Investigating the Integration of Solar Heat Recovery with Natural Gas Absorption Chilling.

摘要

Transitioning from common vapor compression chillers will reduce stress on the grid and will cut emissions associated with power generation. The integration of solar heat with absorption chilling presents an opportunity to decrease energy cost, potentially making solar chilling competitive with conventional electric cooling systems. The diurnal congruence of irradiance and cooling demand makes solar heat recovery an attractive option for absorption chilling. Strides have been made in solar chilling research but the economic feasibility has not become tangible for commercial production. The intent of this study is to progress the development of solar chilling by providing the foundation and tools necessary to deepen application analyses and help the technology evolve into a viable and economical option.;An emphasis was placed on discerning the feasibility of integrating photovoltaic heat recovery with absorption chilling. In addition, a parabolic trough collector partnered with natural gas combustion was highlighted as an option for solar chilling. Dynamic models representing a double effect absorption chiller, parabolic trough collector, and photovoltaic array were developed and verified in Matlab SimulinkRTM. Experimentation was conducted to 1) characterize the performance of a double effect absorption chiller and 2) discern the potential for heat recovery from photovoltaic panels. Scenarios that incorporate photovoltaic heat recovery, solar thermal heat recovery, and natural gas absorption chilling were explored.;Electrical efficiency benefits associated with recovering heat from photovoltaic panels made it an intriguing option for solar chilling applications; due to temperature constraints, several challenges were associated with utilizing PV heat for double effect absorption chilling. The first generator proved to be the most effective location within the absorption chiller cycle for the integration of high temperature heat streams. The use of a solar trough collector was effective for achieving reductions in natural gas consumption. In addition, utilizing solar heat for preheating airflow into a natural gas combustor showed gains in efficiency.