1st International Conference on Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning
May, 2009, Tehran, Iran
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System design and optimization of a water-lithium bromide double-effect absorption system
B. Borzou 1, F.Sadeghpour 2
1
Amirkabir University of Technology, School of Mechanical Engineering; Bijan.borzou@aut.ac.ir
2
Amirkabir University of Technology, School of Mechanical Engineering; Fatemeh.sadeghpoor@gmail.com
Abstract
The advanced absorption technology proposed by
authors can be applied for cooling, heating,
dehumidifying, combined cooling and heating, and so
on. This investigation involved the development of a
numerical model for the transient simulation of the
double-effect, water-1ithium bromide absorption
cooling machine, and the use of the model to determine
the effect of the various design and input variables on
the absorption unit performance. The sensitivity
analysis was also performed. The dynamic model
should be valuable as a design tool for developing new
absorption machines or modifying current machines to
make them optimal based on current and future energy
costs.
Keywords: Absorption system; water-lithium bromide;
double effect cycle; simulation; sensitivity analysis;
Introduction
In recent years, theoretical and experimental researches
on the absorption refrigeration system (ARS) have
increased, because these systems harness inexpensive
energy sources (like waste heat from gas and steam
turbines, solar, geothermal, biomass) in comparison to
vapor compression systems. Besides, ARSs cause no
ecological dangers, such as depletion of ozone layer and
global warming, and hence they are environment-
friendly. The ozone layer, CFC-free conventional
compression systems are currently being developed
[1,2], mainly with HFCs. Nevertheless, these new
refrigerants produce some greenhouse effect and
increase CO2 emision and therefore might be banned in
the next decades [1]. As already known, ARSs using
water–lithium bromide working fluid pair are used
extensively in air-conditioning and other high-
temperature applications. However, with water as the
refrigerant, they are not suitable for use in any
applications where the evaporator is below 0°C. A
suitable working fluid is one of the most important
factors affecting the performance of the ARSs. Hence
many researchers have focused on investigating new
working fluid pairs to improve the performance of the
ARSs.Water-based vapor-absorption refrigeration
system with four binary mixtures has been used in the
study by Jelinek et al [3]. Darwish et al [4] has provided
thermodynamic properties of ammonia-based binary
mixtures and the performances of the cycles were
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compared using the first law of thermodynamics. This
investigation involved the development of a numerical
model for the transient simulation of the double-effect,
water-1ithium bromide absorption cooling machine, and
the use of the model to determine the effect of the
various design and input variables on the absorption unit
performance. The performance parameters considered
were coefficient of performance and cooling capacity.
The sensitivity analysis was performed by selecting a
"nominal condition" and determining performance
sensitivity for each variable with others he1d constant
considered in the study include source hot water,
cooling water, and chilled water temperatures, source
hot water, cooling water, and chilled water flow rates,
solution circulation rate. Also an analysis of working
flow is done.
Thermodynamics of absorption cycle
The configuration of an absorption cycle can be quite
complex if extensive heat exchanges are implemented
among various streams within the cycle. A typical
example is the single effect generator-absorber heat
exchange (GAX) cycle. A typical water–lithium
bromide absorption refrigeration system is illustrated in
Figure 1. The system includes a generator, absorber,
condenser, evaporator, pump, expansion valves,
solution heat exchanger (SHE) and refrigerant heat
exchanger (RHE, pre-cooler). Mass balance equations
of the solution and lithium bromide at the generator can
be written as follows:
. . .
m& ws = m& ss + m& R (1)
. .
m& ws X ws = m& ss X ss (2)
The circulation ratio ( f ) can be defined as the ratio of
the mass flow rate of the solution through the pump to
the mass flow rate of the working fluid. It must be noted
that f represents the required pumping energy. It can be
expressed in terms of concentrations as follows:
.
mws X ss
f= = (3)
. X ss − X ws
mR
The measure of performance of refrigerators is
expressed in terms of COP, defined as:
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. generator. The salient feature of the double effect
QE concept is that a high COP is achieved, since the source
COP = . .
(4)
energy produces more refrigerant vapor. Thus, a larger
QE + W P cooling effect is achieved in the evaporator for the same
Also, mass flow rate of circulated refrigerant can be source energy, compared to a single effect unit. The
calculated as follows: disadvantages are that higher source temperatures are
needed in the double effect system and the system is
. somewhat more complex. However, with markedly
. Q increasing energy costs, the potentially greater COP
mR = E (5) makes the double effect system more attractive.
qE

