HOT STREAM ENERGY SCAVENGING FOR ABSORPTION

REFRIGERATION
J. C. Ordonez, H. Cortes, T. Tracy, Q. Straub
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Center for Advanced Power Systems, Florida State University,
E-mail: ordonez@caps.fsu.edu

Abstract. This paper focuses on the experimental characterization of a

heat recovery system used to drive a small-scale absorption refrigerator.
The experimental setup consists of a hot stream generator with flow and
temperature control and a heat exchanger that intercepts the hot stream
and drives an absorption refrigeration unit. Preliminary results indicate at
o
or sub zero ( C) temperatures at the evaporator and refrigeration unit
cold space. The effects of hot stream mass flow rate and hot stream inlet
temperature on the performance of the absorption unit and its potential
for energy recovery are studied. Test runs of the refrigerator with a hot
stream mass flow rate of 0.97g/s, 1.09g/s, and 1.74 g/s and inlet
temperatures of 297C, 362C, and 475C were observ ed. Minimum
refrigeration temperature and pull down time were two parameters that
were examined. The data from these experimental tests trends were
analyzed to determine if an optimal hot stream mass flow rate and inlet
temperature exists.

Key words: Absorption Refrigeration, Heat Recovery

1. Introduction
In the context of todays energy situation, increased energy efficiency is perhaps the aspect on
which engineering solutions are most likely to contribute in the near future. Technologies that have
been proposed and studied for decades are now being found to be economically advantageous. An
example of a technology that has benefit from this renewed interest is that of absorption
refrigeration [1-7], and especially waste heat driven absorption refrigeration. Absorption refrigeration
differs from the more conventionally used vapor compression refrigeration in that it can be powered
from a heat source instead of a compressor. This allows absorption refrigerators to take advantage
of wasted hot stream energy sinks. This makes them economically advantageous since this energy
would otherwise be lost.
2. Background
This paper examines an absorption refrigerator that utilizes a continuous cycle. The continuouscycle absorption refrigerator is shown in Figure 1 below.

Fig. 1. Diagram of Continuous Absorption

Refrigeration Cycle [5]

Fig. 2. Back of Absorption Fridge

First, heat is supplied by either a small gas flame inside the tube at (A), or a small electric burner at
(B). The flame or burner heats a strong ammonia-water solution inside of the boiler at (C). The
entire refrigeration system is under a large enough pressure to keep the ammonia inside of the
boiler in a liquid state at room temperature. The applied heat raises the temperature of the solution
to the point where the ammonia begins to boil out of the solution. The bubbles of ammonia vapor
rise, pushing ahead of them small quantities of the leftover weak ammonia-water solution. The
bubbles of ammonia are carried through the vapor pipe at (E), while the left ammonia-water solution
pushed by the ammonia bubbles is left around the boiler to fill the weak solution tube at (D). The
ammonia vapor that passes through vapor tube next passes through a water separator, where any
leftover water vapor attached to the ammonia bubbles is removed and passed back to the boiler for
reuse.
The following steps of the absorption cycle are powered by gravity. After the dry ammonia passes
through the separator, the vapor passes through a condenser, where heat-exchanging fins work
with the surrounding flowing air to remove heat from the ammonia vapor and condense it back to a
liquid. The liquid ammonia then flows from the condenser to the evaporator. The evaporator is an
area of the refrigeration unit filled with a charge of hydrogen gas, which works off of Daltons Law of
Partial Pressures. Daltons Law states that the total pressure of gases in a fixed chamber is equal to
the pressures of the separate gases if each gas occupied the chamber separately, added together.
As the liquid ammonia flows underneath the hydrogen gas, the pressure of the liquid ammonia is
reduced and the ammonia begins to evaporate. As the ammonia evaporates, it draws heat from the
surrounding evaporator, which in turn draws heat from the inside of the refrigeration space. This is
the stage that creates the cooling function of the absorption cycle.
After the evaporation, the mixture of ammonia and hydrogen gas flows through a series of curved
pipes, called the absorber. In these pipes flows the leftover weak ammonia solution that was
pushed out of the boiler by the ammonia vapor bubbles, at (D). As the weak solution and ammonia
flow downward through the absorber tubes, the solution absorbs the ammonia vapor and becomes
a strong ammonia solution once again. The strong ammonia solution is then retained in the
absorber vessel, before flowing back into the boiler to repeat the absorption process. The hydrogen
continues to circulate around the absorber vessel and tubes to force evaporation of the liquid
ammonia.

3. Experimental Methodology
The absorption refrigerator used is illustrated in Figure 2. It is a DOMETIC refrigerator model RM3
2193 with a refrigerated space volume of 0.18 m . It can be operated through an electrical
resistance or with LP gas. The back of the absorption unit is shown in Figure 2.

Fig. 3. Absorption Unit Layout

This absorption refrigerator was converted from its electrical resistance/LP gas system to a hot
stream system. This was done by coupling a variable hot stream generator with flow control to the
original heat exchanger in the system. To allow for experimental analysis various temperatures
were taken throughout the system to analyze its performance. Figure 3 shows the layout of the
system and the points at which data was collected.
A LabVIEW program running on a PC and a National Instruments PXI system were used for data
acquisition. A screen of the LabVIEW implementation can be seen in Figure 4. The PXI has the
connections to all temperature sensors indicated in Figure 3. The data acquisition system is shown
in Figures 5 and 6.

