Thermodynamic Investigation of Two-Stage Absorption Refrigeration System Connected by a Compressor

Abstract

The present work is to analyze a two-stage cycle based on the ammonia-water absorption system, with intermediate compression. The two generators of the system are heated by geothermal energy at low temperature. The study shows that this system makes it possible at lower generator temperature, under the limits permitted by the systems suggested up to now. For T_g = 335 K, T_c = T_a = 308 K and T_e = 263 K, based on the electric consumption, the system efficiency is 8.2. The comparative study of the hybrid system and vapor compression systems shows the superiority of the proposed system. Supplied by the geothermal sources of the Tunisian south, the system makes it possible to obtain for a pilot geothermal station, a production of 75 tons of ice per day. The greenhouse gas emissions should thus be reduced by about 2.38 tons of CO₂ per day. Therefore, based on the typical geothermal energy sources in Tunisia which present a global refrigeration potential of 4.4 MW, the daily quantity of ice that could be produced is about 865 tons. The greenhouse gas emissions should thus be reduced by about 10,000 tons of CO₂ per year.