ABSTRACT

Experimental and numerical investigations of an air cooled diffusion-absorption machine operating with a binary light hydrocarbon mixture (C₄H₁₀/C₉H₂₀) as working fluid and helium as pressure equalizing inert gas are presented in this paper. The machine made of copper -an available and very good heat conducting metal- was designed, constructed and experimentally analysed. Its cooling capacity is 30-40 W. Cold is produced at temperatures between −10 and +10°C for a driving temperature in the range 120-150°C. The maximum COP approaches 0.175. A thermodynamic model for the machine is then developed. The cycle performance was parametrically studied by computer simulation for 1 kW cooling capacity design. Present experimental and simulation data are expected to provide useful information for determination of the design parameters for a solar powered machine.