Fig. 4. Screenshot of LabVIEW program

used to acquire system temperatures

Fig. 5. PXI device

4. Results and Discussion

The modified absorption refrigerator was subjected to various input conditions. In Figures 6 through
14 three different flows at various temperature inputs were tested to see how much time it would
take to draw the internal refrigerator temperature to sub-zero ranges. By examining this graph we
can see they all display a similar pattern. There is an initial warm up time of about 20 minutes
before any major temperature fluctuation is seen at the evaporator. This is because it requires time
for the apparatus to reach a stable operating temperature in which the thermal siphon pump within
the refrigerator can start working properly. Another common occurrence within this warm up time is
that just prior to the initial temperature decrease at the evaporator there is a drastic slope change in
the generator temperature. This is an indicator that the operating fluid inside the thermal siphon
pump is undergoing a phase change thus drawing the fluid up the generator and beginning the
continuous absorption refrigeration cycle.

Fig. 6. 5.23 m/s (1.74 g/s flow) setting with

hot stream inlet temperature of 475C

Fig. 7. 5.23 m/s (1.74 g/s flow) setting with

hot stream inlet temperature of 362C

Fig. 8. 5.23 m/s (1.74 g/s flow) setting with

hot stream inlet temperature of 297C

Fig. 9. 3.26 m/s (1.09 g/s flow) setting with

hot stream inlet temperature of 475C

Fig. 10. 3.26 m/s (1.09 g/s flow) setting with

hot stream inlet temperature of 362C

Fig. 11. 3.26 m/s (1.09 g/s flow) setting with hot
stream inlet temperature of 297C

Fig. 12. 2.91 m/s (0.97 g/s flow) setting with

hot stream inlet temperature of 475C

Fig. 13. 2.91 m/s (0.97 g/s flow) setting with hot
stream inlet temperature of 362C
20
5.23
3.26
2.91
15

10

-5

-10
250

300

350

400

450

Inlet Temperature (C)

Fig. 14. 2.91 m/s (0.97 g/s flow) setting with

hot stream inlet temperature of 297C

Fig. 15. Minimum temperature

versus inlet temperature

500

Figure 15 represents the minimum evaporator temperature versus the inlet temperature for the
entire set of flow rates given above. By examining the graph it can be seen that the minimum
temperature shows signs of exponential decay as the temperature increases for each respective
flow rate. Due to these facts one can determine that the changes in cooling effect caused by the
increased inlet temperature and flow rate diminish as the temperature and flow rates are increased.
An additional point needs to be addressed, because of the design of the absorption refrigerator
there will be a point at which an increase in temperature will cause detrimental effects to the cooling
ability of the refrigerator. This point was not achieved by this experiment but at that point all the
solution within the thermal siphon pump will become a gas and the thermal siphon pump will cease
to work, fully stopping the cooling effect of this cycle.
Two separate pull down time analysis were also performed on the system. The pull down time was
started at 18.5C because at this point all of the setups had warmed up fully and were consistently
decreasing in temperature. One of the stopping times was placed at 12.5C because all the setups
were capable of reaching 12.5C. A secondary time was recorded at 0C. Figure 16 shows the
pull down times from 18.5C to 12.5C. This graph shows exponential decay as both inlet
temperature increases and flow rate increases. As the inlet temperature increases the difference in
the pull down time from one flow rate to another also decreases. The minimum pull down time
achieved by the flow rate of 1.74 g/s (5.23 m/s) and a 475C flow is 6.81 minutes.
140
5.23
3.26
2.91

120

120
5.23
3.26
2.91

110

100
100

80

90

60

80

70

40

60

20
50
350

0
250

300

350

400

450

500

400

450

500

Inlet Temperature (C)

Inlet Temperature (C)

Fig. 16. Pull down time from

18.5C to 12.5C

Fig. 17. Pull down time from

18.5C to 0C

Figure 17 shows the pull down times from 18.5C to 0C. The first thing visible from this graph is
the inability for all flow rate inlet temperature combinations to reach 0C. The lowest inlet
temperature setting of 297C was unable to produce evaporator temperature of 0C for all flow
rates tested. This graph shows similar trends to Figure 17. The fastest measured pull down time of
53.86 minutes was achieved with an inlet temperature of 475C and a flow rate of 1.74 g/s (5.23
m/s). From these three graphs we can determine that there is a maximum point at which the
system is capable of extracting heat from a hot stream. The rate of decay of each of these systems
may vary with each temperature and flow rate combination but all combinations are trending
towards one maximum point. It should be noted that this experimental setup did not yield the
maximum previously mentioned.

5. Conclusion
This paper examined one possible application of an absorption refrigeration cycle in which
scavenged hot stream gases are used to drive a small absorption refrigerator. In this experiment a
hot stream generator forces hot gas through a heat exchanger, which by way of heat transfer,
powers the absorption refrigerator. The mass flow rate and inlet temperature of the hot stream gas
were varied and its effect on the systems operating parameters, specifically temperatures at
specific locations on the apparatus were recorded. In the domain of this experiment, the cooling
capacity increased as flow rate and inlet temperature were increased. In the system studied the
minimum time of 53.86 minutes to pull the refrigerator temperature down from 18.5C to 0C was
achieved by a flow rate 1.74 g/s (5.23 m/s) and inlet temperature of 475C. This system was also
capable of reaching a minimum temperature of -4.53C using the same parameters just previously
stated. Future testing will allow the determination of and optimal hot stream flow rate and
temperature for maximum thermodynamic performance.
Acknowledgment
J.C. Ordonez acknowledge with gratitude support from the Office of Naval Research under the
Electric Ship and Research Consortium.

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