Performance of an autonomous solar powered absorption air conditioning system

The demand for air conditioning is increasing due to changing architectural trends and increased standards of living and indoor comfort conditions. Coupled to this, refrigerants used in conventional refrigeration systems have detrimental effects on the environment. As a result, there is an urgent ne...

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Main Authors: Tatenda J. Bvumbe, Freddie L. Inambao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Cape Town 2017-04-01
Series:Journal of Energy in Southern Africa
Online Access:https://journals.assaf.org.za/jesa/article/view/2226
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spelling doaj-2d5d03d51a58419da0bd18f3dc48e5732020-11-24T22:20:06ZengUniversity of Cape TownJournal of Energy in Southern Africa1021-447X2413-30512017-04-0126110611210.17159/2413-3051/2015/v26i1a22262226Performance of an autonomous solar powered absorption air conditioning systemTatenda J. Bvumbe0Freddie L. InambaoUniversity of Cape TownThe demand for air conditioning is increasing due to changing architectural trends and increased standards of living and indoor comfort conditions. Coupled to this, refrigerants used in conventional refrigeration systems have detrimental effects on the environment. As a result, there is an urgent need to implement environmentally cleaner ways of satisfying this air-conditioning demand. Absorption cooling systems have shown great potential to do so. In this study, system performance data for an autonomous solar heating and cooling system installed at the Vodafone Site System Innovation Centre, at the Vodacom Campus in Midrand was collected and analysed. The system comprises a 116 m2 vacuum tube collector array, a 6.5 m3 hot water storage tank, a 35 kW LiBr-Water absorption chiller, 1 m3 of cold water storage, a dry cooler for the chiller, and two underground thermal stores to pre-cool the supply air to the building and the dry cooler respectively. System performance data was collected from the beginning of December 2011 to the end of January 2012 and used to estimate the system long term performance. The chiller has an average coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.51 whilst the solar COP has an average value of 0.24. The total installation cost is R2 822 436.89, with an annuity of R225 949.75 and a cost per kWh of R28.88.https://journals.assaf.org.za/jesa/article/view/2226
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Tatenda J. Bvumbe
Freddie L. Inambao
spellingShingle Tatenda J. Bvumbe
Freddie L. Inambao
Performance of an autonomous solar powered absorption air conditioning system
Journal of Energy in Southern Africa
author_facet Tatenda J. Bvumbe
Freddie L. Inambao
author_sort Tatenda J. Bvumbe
title Performance of an autonomous solar powered absorption air conditioning system
title_short Performance of an autonomous solar powered absorption air conditioning system
title_full Performance of an autonomous solar powered absorption air conditioning system
title_fullStr Performance of an autonomous solar powered absorption air conditioning system
title_full_unstemmed Performance of an autonomous solar powered absorption air conditioning system
title_sort performance of an autonomous solar powered absorption air conditioning system
publisher University of Cape Town
series Journal of Energy in Southern Africa
issn 1021-447X
2413-3051
publishDate 2017-04-01
description The demand for air conditioning is increasing due to changing architectural trends and increased standards of living and indoor comfort conditions. Coupled to this, refrigerants used in conventional refrigeration systems have detrimental effects on the environment. As a result, there is an urgent need to implement environmentally cleaner ways of satisfying this air-conditioning demand. Absorption cooling systems have shown great potential to do so. In this study, system performance data for an autonomous solar heating and cooling system installed at the Vodafone Site System Innovation Centre, at the Vodacom Campus in Midrand was collected and analysed. The system comprises a 116 m2 vacuum tube collector array, a 6.5 m3 hot water storage tank, a 35 kW LiBr-Water absorption chiller, 1 m3 of cold water storage, a dry cooler for the chiller, and two underground thermal stores to pre-cool the supply air to the building and the dry cooler respectively. System performance data was collected from the beginning of December 2011 to the end of January 2012 and used to estimate the system long term performance. The chiller has an average coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.51 whilst the solar COP has an average value of 0.24. The total installation cost is R2 822 436.89, with an annuity of R225 949.75 and a cost per kWh of R28.88.
url https://journals.assaf.org.za/jesa/article/view/2226
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AT freddielinambao performanceofanautonomoussolarpoweredabsorptionairconditioningsystem
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