DESIGN OF PROTOTYPE A SOLAR ABSORPTION AIR CONDITIONER IN YUCATAN PENINSULA, MEXICO

摘要

Nowadays there is a worldwide concern for the energy demand and the greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion that cause global warming. In tropical regions, the use of air conditioning systems for thermal comfort is been increasing due to the higher radiation level obtained. Alternative systems such as the absorption refrigeration machines contribute to decrease the global warming, which are effective in energy terms, since they make usable waste heat streams and the use of renewable energy sources such as solar. There are commercial solar air conditioners developed for the climatic conditions of the places in which the technology was produced, so they are designed to operate in hot climates but not in the specific conditions of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. In this research a single stage solar absorption air conditioning prototype of 5 kW load and using LiBr-H2O as working fluid was developed to performance with the operating conditions in the Yucatan Peninsula where the average annual and maximum temperature are 26 °C and 36 °C respectively, although temperatures have been recorded daily maximum 43 °C. Savings about 50% of the electricity costs are obtained and the parameters for a commercial system are established.