Exergetic Analysis of A Double Stage LiBrH2O

Energy Conversion and Management 46 (2005) 1029–1042
www.elsevier.com/locate/enconman
Exergetic analysis of a double stage LiBr–H2O thermal

compressor cooled by air/water and driven by low grade heat
a,*,1 b,1 b,1 c
M. Izquierdo , M. Venegas , N. Garcı́a , E. Palacios
a
Instituto C.C. Eduardo Torroja (CSIC), Edificacion y Habitabilidad, C. Serrano Galvache, 4, 28033 Madrid, Spain
b
Departamento de Ingenierı́a Térmica y de Fluidos, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Avda. Universidad, 30,
28911 Leganés, Madrid, Spain
c
Departamento de Mecánica Industrial, EUITI, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ronda de Valencia, 3, 28012 Madrid,
Spain
Received 22 March 2004; accepted 30 June 2004

Available online 1 September 2004
Abstract
In the present paper, an exergetic analysis of a double stage thermal compressor using the lithium bro-
mide–water solution is performed. The double stage system considered allows obtaining evaporation tem-
peratures equal to 5 C using solar heat coming from flat plate collectors and other low grade thermal
sources. In this study, ambient air and water are alternatively used as cooling fluids without crystallization
problems up to condensation–absorption temperatures equal to 50 C. The results obtained give the
entropy generated, the exergy destroyed and the exergetic efficiency of the double stage thermal compressor
as a function of the absorption temperature. The conclusions obtained show that the irreversibilities gen-
erated by the double stage thermal compressor will tend to increase with the absorption temperature up to
45 C. The maximum value corresponds to 1.35 kJ kg1 K1. The entropy generated and the exergy
destroyed by the air cooled system are higher than those by the water cooled one. The difference between
the values increases when the absorption temperature increases. For an absorption temperature equal to 50
C, the air cooled mode generates 14% more entropy and destroys 14% more exergy than the water cooled
one. Also, the results are compared with those of previous studies for single and double effect air cooled and
*
Corresponding author. Tel./fax: +34 91 871 3248.
E-mail address: mizquierdo@ietcc.csic.es (M. Izquierdo).
1
Unidad Asociada de Ingenierı́a Térmica y de Fluidos CSIC-UC3M.
0196-8904/$ - see front matter 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2004.06.016
1030 M. Izquierdo et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 46 (2005) 1029–1042
water cooled thermal compressors. The conclusions show that the double stage system has about 22% less
exergetic efficiency than the single effect one and 32% less exergetic efficiency than the double effect one.
2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Double stage thermal compressor; Low-grade heat; Entropy generated; Exergy destroyed; Exergetic
efficiency
1. Introduction
Cooling through absorption cycles has been traditionally considered one of the most desirable
applications for residual and renewable energy sources. In the same way, the ability to use low
grade heat, such as that obtained from fuel cells and residual heat from engines, is a strong reason
for using absorption machines. Some fuel cells employ the mechanism where hydrogen is sepa-
rated from methane, and then the hydrogen is ionized and reacts with oxygen, producing an elec-
tric current and water vapor. This water vapor, at a temperature of about 60–85 C, can be used
to feed a single effect absorption cooling cycle. Other facts, as independence from electric grids,
reduction of CO2 emissions and use of natural refrigerants, contribute to increase the attractive-
ness of absorption refrigeration systems.
The interest in absorption refrigeration systems operated with low temperature heat has in-
creased considerably in the last years [1–4]. Lamp and Ziegler [5] reviewed the European efforts
in this direction for solar air conditioning applications and highlighted the most outstanding ideas
and experiences. They emphasize in their conclusions that remarkable advances are needed in
absorption technology.
Alternatives for using low temperature heat sources imply necessarily the use of absorption sys-
tems able to work with low grade heat, i.e. with temperatures lower than 90 C. To take advantage
of this heat at high condensation temperatures, advanced multistage absorption cycles should be
adopted. These cycles have lower COPs than standard ones but allow operation with generation
and condensation temperatures within the indicated limits [6].
Some experimental and theoretical works related to the use of low temperature heat using dou-
ble stage absorption systems include the works developed by Arzoz et al. [7], Venegas et al. [8],
Medrano et al. [9], Schweigler et al. [10], Lamp et al. [11] and Ziegler and Riesch [12]. Recently,
Sumathy et al. [2] reported the successful operation of a double stage absorption cycle for solar air
conditioning employing LiBr–H2O as the working pair, feeding the generators with hot water at
temperatures ranging from 60 to 75 C. Also, in a recent paper of Kim and Machielsen [13], the
authors conclude that single stage systems can yield higher average cooling efficiency than double
stage systems only with a vacuum tube collector or its comparable types. Further, they recom-
mend a low cost double stage chiller for use with flat plate collectors.
The final absorption temperature of air cooled systems is higher than that of similar water
cooled ones. As result, the temperature of the heat source driving the absorption machine is high-
er, decreasing the contribution of the low temperature heat source. An entropic balance taking
into account the entropy generation between internal fluids and between these and the external
fluids is also useful. However, there is little bibliography on the irreversibilities generated, which
can only be evaluated on the basis of the second law. Some works analyzing this problem include
M. Izquierdo et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 46 (2005) 1029–1042 1031
Nomenclature
COP coefficient of performance

