Thermodynamic performance analysis of a novel air conditioning system integrating solar absorption compression refrigeration and vacuum membrane-based dehumidification (SACV)

• Published in: Energy and buildings 2023-06, Vol.288, p.113021, Article 113021
• Main Authors: Liu, Dong, Yuan, Lunrui, Chun, Liang, Gong, Guangcai, Fang, Xi, Wang, Hongshun, Yang, Bing, Yang, Yahua, Shang, Yu, Peng, Pei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption refrigeration; Dehumidification air conditioning; Membrane dehumidification; Solar energy; Temperature and humidity independent control
• ISSN: 0378-7788
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.113021

•A novel solar energy air-coniditioning system is proposed, namely SACV system.•A thermodynamic model of the SACV system is established and validated.•A method for determining the collector area is also proposed.•A systematical performance analysis of the SACV system is carried out. For solar absorption cooling systems, it is difficult to generate lower chilled water for dehumidifying and cooling, as well as facing intermittency problems. In this work, the novel SACV system for indoor temperature and humidity control is proposed, which integrates the SSAR subsystem, the VCR subsystem, and the VMD subsystem. The VMD subsystem and the VCR subsystem solve the dehumidification difficulty and all-weather heating and cooling problems, respectively. This work also proposes a method for determining the collector area that avoids frequent start-ups and shutdowns of the VCR subsystem. Besides, a thermodynamic model of the SACV system is established and validated, and a systematical performance analysis of the SACV system is carried out. For the SACV system, the sensitivity of the parameters to the MCOP is also discussed. Results indicate that the outdoor air temperature, the latent heat load ratio, and the solar radiation intensity are the key parameters for designing the SACV system; further, the evaporation temperature and the permeate side pressure are the key parameters for the SACV system optimization. The SACV system is more suitable for high-humidity environments. Moreover, during the cooling season, the SACV system of a commercial building can realize a power saving rate of 39.82% compared to the conventional VCR system. The proposed SACV system of a commercial building can reduce 19653.59 kg/year carbon emission compared to the conventional VCR system in Nanjing. The carbon reduction rate of the SACV system in the selected cities is rather similar, about 36.78%–39.79%.