• Design of Vapor-Absorption

Refrigeration System
Operating with Solar Energy
Advisor
Ftwi Yohaness
(Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering, MU)

Prepared by Engdawork Mulatu

and

Surafel Lulekal

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contents
• Introduction
• Thermodynamic analysis
• Design analysis theory of Tubular exchanger
• Design of condenser
• Design of Evaporator
• Design of pre heater
• Design of Absorber
• Design of Generator
• Conclusion
• Recommendation and Limitation

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 Introduction
• Refrigeration
• Vapor absorption refrigerator is a means of providing
refrigeration to communities lacking conventional energy
source, utilizing waste heat or heat from inexpensive source.
• Absorption refrigeration system

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 Thermodynamic analysis
I. Assumption
1. Steady state
2. No pressure change except through the flow restriction and the pump
3. State at point 1, 4 and 8 are saturated liquid
4. State at point 7 and 10 are saturated vapor
5. Flow restriction are adiabatic
6. Pump is isentropic
7.There would be appreciable amount of water in state 7 b/c there isn’t rectifier

Condenser Generator 3
7
4
8
Pre heater
EV1 5
EV2 2
9
6
10 1 P
Evaporator Absorber

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 Cont’d…
II. Energy and mass balance • At state (1), compressed liquid mixture
evaluation will be rejected from the absorber.
 At the condenser V1 = (1-X1)VH2O + 0.85X1VNH3
From mass balance • and the compressed liquid is
m7 = m8 = mref approximated by the saturated liquid of
From energy balance the two
Qc = mref (h7 – h8) • From energy balance
 At the ref.expansion valve QP = m1 (h1 – h2)
From mass balance  At the heat exchanger
m8 = m 9
From throttling effect From energy balance
h8 = h 9 m4h4 – m5h5 = m3h3 – m2h2
 Work done W on the pump is From mass balance
W = h2 – h1 = m1v1 (P2 – P1) m4 + m 2 = m 3 + m 5

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Cont’d…
From NH3 mass balance
. . .

m3 x3  m7 x7  m4 x4

Energy balance of the system

Component Energy gain (KW) Energy losses (KW)

Evaporator 17.5
Generator 24.551
Pump 0.00736
Absorber 23.91
Condenser 18.15
Total 42.06 42.06
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Cont’d…
The thermodynamics properties and flow rates of the system state point

State Pressure Temperature concentration Enthalpy Mass

point (bar) (o c) (kJ/kg) flow rate
1 2.5 30 0.44 -110 0.092
2 10 30 0.44 -109.97 0.092
3 10 75 0.44 91 0.092
4 10 90 0.36 172 0.0794
5 10 40 0.36 -60.35 0.0794
6 2.5 40 0.36 -60.35 0.0794
7 10 95 0.944 1527.8 0.0126
8 10 26.67 0.944 87.5 0.0126
9 10 -13 0.944 87.5 0.0126
10 2.5 -13 0.944 1475 0.0126
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 Design analysis theory of Tubular exchanger
 Tube and shell exchanger
 Tube Pattern
 Coolant
 Tube – side and shell – side fluids
 Temperature
 Corrosiveness of fluids
 Hazard or expensive of fluids
 Cleaning
 Baffle
 Tube sheets

Fig.1. Tube sheet

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 Design of condenser
Type of condenser

Shell and tube type

Tube side – ammonia vapor
Shell side – chilled water

Fig. 1.Schematic diagram of Fixed - tube - sheet condenser

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 Cont’d…
 Assumption  BWG (Birmingham Wire Gage or
 Tin = 200c gage) = 9
 Tout= 350c  tube layout = square pitch
 B = 80mm  Shell material
 tube length L = 0.8m  similar to tube material
 tube pass Np = 1  Shell dimension (standard)
 Tube material  IDs = 254mm (10in)
 carbon steel
 tensile strength = 424Mpa
 yield strength = 324.1Mpa
 Kt = 47W/mK
 Tube dimension (standard)
 ODt = 1in = 25.4mm
 IDt = 0.704in = 17.88mm
 tube count Nt = 32
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 Cont’d…
 Over all heat transfer coefficient (U o)
1 1 ODt ODt ODt ODt  1 
  fo  ln  fi   
Uo ho 2 Kt IDt IDt IDt 
 hi


 Inside (tube side) heat transfer coefficient (hi) (refrigerant)

Tin  Tout
Tf 
2

 Then read the value of , Cp , V f , Pr,  ,  at the film temperature

 Determine the Reynolds number Re
.

4 mt
Re 
 f N t IDt

 Then calculate the inside heat transfer coefficient (hi)

Nu  K
w
K  g h fg i  ,
3 2 h
hi  0.725 [ ]1 / 4
Nu  0.023 Re 0.8 Pr 0.33
, ID
L( Ts Tw ) t

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Cont’d…
 Out side (shell side) heat transfer coefficient (water)
Ti To
Tf 
2
 Then read the value of , Cp , V f , Pr,  ,  at the film temperature
 Determine the Reynolds number Re
2
.
4 PT Ds C B
mw De De   ODt
As  C  PT ODt
Re  ODt
As  PT
 Then calculate the Nusselt number

5/8 4/5
0.62 Re1 / 2 Pr 1/ 3 [1 ( Re ) ]
Nu  0.3
0.4 2 / 3 1/ 4 28200
[1 ( ) ]
Pr