E exergy, kJ s1
e specific exergy, kJ kg1
h specific enthalpy, kJ kg1
m mass flow, kg s1
Q heat, kJ s1
s specific entropy, kJ kg1 K1
T temperature, K
Tc condensation temperature, C
Tg generation temperature, C
W work, kJ s1
Subscripts
0 reference
a absorbers
cry crystallization
D destroyed
i inlet
g generators, generated
ef external fluid
he heat exchanger
o outlet
p pumps
r refrigerant
s solution
hp high pressure zone
lp low pressure zone
tv throttling valves
those developed by Izquierdo et al. [1], Adewusi and Zubair [14], Talbi and Agnew [15], Bisio [3],
Meunier et al. [16] and Chua et al. [17].
As far as we know, exergetic analyses of double stage air cooled and water cooled LiBr–H2O
cooling cycles integrated with low grade thermal systems are not available. In this paper, a
double stage air/water cooled LiBr–H2O cycle fed by solar energy from commercially available
flat plate collectors is investigated. Also, a low grade residual energy source can be used instead
of the solar system. The entropy generated, the exergy destroyed and the exergetic efficiency as
a function of the absorption temperature are calculated. The results are compared with those of
previous studies [1] for single and double effect thermal compressors cooled by air and water.
2. Low grade thermal system coupled to the absorption cooling system
Fig. 1 shows schematically an example of the combined system studied. It consists of flat plate
collectors heating water contained in the storage tank from which the two generators of the
absorption machine are fed. The extraction of stored heat to feed the generators starts when
the temperature of the water is high enough to be useful in the absorption cycle. The imposed
threshold is that the tank temperature be 10 C higher than the final generation temperature. This
temperature is taken to be the same in both generators. Similarly, in the case of using residual
energy sources, the temperature of the thermal fluid heating both generators is the same. The
evaporation temperature is equal to 5 C. Alternatively, an air cooled or water cooled heat rejec-
tion system is used in the absorbers and the condenser.
A calculation process was performed with the objective of determining the operating parame-
ters of the absorption system. The goal was to find the final generation temperature that allows
the best conversion of low temperature solar or residual heat into cooling. This generation tem-
perature, in the same way, should prevent the occurrence of crystallization inside the absorption
machine [6].
The analysis was performed by solving the heat and mass balance equations given by Venegas
et al. [8] for the double stage LiBr–H2O absorption cycle for the considered evaporation temper-
Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of the system.

