Thermodynamic Performance Investigation of a Small-Scale Solar Compression-Assisted Multi-Ejector Indoor Air Conditioning System for Hot Climate Conditions

Valerie Eveloy and Yusra Alkendi
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Valerie Eveloy: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 127788, United Arab Emirates
Yusra Alkendi: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 127788, United Arab Emirates

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-31

Abstract: In year-round hot climatic conditions, conventional air conditioning systems consume significant amounts of electricity primarily generated by conventional power plants. A compression-assisted, multi-ejector space cooling system driven by low-grade solar thermal energy is investigated in terms of energy and exergy performance, using a real gas property-based ejector model for a 36 kW-scale air conditioning application, exposed to annually high outdoor temperatures (i.e., up to 42 °C), for four working fluids (R11, R141b, R245fa, R600a). Using R245fa, the multi-ejector system effectively triples the operating condenser temperature range of a single ejector system to cover the range of annual outdoor conditions, while compression boosting reduces the generator heat input requirement and improves the overall refrigeration coefficient of performance (COP) by factors of ~3–8 at medium- to high-bound condenser temperatures, relative to simple ejector cycles. The system solar fraction varies from ~0.2 to 0.9 in summer and winter, respectively, with annual average mechanical and overall COPs of 24.5 and 0.21, respectively. Exergy destruction primarily takes place in the ejector assembly, but ejector exergy efficiency improves with compression boosting. The system could reduce annual electric cooling loads by over 40% compared with a conventional local split air conditioner, with corresponding savings in electricity expenditure and GHG emissions.

Keywords: renewable cooling; solar air conditioning; space cooling; ejector; hot climate; compression booster (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: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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