Fig.1. Schematic diagram of single effect water-lithium

bromide ARS Fig.2. Schematic diagram of double effect water-lithium
bromide ARS
The equations for the first law of thermodynamics
(energy balance) for components of the ARS are Computer model
expressed as follows:
The numerical computer model for this investigation of
. . .
the water-lithium bromide double-effect absorption
QA = mR [h6 + ( f −1)h12 − f h7 ] = ma (h18 − h17) (6) cooling system was developed in the FORTRAN
language. Basically, the model requires the solution of a
. . .
large set of non- linear equations. The solution involves
Q C = m R (h1 − h2 ) = m a (h20 − h15 ) (7)
two methods. The first is an iterative method called the
QG = mR [h1 + ( f − 1)h10 − f h9 ] = mwv (h13 − h14 ) (8)
. . . “Wegstein Method for Algebraic Convergence”. The
second is the integration of a computed differential
. . . which is determined from the convergence step.
Q E = m R (h5 − h4 ) = m a (h15 − h16 ) (9) In mathematically defining a double-effect water-
. . . lithium-bromide absorption system, geometry must first
Q SHE = m R ( f − 1)(h10 − h11 ) = m R (h9 − h8 ) (10) be selected. Then equations for energy, mass, mass
. . . species, and state are written for each component in the
Q RHE = m R (h2 − h3 ) = m R f (h6 − h8 ) (11) system. The equations are arranged sequentially so that
variables solved for in one equation can be used in the
. . .
W P = m R f (h8 − h7 ) = m R f vR ( PC − PE )η P (12) solution of the next equation. This is continued to a
point where the next equation is implicit rather than
explicit. This chain of equations defines an iterative
loop to be solved by the "Wegstein Method".
Figure 2 shows the so-called double-effect absorption Because the number of design and input parameters
system, which utilizes two generators. The superheated which may be varied in a water-lithium bromide double-
refrigerant of the first generator is used as a heat source effect absorption unit is large, it is not feasible to
in the lower pressure second generator, to produce develop performance data for the entire range of these
additional refrigerant in the second generator. Ideally, quantities. For this reason the technique of varying one
the first generator's refrigerant will leave the second parameter at a time while holding all others at a
generator as saturated liquid at the pressure of the first "nominal condition" was applied. The result is a