Fig. 2. COP as a function of generation temperature.
ature and a wide range of condensation and generation temperatures. The absorption temperature
was considered to be equal to the condensation temperature.
Fig. 2 shows a plot of the obtained COP versus final generation temperature. The lines corre-
spond to different condensation temperatures ranging from 20 to 50 C. It can be seen that for
each condensation temperature, one generation temperature exists that yields the highest absorp-
tion cycle COP.
Table 1 summarizes the results obtained from the calculation process for various condensation
temperatures. Tg represents the generation temperature required for the double stage system. Tgcry
is the generation temperature for which crystallization would occur. The results in Table 1 show
the possibility of employing the LiBr–H2O solution, without the crystallization problem [6], using
Table 1
Operating parameters of the double stage absorption system
Tc (C) Tg (C) Tgcry (C) COP
25 42 68 0.46
30 52 70 0.44
35 60 72 0.43
40 69 75 0.42
45 77 78 0.41
50 80 81 0.37
low temperature solar heat coming from flat plate collectors, or residual heat, and condensation-
absorption temperatures as high as 50 C.
The double stage system analyzed is considered in the following. The irreversibilities generated
using low grade thermal sources and air/water cooled modes are determined. The entropy gener-
ation and exergy destruction models used and the results obtained are described in the following.
3. Entropy generated and exergy destroyed by the double stage thermal compressor
The physical exergetic balance applied to a fixed control volume is given by the following equa-
tion, according to Bejan et al. [18]:
X T0
X X
0¼ 1 Qj W cv þ mi ei mo eo ED ð1Þ
Tj
where Q is the heat transfer rate from or to the system, Wcv the mechanical power supplied by or
to the system, ED the exergy destroyed because of the internal irreversibilities and e the physical
component of the exergy transfer associated with the streams of matter. When the kinetic and po-
tential energies are neglected, according to Bejan et al. [18], the physical exergy ÔeÕ can be evaluated
as
e ¼ ðh h0 Þ T 0 ðs s0 Þ ð2Þ
The specific physical exergy of a flow of matter destroyed (eD) as a consequence of the specific
entropy generated (sg) can also be evaluated applying the Gouy–Stodola theorem as
eD ¼ T 0 sg ð3Þ
where T0 is the reference temperature. In the present work T0 = 298 K, which is the comfort tem-
perature. In the analysis that follows, heat losses to ambient air will not be taken into account.
The double stage thermal compressor is represented in Fig. 3. It consists of two absorbers, two
generators, two heat exchangers, the solution pumps and the throttling valves. The compressor,
driven by the heat produced by the field of solar collectors or the residual heat, absorbs the
low pressure refrigerant vapor (point 8) coming from the evaporator and by means of a compres-
sion produces refrigerant as superheated vapor at high pressure and high temperature (point 5).
To perform this transformation, the solution flow must be provided with work. This work is the
exergy of the external fluid heat that feeds the generators, and the exergy transferred to the solu-
tion by means of the pumps, driven by electricity. The heat necessary to drive this compressor can
be generated by a field of flat plate thermal solar collectors. Also, residual heat obtained from fuel
cells and engines can be used.
3.1. Generators
