Cycle Simulation and Prototyping of

Single-Effect Double-Lift Absorption Chiller

May/17/2017
Tatsuo Fujii
Thermal Fluidic Systems Research Department
Hitachi, Ltd. Research & Development Group

© Hitachi, Ltd. 2017. All rights reserved.

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Single-Effect Double-Lift (SEDL) absorption cooling cycle
3. Cycle Simulation
4. Prototyping and Experiment
5. Conclusions

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 1. Introduction – activating low temperature heat –

Current status of driving temperatures of absorption chillers

Temp.: 60°C (75°C) 90°C 120°C 150°C 180°C~

Not Available for

Cooling Use

Hot Water Driven Steam Driven Direct fired Absorption

Absorption Chiller Absorption Chiller Chiller/Heater
Single effect Double effect

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 2. Single-Effect Double-Lift (SEDL) absorption cycle

SEDL absorption cooling cycle

Ø Combination of single-effect and Auxiliary High temp.

Condenser
double-lift (half-effect) absorption cycle Generator Generator
Ø Consist of 7 phase changing heat
exchanger and 3 solution heat AHX HHX
exchanger
Ø Proposed by Schweigler et. al. in Auxiliary Low temp.
1990’s Absorber Generator

LHX
Pressure
Heat Input
Evaporator Absorber
Heat Output

Temperature
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3. Cycle Simulation

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 3. Cycle Simulation – Modeling of SEDL cycle
Hot water
Simulation model supported two-step (Heat source)

evaporator and absorber (E/A). C AG HG

à Operated under 4 pressure levels pH AHX HHX

Strong solution

Chilled water AA LG
Cooling water
pM Refrigerant
E1 A1
liquid
LHX

E2 A2
pL1 E1 A1
Refrigerant
vapour
Refrigerant E2 A2
Weak solution
pL2
Configuration of two-step E/A Chilled Solution
(Absorbent)
Cooling
water water
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 3. Cycle Simulation – Computing strategy

Basically, cycle calculation is consist of three levels.

Input conditions

(1) Whole system level (2) Same pressure level (3) Components level
Energy and mass Mass balance in each Energy and mass balance in
balance in the whole pressure level each component in the same
cycle pH, pM, pL1 and pL2 pressure level
Hot water
(Heat source)

C AG HG

COP, AHX HHX

etc. AA LG
C AG HG C AG HG
Refrigerant
liquid
LHX

E1 A1
Refrigerant
vapour
E2 A2

Chilled Solution Cooling

water (Absorbent) water

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 3. Cycle Simulation – Effect of two-step E/A

As similar as conventional machines, two-step E/A configuration improved the

capacity and COP. à We employed two-step E/A for the prototype chiller.
Hot water
(Heat source)
QE COP THW-out

Hot water temperature (THW-out)

102 56 C AG HG
THW-in: 95°C
Capacity (QE), COP (%)

101 55 AHX HHX

100 54
AA LG
99 53

(°C)
Refrigerant
98 52 liquid
LHX

97 51
E1 A1
96 50
Refrigerant
vapour
95 49 E2 A2

94 48 Chilled Solution Cooling

water (Absorbent) water
2-step EA 1-step EA 2-step EA 1-step EA
Chilled water: 13-8°C Chilled water: 15-7°C Calculation under the same
Evaporator and absorber formation heat exchanger size
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 3. Cycle Simulation – Effect of water circulation –

Circulation methods for hot water and cooling water were examined and
“HG-LG-AG” for the hot water and “A-AA-C” for the cooling water were selected.
Hot water
(Heat source)
QE COP THW-out
102 57 C AG HG

Hot water temperature (THW-out)

THW-in: 95°C,
101 56 AHX HHX
Capacity (QE), COP (%)

Chilled water in-out: 13-8°C

100 55
AA LG
99 54
Refrigerant

(°C)
98 53 liquid
LHX

97 52
96 51 E1 A1
Refrigerant
95 50 vapour
E2 A2
94 49
Hot water -> HG-LG-AG HG-AG-LG HG-LG-AG HG-AG-LG Chilled Solution
(Absorbent)
Cooling
water water
Cooling water -> A-AA-C A-AA-C A-C-AA A-C-AA
Hot water and cooling water flow order Calculation under the same
heat exchanger size
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4. Prototyping and Experiment

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 4. Prototyping and experiment – Cycle flow –

Prototype of SEDL chiller was designed with adoption of two-step

evaporator and absorber, and optimized water circulating method.
Hot water (Heat source)

Chilled E1 A1
water
LG AA AG C HG
E2 A2

Cooling
water AHX
LHX HHX This prototype can also
be operated as a
normal double-lift cycle.
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 4. Prototyping and experiment – Whole system –

Prototype of SEDL chiller and experimental equipment are setup for

performance test.

Hot water
Chilled water
Cooling water

(Return)

Experimental equipment
Prototype of (Hot/Chilled/Cooling water supply)
SEDL absorption chiller

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 4. Prototyping and experiment – SEDL chiller

Prototype chiller was manufactured, considering real product.

Evaporator Condenser

Absorber High temp. generator

Auxiliary absorber Auxiliary generator

Low temp. generator

Solution heat exchangers

Prototype of SEDL absorption chiller

© Hitachi, Ltd. 2017. All rights reserved. 12
 4. Prototyping and experiment – Result (1) –

Basic performance data in DL and SEDL operations were measured.