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sensitivity scan of system performance for each of the circulation, the COP decreases almost linearly.
variables being analyzed, compared to the nominal Increasing the flow rate increases the capacity
condition. To good approximation, the individual asymptotically toward about 1.1. Increasing the
sensitivities can also be linearly combined over small circulation rate also has a tendency to narrow the
variations to determine system performance when concentration range over which the system operates.
varying multiple parameters. This affects the pressure levels in the system and makes
the second generator more effective at lower circulation
Results and discussion rates, a condition which in turn increases the COP, but
at the expense of capacity. An increased circulation rate
At the beginning a simulation of the water-lithium also allows greater heat transfer to occur in the
bromide mixture as working fluid of the ARS was done. generators, thus raising system capacity.
Figure 3 shows the characteristic curve of water-lithium Figure 11 and 12 depict the effect of Generator 1 and 2
bromide mixture in the constant pressure of 50kPa. areas on capacity and COP of the cycle. As can be seen
Figure 4 shows the effect of the source hot water increasing the area leads to increasing of capacity but
temperature on performance and capacity of the cycle. has no significant effect on COP.
As the hot water temperature increases, the COP Figure 13 shows the effect of Condenser area on the
increases asymptotically to about 1.37. Also the system’s performance. As can be seen clearly it has a
capacity, however, increases in an approximately linear similar increasing effect on Capacity and no important
fashion. The source hot water temperature is limited on effect on COP. Finally figures 15 and 16 show the
the high end by the crystallization limit, which occurs a similar effects of Evaporator and Heat Exchangers areas
t 320°F. It is limited a t low temperature to about 190 F, on system performance.
where the COP and capacity approach zero.
Figure 5 shows the effect of cooling water temperature.
The COP remains nearly constant until rather high-
temperature cooling water is used, beyond which
system performance degrades sharply. The capacity of
the system, on the other hand, is a nearly linear
decreasing function of cooling water temperature. The
cooling water temperature is limited at low temperature
by the crystallization limit, which occurs near 52°F. The
upper range is limited to approximately 108 F, where
both COP and capacity approach zero.
Drawing1Figure 6 shows the effect of the chilled water
exiting temperature on system performance. As this
temperature increases, the COP asymptotically increases
to a maximum of about 1.54, and the capacity increases
in a linear fashion. The lower limit on chilled water
temperature is determined by the approach temperature
in the evaporator and the freezing point of water. These
results show that for the highest machine performance,
the highest chilled water temperature that is acceptable
for the application should be used. Figure 7 shows the
effect of source hot water flow rate. The COP is, for all
Fig.3. Characteristic curve of water-lithium bromide mixture
practical purposes, independent of this parameter. The
capacity of the system, however, is dependent on source in the constant pressure of 50kPa
hot water flow rate at low flows, but asymptotically
approaches 1.05 (10.5 tons) for high flows. Figure 8
gives the system performance as a function of cooling
water flow rate. Both COP and capacity are asymptotic
functions of this variable. The COP reaches a limiting
value of 1.4, while the capacity approaches about 1.2.
The chilled water flow rate as shown in Figure 9 does
not significantly affect system performance. The very
slight decrease in capacity with flow rate is due
primarily to the method used in the program model,
which specifies the chilled water exit temperature. As
the flow rate increases, the chilled water inlet
temperature decreases, resulting in a lower effective
temperature difference for heat transfer. This lower
effective temperature difference is, however, offset by a
rising overall heat transfer coefficient due to increasing Fig.4.The effect of source hot water temperature on the COP
the flow. Figure 10 shows the performance due to and Capacity
variations in solution circulation rate. With increased

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Fig.5.The effect of cooling water temperature on the COP and Fig.8.The effect of cooling water flow rate on the
Capacity COP and Capacity

Fig.6.The effect of chilled water temperature on the COP Fig.9.The effect of chilled water flow rate on the
and Capacity COP and Capacity

Fig.7.The effect of source hot water flow rate on the Fig.10.The effect solution flow rate on the COP and
COP and Capacity Capacity

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Fig.11.The effect of Generator 1 area on the COP and Fig.14.The effect of Evaporator area on the COP and
Capacity Capacity

Fig.12.The effect of Generator 2 area on the COP and Fig.15.The effect of Heat Exchanger area on the COP and
Capacity Capacity

The purpose of this study has been to design a more

Fig.13.The effect of Condenser area on the COP and
Capacity
efficient absorption refrigeration system and to
determine the optimal operating conditions. In this
study, a numerical model for the transient simulation of
the double-effect, water-1ithium bromide absorption
cooling machine, was developed and the model was
used to determine the effect of the various design and
input variables on the absorption unit performance. The
performance parameters considered were coefficient of
performance and cooling capacity. The sensitivity
analysis was performed by selecting a "nominal
condition" and determining performance sensitivity for
each variable with others held constant.

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References
[1] Berhane H. Gebreslassie, Gonzalo Guillén-
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[2] Jaime Sieres, Jose Fernandez-Seara, Francisco J.
Uhia, Experimental characterization of the rectification
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large-specific-area corrugated sheet structured packing,
internationa l journal of refrigeration xxx (2009)1–1.
[3] M. Jelinek, A. Levy, I. Borde, Density of organic
binary mixtures from equilibrium measurements,
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[4] N.A. Darwish, S.H. Al-Hashimi, and A.S. Al-
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[5] Ursula Eicker, Dirk Pietruschka, Design and
performance of solar powered absorption cooling
systems in office buildings, Energy and Buildings 41
(2009) 81–91.
[6] Jesús Cerezo , Mahmoud Bourouis, Manel Vallès ,
Alberto Coronas, Roberto Best, Experimental study of
an ammonia–water bubble absorber using a plate heat
exchanger for absorption refrigeration machines,
Applied Thermal Engineering 29 (2009) 1005–1011.
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