The external thermal fluid, pressurized hot water heated by flat plate solar collectors or coming
from residual sources, drives the compressor via the generators. The physical and thermodynamic
properties of the external thermal fluid have been evaluated taking into account that a tempera-
ture difference of 10 C between the concentrated solution coming out from the generators and the
Fig. 3. Diagram of the double stage thermal compressor.
external fluid inlet is necessary to transfer the heat to the solution in the generators. The thermal
fluid decreases its temperature by 7 C. The generators transfer the exergy associated with the heat
of the thermal fluid to the solution, rich in refrigerant. Referring to Fig. 3, this produces super-
heated refrigerant vapor, which separates from the solution. The concentrated solution returns
to the absorbers through the heat exchangers and the throttling valves.
The energy and mass balances given by Venegas et al. [8] allowed determining the heat trans-
ferred by the external fluid to the solution within the generators. The exergy of the fluids that enter
the generators is determined according to Izquierdo et al. [1]:
X
mig eig ¼ ðmefhpg þ meflpg Þðhig h0 Þ ðmefhpg þ meflpg ÞT 0 ðsig s0 Þ þ mshp ðh2a h0 Þ
mshp T 0 ðs2a s0 Þ þ mslp ðh2b h0 Þ mslp T 0 ðs2b s0 Þ ð4Þ
The exergy of the fluids leaving the generators is
X
mog eog ¼ ðmshp mr Þ½ðh3a h0 Þ T 0 ðs3a s0 Þ þ ðmslp mr Þ½ðh3b h0 Þ
T 0 ðs3b s0 Þ þ ðmefhpg þ meflpg Þðhog h0 Þ ðmefhpg þ meflpg ÞT 0 ðsog s0 Þ
þ mr ðh5 h0 Þ mr T 0 ðs5 s0 Þ þ mr ðhm h0 Þ mr T 0 ðsm s0 Þ ð5Þ
The exergy destroyed because of the irreversibilities in the heat transfer between the external
fluid and the solution is obtained by applying Eq. (1) and taking into account the energy and mass
balances.
EDg ¼ T 0 ½mr ðs5 s3a Þ þ mr ðsm s3b Þ þ mshp ðs3a s2a Þ þ mslp ðs3b s2b Þ
þ ðmefhpg þ meflpg ÞT 0 ðsog sig Þ ð6Þ
The first term is positive, while the second one is negative. The global balance is positive. The
generated entropy will be
S gg ¼ ½mr ðs5 s3a Þ þ mm ðsm s3b Þ þ mshp ðs3a s2a Þ þ mslp ðs3b s2b Þ
þ ðmefhpg þ meflpg Þðsog sig Þ ð7Þ
3.2. Solution heat exchangers
In this case, the following equation is obtained for the exergy of the fluids that enter the solu-
tion heat exchangers:
X
mihe eihe ¼ ðmshp mr Þ½ðh3a h0 Þ T 0 ðs3a s0 Þ þ ðmslp mr Þ½ðh3b h0 Þ T 0 ðs3b s0 Þ
þ mshp ðh1a h0 Þ þ mslp ðh1b h0 Þ mshp T 0 ðs1a s0 Þ mslp T 0 ðs1b s0 Þ ð8Þ
The exergy of the fluids leaving the solution heat exchangers can be expressed as
X
mohe eohe ¼ ðmshp mr Þ½ðh4a h0 Þ T 0 ðs4a s0 Þ þ ðmslp mr Þ½ðh4b h0 Þ T 0 ðs4b s0 Þ
þ mshp ðh2a h0 Þ þ mslp ðh2b h0 Þ mshp T 0 ðs2a s0 Þ mslp T 0 ðs2b s0 Þ ð9Þ
Finally, the exergy destroyed because of the irreversibilities in the heat transfer between the
concentrated and dilute solution flows is obtained by
EDhe ¼ ðmshp mr ÞT 0 ðs4a s3a Þ þ ðmslp mr ÞT 0 ðs4b s3b Þ þ mshp T 0 ðs2a s1a Þ
þ mslp T 0 ðs2b s1b Þ ð10Þ
The first two terms are negative, while the other two are positive. The balance of exergy destruc-
tion is positive and the production of entropy is
S ghe ¼ ðmshp mr Þðs4a s3a Þ þ ðmslp mr Þðs4b s3b Þ þ mshp ðs2a s1a Þ þ mslp ðs2b s1b Þ ð11Þ
3.3. Solution pumps
The pumps transport the dilute solution (rich in refrigerant) in the liquid state from the suction
side (absorber) to the discharge side (generator), raising its pressure. The power of the pumps wp is
obtained from
0 ¼ wphp mshp h1a þ mshp h10a ð12Þ
0 ¼ wplp mslp h1b þ mslp h10b ð13Þ

