Performance Improvement of a Solar-Assisted Absorption Cooling System Integrated with Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage

Lana Migla, Raimonds Bogdanovics and Kristina Lebedeva ()
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Lana Migla: Department of Heat Engineering and Technology, Riga Technical University, Kipsalas Street 6A, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia
Raimonds Bogdanovics: Department of Heat Engineering and Technology, Riga Technical University, Kipsalas Street 6A, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia
Kristina Lebedeva: Department of Heat Engineering and Technology, Riga Technical University, Kipsalas Street 6A, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 14, 1-12

Abstract: Phase change materials (PCMs) have emerged as promising solutions for latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems, offering considerable potential for storing energy derived from renewable sources across various engineering applications. The present study focused on optimization of solar cooling system by integrating LHTES with different PCM tank configurations. TRNSYS simulation software was selected for the study, and the collected experimental data from laboratory system prototype were used for system validation. The results indicate that the use of PCM led to a noteworthy decrease of 6.2% in auxiliary energy consumption. Furthermore, the time during which the heat carrier temperature flow exceeded 90 °C from the storage tank to the auxiliary fluid heater was extended by 27.8% when PCM was utilized compared to that of its absence. The use of PCM in LHTES is more effective under variable weather conditions. On the day when changes in weather conditions were observed, around 98% of the cooling load was provided by produced sun energy. The results of the research can be used to optimize the solar cooling system, which will help reduce the environmental impact of cooling systems running on non-renewable fuels.

Keywords: LHTES; PCM; solar energy; solar cooling system (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: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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