Chapter-4

Vapor Absorption Refrigeration System

 Vapor Absorption Refrigeration System
• In an absorption system, the refrigeration effect is produced by
means of thermal energy input. After liquid refrigerant produces
refrigeration during evaporation at very low pressure, the vapor is
absorbed by an aqueous absorbent. The solution is heated by a direct
fired gas furnace or waste heat, and the refrigerant is again vaporized
and then condensed into liquid form. The liquid refrigerant is
throttled to a very low pressure and is ready to produce the
refrigeration effect again.
• Similar to vapour compression refrigeration systems, vapour
absorption refrigeration systems have also been commercialized and
are widely used in various refrigeration and air conditioning
applications.
.

• The absorption refrigeration system utilizes non CFC’s natural

refrigerant and is therefore, more environment-friendly.
• Also, it consumes less electricity and uses waste heat/low grade
energy for its operation. Most of the absorption cooling system use
either LiBr-H2O or NH3-H2O solutions.
• The LiBr-H2O system can operate at a low generator temperature
with better coefficient of performance than NH3-H 2O system.
• However, COP of absorption system is relatively less as compared to
the compression system.
.

• The basic principle involved in an absorption refrigeration cycle, compared

to a vapor-compression cycle, is the replacement of the compressor by a
complex absorption mechanism consisting of an absorber, a pump, a
generator, a regenerator, a valve, and a rectifier
• If the refrigerant were water, a hygroscopic material such as lithium
bromide could be used in the absorber. The substance used for this
purpose is termed the 'absorbent'.
• In the case of ammonia-water ammonia is used as a refrigerant and water
as an absorbent.
• Water–lithium bromide and water–lithium chloride systems, where water
serves as the refrigerant systems are limited to applications such as AC
where the minimum temperature is above the freezing point of water.
.

• In order to obtain closed cycles for both refrigerant and absorbent the
next stage in the process must be the release of the absorbed refrigerant
at a convenient pressure for its subsequent liquefaction in a condenser.
This is accomplished in the 'generator', where heat is applied to the
absorbent-refrigerant solution and the refrigerant is driven off as a vapour.
• The absorber and generator together take the place of the compressor in
the vapour compression cycle. So far as the refrigerant is concerned, the
rest of the absorption cycle is similar to the compression cycle, i.e. the
vapour is liquefied in the condenser and brought into the evaporator
through an expansion valve or an orifice. As for the absorbent, on leaving
the generator it is, of course, returned to the absorber for another cycle.
• In an absorption refrigeration system cooling water is required for both
the condenser and the absorber.
.

• The principal advantages of the absorption cycle over other

refrigeration systems are that it can operate with low-grade energy in
the form of heat, indirectly as steam or high temperature hot water,
or directly as gas, oil, hot exhaust gases, or solar heat.
• Furthermore, it has few moving parts. Theoretically, only a single
pump is required, that needed for conveying the absorbent-
refrigerant solution from the low-pressure absorber to the
comparatively high-pressure generator. In practice, two more pumps
are frequently used: one to recirculate solution over cooling coils in
the absorber and another to recirculate the refrigerant over chilled
water coils in the evaporator.
 Comparison of the VCRS and VARS

VARS VCRS
• Compressor not required • Compressor required
• Use heat energy to change condition of • Uses mechanical energy
refrigerant • One liquid is used
• Two liquids is used • Cop is high
• Cop is low • Moving parts with noise and vibration
• No moving parts so less noise • Can be used in areas with electricity
• Can be used in electricity scarcity area • Compact in construction
• Bulky in construction • Expensive
• Cheaper
VCRS and VARS
 Absorption refrigeration is
economic when there is a
source of inexpensive thermal
energy at a temperature of
100 to 200°C.
Some examples include
geothermal energy, solar
energy, and waste heat from
cogeneration or process
steam plants, and even
natural gas when it is at a
relatively low price.

Ammonia absorption refrigeration cycle

.

• Ammonia vapor leaves the evaporator and enters the absorber, where it
dissolves and reacts with water to form NH3 · H2O. This is an exothermic
reaction; thus heat is released during this process.
• The amount of NH3 that can be dissolved in H2O is inversely proportional to the
temperature. Therefore, it is necessary to cool the absorber to maintain its
temperature as low as possible, hence to maximize the amount of NH3 dissolved
in water. The liquid NH3 + H2O solution, which is rich in NH3, is then pumped to
the generator.
• Heat is transferred to the solution from a source to vaporize some of the
solution. The vapor, which is rich in NH3, passes through a rectifier, which
separates the water and returns it to the generator.
• The high-pressure pure NH3 vapor then continues its journey through the rest
of the cycle. The hot NH3 + H2O solution, which is weak in NH3, then passes
through a regenerator, where it transfers some heat to the rich solution leaving
the pump, and is throttled to the absorber pressure.
 Thermodynamic Analysis And Performance Of The Ideal Vapor
Absorption cycle
❑ In an ideal vapour absorption refrigeration system
• The heat Qg is given to the refrigerant in the generator
• The heat Qc and Qa are discharged to the atmosphere or cooling
water from the condenser and absorber respectively
• The heat Qe is absorbed by refrigerant in the evaporator
• The heat Qp added to the refrigerant due to pump work
❑ According to first law of thermodynamics:
Qg+Qp+Qe = Qa+Qc
• Neglecting the heat due to pump work ,Qp,we have
Qg+Qe = Qa+Qc
Various energy transfers in a vapour absorption refrigeration
system
 .