The exergy of the solution at the intake (ip) and impulsion (op) of the solution pumps is
obtained using the following equations:
X
mip eip ¼ mshp ðh10a h0 Þ þ mslp ðh10b h0 Þ T 0 mshp ðs10a s0 Þ T 0 mslp ðs10b s0 Þ
whp wlp ð14Þ
X
mop eop ¼ mshp ðh1a h0 Þ þ mslp ðh1b h0 Þ T 0 mshp ðs1a s0 Þ T 0 mslp ðs1b s0 Þ ð15Þ
The destroyed exergy and the entropy generated are, respectively:
EDp ¼ mshp T 0 ðs1a s10a Þ þ mslp T 0 ðs1b s10b Þ > 0 ð16Þ
S gp ¼ mshp ðs1a s10a Þ þ mslp ðs1b s10b Þ ð17Þ
3.4. Throttling valves
This component reduces the pressure of the concentrated solution from the high pressure zone
(generators) towards the low pressure zone (absorbers). The following equations show the energy
balances through the pressure reduction valves:
0 ¼ ðmshp mr Þh4a ðmshp mr Þh11a ð18Þ
0 ¼ ðmslp mr Þh4b ðmslp mr Þh11b ð19Þ

The exergies of the solution at the entrance and the exit of the pressure reduction valves are
given by
X
mitv eitv ¼ ðmshp mr Þðh4a h0 Þ þ ðmslp mr Þðh4b h0 Þ T 0 ðmshp mr Þðs4a s0 Þ
T 0 ðmslp mr Þðs4b s0 Þ ð20Þ
X
motv eotv ¼ ðmshp mr Þðh11a h0 Þ þ ðmslp mr Þðh11b h0 Þ T 0 ðmshp mr Þðs11a s0 Þ
T 0 ðmslp mr Þðs11b s0 Þ ð21Þ
The following equations show the exergy destroyed and the entropy generated in the throttling
valves:
EDtv ¼ ðmshp mr ÞT 0 ðs11a s4a Þ þ ðmslp mr ÞT 0 ðs11b s4b Þ ð22Þ
S gtv ¼ ðmshp mr Þðs11a s4a Þ þ ðmslp mr Þðs11b s4b Þ ð23Þ

The exergy destroyed, EDtv, is higher than zero, since the differences (s11 s4) are positive in the
low and high pressures zones. The expansion of the solution in the throttling valves always occurs
with an increase of entropy.
3.5. Absorbers
Absorbers are the components of the thermal compressor that absorb the refrigerant vapor,
which condenses in the solution. Classical air cooled absorbers have to transfer the absorption
heat first from the solution to an intermediate fluid, generally water, and afterwards from this
water to the air. Consequently, an intermediate heat exchanger between the solution and the
air is necessary. The total temperature difference between the solution and the air is shared by
the solution–water heat exchanger and by the water–outside air heat exchanger. Since air is not
an efficient heat exchanger fluid, greater surfaces of exchange are necessary to reduce the solution
temperature close to the outdoor air temperature.
In this study, the temperature difference between the solution and the air/water has been re-
duced to 10 C, i.e. with an external dry bulb/cooling water temperature of 30 C, a final absorp-
tion temperature of 40 C can be reached. A temperature increase in the absorber external fluid
equal to 7 C has been assumed.
The following equation shows the exergy of the mass flows entering the absorbers, i.e., refrig-
erant vapor, dilute solution and external fluid.
X
mia eia ¼ mr ðh8 h0 Þ mr T 0 ðs8 s0 Þ þ mr ðhm h0 Þ mr T 0 ðsm s0 Þ
þ ðmshp mr Þðh11a h0 Þ þ ðmslp mr Þðh11b h0 Þ T 0 ðmshp mr Þðs11a s0 Þ
T 0 ðmslp mr Þðs11b s0 Þ þ ðmefhpa þ meflpa Þðhia h0 Þ ðmefhpa þ meflpa ÞT 0 ðsia s0 Þ
ð24Þ
The exergy of the mass flows in the exit of the absorbers, i.e. concentrated solution and external
fluid, is given by
X
moa eoa ¼ mshp ðh10a h0 Þ þ mslp ðh10b h0 Þ mshp T 0 ðs10a s0 Þ mslp T 0 ðs10b s0 Þ
þ ðmefhpa þ meflpa Þðhoa h0 Þ ðmefhpa þ meflpa ÞT 0 ðsoa s0 Þ ð25Þ
The exergy destroyed and the entropy generated in both absorbers can be expressed through the
following equations:
EDa ¼ mr T 0 ðs11b sm Þ þ mr T 0 ðs11a s8 Þ þ mshp T 0 ðs10a s11a Þ þ mslp T 0 ðs10b s11b Þ
þ ðmefhpa þ meflpa ÞT 0 ðsoa sia Þ ð26Þ
S ga ¼ mr ðs11b sm Þ þ mshp ðs10a s11a Þ þ mr ðs11a s8 Þ þ mslp ðs10b s11b Þ

