Heat RecoverySystem~& ClIP Vol. 8, No. 4, pp.

375--377,1988
Printed in Great Britain, Pergamon P~J
0890-4332/88 $3.00+ .0O
plc

TECHNICAL NOTE

DESIGN PARAMETERS OF AN AQUA-AMMONIA

VAPOUR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

K. P. TYAGI
Corporate Research and Development of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Bharat Heavy Electricals
Ltd., Vikasnagar, Hyderabad 500593, India

(Received 13 October 1987;/n revisedform 20 November 1987)

Aklraet--In order to avoid the tedious work of referring to the tables, charts or equations of
pressure-temperature--concentration-enthalpy, etc., for determining the coefficient of performance of
aqua--Rmmonia vapottr absorption systems WAR), the coefficient of performance and mass flow rates
have been plotted as a function of operating parameten, i.e. absorber, evaporator and generator
temperatures. These charts can be used by marketing engineers for predicting the performance character-
istics of aqua-ammonia VAR systems.

The coefficient o f performance and mass flow rates are the important parameters for the design
o f v a p o u r absorption refrigeration systems. The coefficient o f performance ( C O P ) o f v a p o u r
absorption refrigeration (VAR) is the ratio o f refrigerant effects to the heat input to the generator.
Thus, the C O P o f the V A R system as shown in Fig. 1 m a y be expressed as

cop =
h,o- / b (i)
M4h4 + M~h~ - Mshs"
The ratio o f mass flow rate o f strong solution to the refrigerant mass flow rate m a y be written as

w = = x, - x, (2)
M, X3- X,'
Refrl~tmnt(~
I
Condenser
t
Qc

®
t°t~~-'~r~
Cont
I_____~L
rol votva"
i

®
®

EvopomtoJr
Qo
Fig. 1.
375
376 K . P . T¥.4.GI

Absorber ond condenser

0.8 ~..o- ~ .o- _ m o-.-m ---o-.. ~ .~ ~ "'=~-.. temperoture (°C)
1.25
I ~.~" ~'-*~ ":~,.. 2.35 =
/ ~" .,~ ~.~ -~

o.ot_,,, / / ,/ ,-'I

~ fI/ //l//// //
/ / / / /
Ev°p°rot°r ~8

t=~ot.~ (-c)
°21-
/ I
' /
/
/
/
/ / -s= °
o::
o, I- / - / ,o.o
/ I I I ~ I I I I I I I
55 60 65 70 7=3 80 81~ 90 ¢J~ I00 105 I I0 I 15
Generotor temperoture (°C)

Fig. 2.

where h = enthalpy in kCal kg -l, M = mass flow rate, kg h -] and X = weight concentration
(weight of refrigerant per unit weight of solution).
In order to calculate the COP and mass flow rates, prcssurc--tcmperature-concentration (P-T-X)
charts and tables, enthalpy-temperaturc-conccntration (h-T-X) charts and tables, refrigerant
pressurc-cnthalpy charts and tables, etc., arc needed. The coefficients of performance and m ~ flow
rates are functions of evaporator temperature (T,), absorber temperature (Ta), condenser tem-
perature (T:), generator temperature (Tg) and properties of the binary solution (p) used in the
system. Thus,
COP =f(T=, Ta, T=, T,,p), (3)
i,v = f ( r , , T,, r¢, r,,p). (4)

Evoporotor
0.8 tempqm~hJm (=C)
-5=o

0.7 5-~

/ / / f .,' ...,.__~.-,--~,.
o., i' / / / / f- _~-~'.g>~
° I / / / i I" / I""~--'~:N
o.,ilI I
I I
I f I !/ i
! /
/ -'~
o:~- I I I I--~ i /
II/ I /l /I jI r . /! / I [i temperature
.~,o,,.~.._.=~,,,,,
PC)
o.,I- I I I ! ! I f i)lo ....
//~<1..__!, / / I
A li
l I I
i I
!
II I
2:~ I I t
55 60 65 70 75 80 ~15 90 95 I00 105 I I0 115

Generotor temperature ('C)

Fig. 3.
 Design of an aqua-ammonia vapour refrigeration system 377

0.8
Absorber teml~roture (=C)
25 • Condenser temperature ,Absorber temperature
0.7 30 •
35 • "
40. -~=p--
0.6

~013 •~

o
~5 60 65 70 7[$ 80 ~ 90 95 I00 105 | I0 115
Generotor temperoture ('C)

Fig. 4.

In order to avoid the tedious work of referring to the tables and charts of binary solution and
refrigerant, the COP and mass flow rates for the aqua-ammonia refrigeration system (the most
common vapour absorption refrigeration system (in use) have been evaluated and are plotted in
Figs 2-4 for the following operating parameters: (1) absorber-condenser temperature = 25, 30, 35,
40°C; (2) evaporator temperature = - 5 , 0, 5, 10°C; (3) generator temperature = 5:5-115°C.