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 Cont’d…
 Then the value of out side heat transfer coefficient (ho)
Nu K
ho 
De
• Since we use water as a coolant for the condenser and the absorber fins are not required.
Then the values of fouling factors
– for tube side: - for refrigerant, fi = 0.0002
– for the shell side: - for city water, fo = 0.0003
 then Uo = 540W/m2K
 The Log-mean temperature difference (LMTD)
Maximnu T  Minimum T
LMTD 
 
 Maximum T 
Log   T7=950c
 Minimum
 T  T8 =300c
To =350c
 Then Tm = 27.90c
Ti =200c

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Cont’d…
 The condenser capacity is
 Bolt design
Qc Uo ATm  21.7 KW Fb1  all  Ab
FT  P7  As ,
 The design capacity of the condenser is
greater than the actual (18.144KW)
 Pressure drop calculation
 Design of condenser component  Tube inside pressure drop calculation
 Shell thickness 2
f  LG
i t
P
i  N
t
2 g   d
 Tube sheet t
Pd
t c  Pressure drop in shell side
2 t
fG 2  D s ( N b  1)
p
s 
2 g    D
e
, p
t1  K1d
t  Baffles
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 Design of Evaporator
• Assumption
• chilled water inlet temperature
Ti = 200c
• chilled water out let temperature
To = 80c
• tube length L = 950mm
• baffle spacing B =200mm
• Tube dimension and material
Tube dimension (standard)
• OD t = 25.4mm, (1in)
• BWG = 16
Tube material
 Carbon steel
• Shell material and dimension
• similar to tube material
Shell dimension from standard t
•
shell internal dimension Ds
=254mm
The evaporator capacity is
Qe Uo A Tm
Qe 18.44kw
The design capacity of the
evaporator is greater than
the actual (17.5KW)

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 Design of Absorber
Type of absorber
Shell and tube type
• Tube side -water
• Shell side – aqua-ammonia solution and vapor

Fig.3 Schematic diagram of Fixed – tube – sheet absorber

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 Cont’d…
Capacity of the absorber
Assumption
• Inlet temperature of water Tin = 180c Q  24.2 KW
• Out let temperature of water Tout =
270c The design capacity of the absorber
Tube dimension (standard) is greater than the actual
(23.91KW)
• BWG =12
• ODt = 25.4mm
Shell dimension (standard)
• Ds = 336.55mm

True log - mean temperature

for two passes
t  F  T

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 Generator Design
 Type of generator
Shell and tube
• Tube side – hot water
• Shell side – aqua - ammonia solution and vapor

Fig. 4 Schematic diagram of fixed – tube – shell generator

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 Cont’d…
Where, Q g = Heat from source
Assume Q Sep = Heat of separation
• Heating water inlet temperature, Tin = Heat absorbed to separate NH3is given by
980c • Q abs = 804(1- X w) – 930X w2
• Heating water outlet temperature, Tout = Where
920c • Xw Concentration of aqua - ammonia
• Tube length, L = 1.65m solution
• When multiplied by mass flow rate of
Tube dimension from standard table ammonia vapor gives heat of separation
.
• Do = 25.4mm Q sep  Q  (m NH )
abs 3
• BWG = 12
Shell dimension • Then QT= 28.55KW
Ds=336.55mm = 13 ¼ in • capacity of generator
Q  29.58 KW
Heat input to generator
Q
T Q g  Q sep The design capacity of the generator is
greater than the actual (28.55KW)

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 Design of Pre heater

Type of the pre heater

Shell and tube type
• Tube side – strong solution of ammonia
• Shell side – weak solution of ammonia

Fig.5.Schematic diagram of pre heater

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Cont’d…

Assumption
• Tube length L = 1m
• Baffle spacing B = 52mm
Tube dimension (standard)
• BWG = 16
• OD t = 25.4mm
Shell dimension from standard
Ds = 304.8mm = 12in
The pre heater capacity
Q pre  19.35kw

The design capacity of the pre heater is greater than the actual (18.99KW)

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 Conclusion

•The design of vapor absorption refrigeration using solar energy is

feasible and it can be an alternative to provide refrigeration to rural
communities which do not have electric service.
•The size of main components of refrigerator: condenser, evaporator,
absorber, pre heater and generator depend on the capacity and are
determined by iteration to have better result.
•Size of heat exchanger component depends on the operating pressure
after being calculated the size is standardize for ease of provision and
manufacturing.
•With flexibility in operation, absence of compressor noise, very low
maintenance and high reliability, industrial ammonia absorption plants,
should be considered as a viable alternative to mechanical vapor
compression plants
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 Recommendation and Limitation
•We assumed the temperature cooling water but better result
could be achieved if the correct temperature is determined by
measuring from the working environment.

•Although the initial cost of solar refrigerator is relatively

highest, it should be mass produced to significantly reduce the
cost. Many of its components could be improved and
standardized in the future which will lower the cost of solar
refrigerator.

•Even if this project the cover designs of vapor – absorption

refrigeration system operating with solar energy, we can’t cover
the thermal analysis and design of thermal collector due to
shortage of time. We spent most of our time on searching of
reference book for our task but we couldn’t get enough reference
book. So for the next the department should prepare some basic
reference if the department is interested to assign student in this
area.
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