pakistan, with average yearly maintained temperatures of 23 °C, 26 °C, and 21 °C for the three rooms and 0.21 solar fraction for the whole year.
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spelling doaj.art-52243712fc50400a91cfcc2e7acd5bea2023-07-27T05:56:53ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-07-0197e17633Resurrection of carbon dioxide as refrigerant in solar thermal absorption cooling systemsSaad Dilshad0Naeem Abas1Qadeer ul Hasan2Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, COMSATS University, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Electrical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, Pakistan; Corresponding author.Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, COMSATS University, Islamabad, PakistanThe existing air conditioning and cold storage systems use conventional compressor based systems, compelling more electricity and greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions. The incumbent cooling system uses synthetic refrigerants (CFCs, HCFC, and HFCs) that outperform natural refrigerants but are banned or under time bared permission due to their harmful effects. The global community of (196 parties till 2017) has ratified Paris Accord to limit GHG emissions and use low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants, and after the ban on existing synthetic refrigerants, quested for suitable natural working fluids and retrofitting in the existing system. Among ASHRAE envisaged natural refrigerants, CO2 has resurrected as an emerging refrigerant after the availability of high pressure technologies. The proposed design of solar assisted absorption chiller employing CO2 as a heat transfer fluid for a commercial dwelling is simulated for a dwelling in the hot and humid, moderate and sun adverse region (Lahore, 31.5204° N, 74.3587° E) to assess the thermal properties of the proposed design. A thermal storage tank with immersed heat exchangers augmented to meet the intermittency of solar energy. A solar evacuated glass tube collector (EGTC) with U-shaped copper tubes is used to collect solar heat energy. Integration of renewable energy (RE) systems is inevitable due to the persistent energy crisis and climate change situations. Solar energy is a promising source of energy abundantly available in hot areas. CO2 is a natural refrigerant that outperforms ASHRAE envisaged natural refrigerants due to the low critical point. A solar thermal cooling system employing a 35.2 kW absorption chiller driven via heat energy harnessed with EGTC using R-744 supported by an auxiliary furnace is simulated in a TRNSYS® Simulation environment. The simulated system covers the cooling requirements of a large three-room dwelling in Lahore, Pakistan. The proposed design comprises an R-744-based solar heating system combined with a hot water-fired absorption chiller. The results were dynamically simulated for the hot climate of Lahore, Pakistan, with average yearly maintained temperatures of 23 °C, 26 °C, and 21 °C for the three rooms and 0.21 solar fraction for the whole year.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023048417CO2 air conditioningNatural refrigerantTRNSYSR-744Absorption cooling
spellingShingle Saad Dilshad
Naeem Abas
Qadeer ul Hasan
Resurrection of carbon dioxide as refrigerant in solar thermal absorption cooling systems
Heliyon
CO2 air conditioning
Natural refrigerant
TRNSYS
R-744
Absorption cooling
title Resurrection of carbon dioxide as refrigerant in solar thermal absorption cooling systems
title_full Resurrection of carbon dioxide as refrigerant in solar thermal absorption cooling systems
title_fullStr Resurrection of carbon dioxide as refrigerant in solar thermal absorption cooling systems
title_full_unstemmed Resurrection of carbon dioxide as refrigerant in solar thermal absorption cooling systems
title_short Resurrection of carbon dioxide as refrigerant in solar thermal absorption cooling systems
title_sort resurrection of carbon dioxide as refrigerant in solar thermal absorption cooling systems
topic CO2 air conditioning
Natural refrigerant
TRNSYS
R-744
Absorption cooling
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023048417
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AT naeemabas resurrectionofcarbondioxideasrefrigerantinsolarthermalabsorptioncoolingsystems
AT qadeerulhasan resurrectionofcarbondioxideasrefrigerantinsolarthermalabsorptioncoolingsystems