• From second law of thermodynamics,

ΔStotal = ΔSsys + ΔSsurr ≥ 0
• Since the refrigeration system operates in a closed cycle, the entropy change of
the working fluid of the system undergoing the cycle is zero, i.e., ΔSsys = 0 . The
entropy change of the surroundings is given by:
𝑄𝑔 𝑄𝑒 𝑄𝑐 𝑄𝑎
ΔS surr= + − − ≥ 0
𝑇𝑔 𝑇𝑒 𝑇𝑜 𝑇𝑜
𝑄𝑔 𝑄𝑒 𝑄𝑐 𝑄𝑎
= + ≥ +
𝑇𝑔 𝑇𝑒 𝑇𝑜 𝑇𝑜
𝑄𝑔 𝑄𝑒 𝑄𝑐+𝑄𝑎
= + ≥
𝑇𝑔 𝑇𝑒 𝑇𝑜
• Appling first law of thermodynamics:
𝑄𝑔 𝑄𝑒 𝑄𝑔+𝑄𝑒
= + ≥
𝑇𝑔 𝑇𝑒 𝑇𝑜
𝑄𝑔 𝑄𝑔 𝑄𝑒 𝑄𝑒
= - ≥ −
𝑇𝑔 𝑇𝑜 𝑇𝑜 𝑇𝑒
𝑇𝑜−𝑇𝑔 𝑇𝑒−𝑇𝑜
= Qg( ) ≥ 𝑄𝑒( )
𝑇𝑔𝑇𝑜 𝑇𝑜𝑇𝑒
𝑄𝑒 𝑇𝑔−𝑇𝑜 𝑇𝑒
𝐶𝑂𝑃𝑉𝐴𝑅𝑆 = ≤ ( )( )
𝑄𝑔 𝑇𝑔 𝑇𝑜−𝑇𝑒
 .

• An ideal vapour absorption refrigeration system is totally

reversible.
𝑄𝑒 𝑇𝑒 𝑇𝑔−𝑇𝑜
𝐶𝑂𝑃𝑉𝐴𝑅𝑆,𝑟𝑒𝑣 = =( )( )
𝑄𝑔 𝑇𝑜−𝑇𝑒 𝑇𝑔
𝐶𝑂𝑃𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑙,𝑉𝐴𝑅𝑆 = 𝐶𝑂𝑃𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑡 η 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒
The COP of actual absorption refrigeration
systems is usually less than 1.
Air-conditioning systems based on absorption
refrigeration, called absorption chillers,
perform best when the heat source can supply
heat at a high temperature with little
temperature drop.

15
Actual Vapour Absorption System
Representation Of Vapour Absorption Cycle On Enthalpy – Composition diagram
 Single Effect Vapour Absorption System
• In the single effect vapour absorption cycle using lithium bromide – water as working Evaporator (E),
Absorber (A), Generator (G), Condenser(C), Precooler (PC), Preheater (PH) and Pump are the main
components of this system. Single stage systems operate under two pressures. An evaporator and
absorber work at low pressure while the generator and condenser work at high pressure.

Fig. Single effect vapour absorption refrigeration system

 Double Effect Vapour Absorption System

• Double Effect series flow vapour absorption system consists of two generators: a
main generator (G) and a secondary generator (SG), and two condensers: a
secondary condenser (SC) and a main condenser (C) which rejects heat to the
surrounding.
• The main generator (G) and the secondary condenser (SC) work at high pressure (P3
= Pg) while the secondary generator (SG) and the main condenser (C) operate at
medium pressure (P2 = Pc).
• The evaporator and the absorber work at low pressure (P1 = Pe = Pa). In the system,
liquid refrigerant evaporates after absorbing latent heat of vaporization in an
evaporator and passing to an absorber through precooler. In absorber refrigerant is
absorbed by strong solution and thus forming weak solution.
• This weak solution is pumped to the main generator (G) through two heat
exchangers (i.e. PH1 and PH2). The weak solution at state 1 is pumped from the
absorber to the main generator (G) through two heat exchangers (i.e. PH1 and
PH2).Solution in the main generator is heated to vaporize refrigerant vapour from
the strong solution.
• The Primary refrigerant vapour goes from main generator (G) to secondary
condenser (SC) in which heat of condensation is rejected and this rejected heat is
utilised by secondary generator (SG). The strong solution thus formed in the main
generator goes to secondary generator through PH2.
• This strong solution in the secondary generator utilises heat forming additional
refrigerant vapour which flows to the main condenser. The primary and secondary
vapour condenses in the main condenser and this liquid refrigerant flows to an
evaporator through precooler and throttle valve.
Fig. Double effect series flow vapour absorption refrigeration
system
 Vapour Absorption Refrigeration System

In a vapour absorption refrigeration system, the refrigeration

temperature is -15ᵒC. The generator is operated by solar heat where the
temperature reached is 110ᵒC.The temperature of the heat sink is 55ᵒC.
What is the maximum possible COP of the system?