Energetic, exergetic, economic, and environmental analysis of microchannel membrane-based absorption refrigeration system driven by various energy sources

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) 2022-01, Vol.239, p.122193, Article 122193
• Main Authors: Zhai, Chong, Wu, Wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption; Absorption refrigeration system; Carbon dioxide; Carbon dioxide emissions; Cooling; Cost analysis; Economic analysis; Energo-economic analysis; Energo-environmental analysis; Energy; Energy resources; Energy sources; Environmental impact; Evacuated tube solar collector; Exergy; Heat exchangers; Membranes; Microchannel membrane-based; Microchannels; Natural gas; Refrigeration; Solar collectors; Solar energy; Thermodynamics
• ISSN: 0360-5442; 1873-6785
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2021.122193

Microchannel membrane-based absorption refrigeration system (MMARS) shows its advantages in efficiency and compactness over the conventional absorption refrigeration systems. This paper investigates the MMARS driven by three energy sources, namely natural gas heater, electric heater, and evacuated tube solar collector, in terms of energy, exergy, economy, and environment. Under a targeted cooling capacity of 2.5 kW, MMARS improves the coefficient of performance (COP) and volumetric cooling capacity (qv) respectively by 11.7% and 119.6% compared to the horizontal falling-film system. A thorough exergy analysis shows that the largest exergy destruction rates are produced by desorber (38.27%), absorber (25.03%), and solution heat exchanger (14.12%). Economic analysis indicates that if the initial cost of the solar collector is reduced by 50%, the solar-driven MMARS will perform the best in levelized cooling capacity cost (LCC) with a lifetime above 12 years. The environmental analysis presents that the solar-driven MMARS produces the smallest levelized cooling capacity equivalent CO2 emission (LCCE) among all the refrigeration systems, which alleviates the environmental impact on the user side. Therefore, the solar-driven MMARS is a potential system to achieve carbon neutrality in the refrigeration field. •Membrane-based ARS improves the system COP and compactness by 11.7% and 119.6%.•The largest exergy destruction rate in MMARS is produced by the desorber (38.27%).•If solar collector cost is reduced by 50%, solar-MMARS will be the most economical.•Solar-MMARS alleviates the emission on the user side with less energy consumption.•Solar-MMARS has potential to achieve carbon neutrality in the refrigeration field.