Operating mode
Item Unit
DL SEDL
Cooling capacity kW 42.0 106.1
Inlet °C 15.0 12.0
Chilled water
Outlet °C 7.0 7.0
Inlet °C 30.1 30.9
Cooling water
Outlet °C 34.5 36.6
Hot water Inlet °C 60.0 88.7
(Heat source) Outlet °C 56.3 53.0

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 4. Prototyping and experiment – Result (2) –

The simulator was validated by comparing with experimental data.

55
temperature (°C)
Hot water outlet

50
Accuracy;
45
THW-out (SIM) THW-out: ±1°C (approx.)
Capacity: ±5% of max. value
THW-out (EXP)
40
55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
120
Chilled water inlet: 13.0°C for SIM, 12.8~13.1°C for EXP In case of THW-in = 60°C, effect
Cooling water inlet: 31.0°C for SIM, 30.7~30.9°C for EXP
100 of heat leak increases relatively.
Capacity (QE), COP (%)

80

60 We are using this simulator

40
considering this accuracy as
enough level.
20
COP (SIM) COP (EXP)
QE (SIM) QE (EXP)
0
55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
Hot water inlet temperature (THW-in) (°C)
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5. Conclusions

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 5. Conclusions – activating low temperature heat –

Current status of driving temperatures of absorption chillers

Temp.: 60°C (75°C) 90°C 120°C 150°C 180°C~

SEDL Hot Water Driven Steam Driven Direct fired Absorption

Absorption Chiller Absorption Chiller Absorption Chiller Chiller/Heater
Half effect Single effect Double effect

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 5. Conclusions – Comparisons with SE chillers

SEDL reduces hot water volume into about half amount, thus
1) increases cooling capacity per unit hot water volume (MJ/m3HW), and
2) reduces pumping power for hot water (kWel/kWCool).
140 0.006
Cooling Capacity Pumping power

Hot water pumping power

120 0.005
unit hot water volume (MJ/m 3HW)

Chilled water: 12 -> 7°C Flow rates of chilled

100 water and cooling water

(kWel/kWCool)
Cooling water:27 -> 33°C 0.004 are common
Cooling capacity per

80 Hot water inlet: 95°C Hot water inlet: 95°C

0.003
60 HW pumping head: 20m
0.002
40
Í2 Í0.5
20 0.001

0 0.000
Conventional SEDL chiller Conventional SEDL chiller
single-effect chiller (This work) single-effect chiller (This work)

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 5. Conclusions – remarks –

Through the development of SEDL chiller, following results are obtained.

(1) A simulation program to study the effect of cycle configuration was developed.
(2) A prototype SEDL absorption chiller with two-step E/A was also developed.
Patterns of circulating water were selected to maximize its cooling capacity.
(3) The prototype performed at 106.1kW (30.2RT) in cooling capacity.
Chilled water of 7°C was obtained by using 88.7°C hot water,
and its return temperature went down to 53.0°C.
(4) This prototype also could be driven in normal double-lift operation.
60°C hot water was used until 56°C and 7°C chilled water is produced.
(5) The simulation program appeared to have enough function and accuracy to
predict the behaviour of SEDL absorption cooling cycle.
This work is supported by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development
Organization (NEDO), Japan.
© Hitachi, Ltd. 2017. All rights reserved. 18
END

Cycle Simulation and Prototyping of

Single-Effect Double-Lift Absorption Chiller

May/17/2017
Tatsuo Fujii tatsuo.fujii.tw@hitachi.com
Thermal Fluidic Systems Research Department
Hitachi, Ltd. Research & Development Group

© Hitachi, Ltd. 2017. All rights reserved. 19

 Appendix A – Application image

Ø Low temperature driven heat pump chillers are expected to be

used in district heat, solar system and distributed energy systems.
Hot water SE/DL chiller
demand

Hot water network

Commercial
Chilled water loop demand
Industrial Gas-engine
waste heat, power gen.
Power plant (CHP)
Ø Wide temperature drop in hot water (i.e. 95 – 55 = 40 °C) reduces
the hot water flow rate and pumping power of the system.
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 Appendix B – Comparison with forerunner’s work

Ø Our project aims at reduction of hot water outlet temperature, hereby

increase the application of hot water driven absorption chillers.
100
: inlet : outlet
Hot water 90
temp. 80
51°C
70 Outlet
(°C) 60
50
Cooling water 31/37 27/35 27/35 31/36.4 27/33
temp. in/out (°C)
Cycle scheme SE SE/DL
SE: Single effect Present Project Project For Asia For Europe
DL: Double lift Product Düsseldorf Berlin
ZAE Bayern, 1998 This work
(1990’s~) ASHRAE Transactions
104 (1998): 1420 © Hitachi, Ltd. 2017. All rights reserved. 21
 Appendix C – Effect of solution heat exchangers –

Ø Referring simulation results, we selected “HHXÍ2 and LHX Í2”.

QE COP THW-out
102 56

Hot water temperature (THW-out)

C AG HG
THW-in: 95°C, Chilled water in-out: 13-8°C
101 55
100 54 AHX HHX
Capacity (QE), COP (%)

99 53
AA LG
98 52

(°C)
97 51 Refrigerant
liquid
96 50 LHX
95 49
94 48 E1 A1

Normal AHX*2 HHX *2 LHX *2 HHX *2 HHX *2 Refrigerant

vapour
E2 A2
LHX *2 LHX *2
AHX *2
Solution heat exchanger formation © Hitachi, Ltd. 2017. All rights reserved. 22