þ ðmefhpa þ meflpa Þðsoa sia Þ ð27Þ
3.6. Total entropy generated and exergy destroyed
Summing up the above equations, the total exergy destroyed and the entropy generated by the
double stage thermal compressor are obtained as
ED ¼ mr T 0 ðs5 s8 Þ þ ðmefhpg þ meflpg ÞT 0 ðsog sig Þ þ ðmefhpa þ meflpa ÞT 0 ðsoa sia Þ ð28Þ
S g ¼ mr ðs5 s8 Þ þ ðmefhpg þ meflpg Þðsog sig Þ þ ðmefhpa þ meflpa Þðsoa sia Þ ð29Þ
The first term of Eq. (29) is the decrease of entropy of the refrigerant vapor in the compression.
The entropy of the saturated steam in the compressor intake, s8 is higher than the entropy of the
superheated steam in the high pressure generator impulse, s5 Compression is accomplished with
an entropy decrease. This is a surprising result when compared with the compression of other
refrigerants like CFCs or ammonia. It is a consequence of the nature of the steam and also of
its low superheat. For an evaporating temperature te = 5 C and a condensing temperature
tc = 50 C, steam release occurs when temperature t5 reaches 80 C, the maximum superheat being
30 C. Compression would occur with an increase of entropy (s5 > s8) if the discharge temperature
is t5 > 308 C and the superheat is larger than 258 C. This case cannot take place because crys-
tallization would be present.
The second term in Eq. (29) corresponds to the entropy generated by the heat transferred from
the external thermal fluid, driving the compressor, to the solution within the generators. This pro-
cess is performed with a decrease of entropy in the external solar or residual thermal fluid. The
third term corresponds to the exergy destroyed because of the entropy increase within the external
fluid of the absorbers. The absorbersÕ cooling is performed with an increase of temperature and
entropy of the external fluid. The destroyed exergy is conveyed by the absorber external fluid
to the outside surroundings. Agreeing with the principle of entropy growth, the global balance
of the entropy generated, Eq. (29), and the destroyed exergy in the thermal compressor, resulting
from Eq. (28), are positive.
The irreversibilities generated for 1 kg of refrigerant vapor obtained at the impulse of the ther-
mal compressor are represented in Fig. 4 for the water cooled and air cooled systems. The entropy
generated by the air cooled system is higher than that generated by the water cooled one. If the
final absorption temperature is around 50 C, the discharge temperature reaches 80 C (Table 1),
and the thermal compressor works near the crystallization line (65% of concentration). In this
case, the ratio ms/mr can reach values higher than 30 in the low pressure zone. According to
Fig. 4, the irreversibilities will tend to increase up to absorption temperatures equal to 45 C.
Fig. 4. Entropy generated.

Fig. 5. Exergy destroyed.
From this point, the irreversibilities are lower because the increase in generation temperature is
smaller, aiming to avoid crystallization (Table 1).
Fig. 5 shows the exergy destroyed as a function of the absorption temperature for the water
cooled and air cooled systems. Similarly, the exergy destroyed by the air cooled system is higher
than that destroyed by the water cooled one. The difference between the exergy destroyed (and the
entropy generated) by the water cooled and the air cooled modes increases as the absorption tem-
perature increases. For an absorption temperature equal to 50 C, the air cooled mode generates
14% more entropy and destroys 14% more exergy than the water cooled one.
3.7. Exergetic efficiency
The exergetic efficiency can be calculated as the ratio between the net exergy produced by the
thermal compressor and the input exergy to the generators:
Fig. 6. Exergetic efficiency.

