Hybrid Solar-Geothermal Energy Absorption Air-Conditioning System Operating with NaOH-H 2 O—Las Tres Vírgenes (Baja California Sur), “La Reforma” Case

Yuridiana Rocio Galindo-Luna, Efraín Gómez-Arias, Rosenberg J. Romero, Eduardo Venegas-Reyes, Moisés Montiel-González, Helene Emmi Karin Unland-Weiss, Pedro Pacheco-Hernández, Antonio González-Fernández and Jorge Díaz-Salgado
Additional contact information
Yuridiana Rocio Galindo-Luna: Engineering and Applied Science Postgraduate School, Morelos State Autonomous University (UAEM), Morelos 62209, Mexico
Efraín Gómez-Arias: CONACYT-Division of Earth Sciences, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada, Baja California C.P. 22860, Mexico
Rosenberg J. Romero: Engineering and Applied Sciences Research Centre, Morelos State Autonomous University (UAEM), Morelos 62209, Mexico
Eduardo Venegas-Reyes: CONACyT-Research Center of Advanced Materials (CIMAV), Durango 34000, Mexico
Moisés Montiel-González: School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Morelos State Autonomous University (UAEM), Morelos 62209, Mexico
Helene Emmi Karin Unland-Weiss: Mexican Institute for Water Technologies (IMTA), Paseo Cuauhnáhuac 8532, Progreso C. P. 62550, Jiutepec Morelos, México
Pedro Pacheco-Hernández: Mexican Institute for Water Technologies (IMTA), Paseo Cuauhnáhuac 8532, Progreso C. P. 62550, Jiutepec Morelos, México
Antonio González-Fernández: Division of Earth Sciences, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada, Baja California C.P. 22860, Mexico
Jorge Díaz-Salgado: Ecatepec Technological Higher Studies TESE Av. Tecnológico S/N, Col. Valle de Anáhuac, Ecatepec Edo. de Mexico 55210, Mexico

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 5, 1-23

Abstract: Solar and geothermal energies are considered cleaner and more useful energy sources that can be used to avoid the negative environmental impacts caused by burning fossil fuels. Several works have reported air-conditioning systems that use solar energy coupled to geothermal renewable energy as a thermal source. In this study, an Absorption Air-Conditioning System (AACS) used sodium hydroxide-water (NaOH-H 2 O) instead of lithium bromide-water to reduce the cost. Low enthalpy geothermal heat was derived from two shallow wells, 50 and 55 m deep. These wells are of interest due to the thermal recovery (temperature vs. time) of 56.2 °C that was possible at the maximum depth, which can be used for the first stage of the process. These wells were coupled with solar energy as a geothermal energy application for direct uses such as air-conditioning systems. We studied the performance of an absorption cooling system operating with a NaOH-H 2 O mixture and using a parabolic trough plant coupled with a low enthalpy geothermal heat system as a hybrid heat source, as an alternative process that can help reduce operating costs and carbon dioxide emissions. The numerical heat transfer results showed the maximum convective heat transfer coefficient, as function of fluid velocity, and maximum temperature for a depth higher than 40 m. The results showed that the highest temperatures occur at low fluid velocities of less than or equal to 5.0 m/s. Under these conditions, reaching temperatures between 51.0 and 56.2 °C in the well was possible, which is required of the geothermal energy for the solar energy process. A water stream was used as the working fluid in the parabolic trough collector field. During the evaluation stage, the average experimental storage tank temperature achieved by the parabolic trough plant was 93.8 °C on October 23 and 92.9 °C on October 25, 2017. The numerical simulation used to evaluate the performance of the absorption cycle used a generator temperature of 90 °C, a condenser and absorber temperature at 35 °C, and an evaporator temperature of 10 °C. The Coefficient of Performance was calculated as 0.71 under design conditions.

Keywords: NaOH-H 2 O; air-conditioning absorption; parabolic trough collector; shallow geothermal source; energy recovery; COP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/5/1268/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/5/1268/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:11:y:2018:i:5:p:1268-:d:146667

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().