Eo
gex ¼ ð30Þ
Ei
The input exergy to the thermal compressor (neglecting the exergy supplied by the pumps) is the
exergy transferred by the solar or residual external fluid:
Ei ¼ ðmefhpg þ meflpg Þðhig hog Þ ðmefhpg þ meflpg ÞT 0 ðsig sog Þ ð31Þ
whereas the net exergy produced (exergy difference of the streams in the points 5 and 8), is given
by
Eo ¼ mr ðh5 h0 Þ mr T 0 ðs5 s0 Þ mr ðh8 h0 Þ þ mr T 0 ðs8 s0 Þ ð32Þ
Fig. 6 shows the exergetic efficiencies as a function of the absorption temperature for the double
stage cycle considered in the present study and the single and double effect cycles analyzed by
Izquierdo et al. [1].
4. Conclusions
A double stage LiBr–H2O absorption cycle evaporating at 5 C and fed by low temperature
heat coming from residual energy sources or flat plate solar collectors has been studied. The fol-
lowing conclusions have been extracted:
• For condensation temperatures up to 50 C, the double stage LiBr–H2O absorption cycle may
be operated with heat from flat plate solar collectors or residual sources without crystallization
problems. About 80 C of generation temperature are required in the double stage absorption
machine when the condensation temperature reaches 50 C, obtaining a COP equal to 0.37 in
the theoretical cycle.
• Irreversibilities generated by the double stage thermal compressor will tend to increase with the
absorption temperature up to 45 C. The maximum value corresponds to 1.35 kJ kg1 K1.
From this point, they tend to decrease because of the increase in generation temperature (Table
1), and as result, the concentration increase of the solution is smaller than for lower absorption
temperatures, aiming to avoid crystallization.
• The entropy generated and the exergy destroyed by the air cooled system are higher than the
entropy generated and the exergy destroyed by the water cooled one. The difference between
the values increases as the absorption temperature increases. For an absorption temperature
equal to 50 C, the air cooled mode generates 14% more entropy and destroys 14% more exergy
than the water cooled one.
• The exergetic efficiency of the double stage cycle considered is lower than that of the single and
double effect cycles because it works with heat at lower temperature. The double stage system
has about 22% less exergetic efficiency than the single effect one and 32% less exergetic efficiency
than the double effect one.
Acknowledgement
The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologı́a of Spain
for the financial support of this research through the project DPI-2002-02439.
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Exergetic Analysis of A Double Stage LiBrH2O

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Exergetic Analysis of A Double Stage LiBrH2O

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Energy Conversion and Management 46 (2005) 1029–1042

Exergetic analysis of a double stage LiBr–H2O thermal

Received 22 March 2004; accepted 30 June 2004

COP coeﬃcient of performance

2. Low grade thermal system coupled to the absorption cooling system

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of the system.

Fig. 2. COP as a function of generation temperature.

Fig. 3. Diagram of the double stage thermal compressor.

3.2. Solution heat exchangers

3.3. Solution pumps

0 ¼ wplp mslp h1b þ mslp h10b ð13Þ

EDp ¼ mshp T 0 ðs1a s10a Þ þ mslp T 0 ðs1b s10b Þ > 0 ð16Þ

S gp ¼ mshp ðs1a s10a Þ þ mslp ðs1b s10b Þ ð17Þ

3.4. Throttling valves

0 ¼ ðmshp mr Þh4a ðmshp mr Þh11a ð18Þ

0 ¼ ðmslp mr Þh4b ðmslp mr Þh11b ð19Þ

EDtv ¼ ðmshp mr ÞT 0 ðs11a s4a Þ þ ðmslp mr ÞT 0 ðs11b s4b Þ ð22Þ

S gtv ¼ ðmshp mr Þðs11a s4a Þ þ ðmslp mr Þðs11b s4b Þ ð23Þ

S ga ¼ mr ðs11b sm Þ þ mshp ðs10a s11a Þ þ mr ðs11a s8 Þ þ mslp ðs10b s11b Þ

3.6. Total entropy generated and exergy destroyed

Fig. 4. Entropy generated.

Fig. 5. Exergy destroyed.

3.7. Exergetic eﬃciency

Fig. 6. Exergetic eﬃciency.

Ei ¼ ðmefhpg þ meflpg Þðhig hog Þ ðmefhpg þ meflpg ÞT 0 ðsig sog Þ ð31Þ

Eo ¼ mr ðh5 h0 Þ mr T 0 ðs5 s0 Þ mr ðh8 h0 Þ þ mr T 0 ðs8 s0 Þ ð32Þ

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