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Modern Engineering Thermodynamics

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14.10 Absorption Refrigeration 561<br />

cycles, since the compressor unit in the standard system is simply replaced by the absorption unit in the<br />

absorption system.<br />

The absorption cycle is a special type of vapor-compression refrigeration cycle, since it is driven by heat as<br />

opposed to work. Consequently, the coefficient of performance of an absorption cycle is not computed in the<br />

same way as a standard vapor-compression cycle, and the two COPs should not be directly compared. The heat<br />

energy necessary to drive an absorption cycle is at a much lower availability than the electrical energy necessary<br />

to power a work-driven cycle. There is a need for some work in absorption systems with a generator feed pump,<br />

but the amount of pump work required is negligible in comparison to the compressor work needed in a standard<br />

vapor-compression cycle. The coefficient of performance of an ideal absorption refrigerator is<br />

ðCOPÞ absorption<br />

refrigerator<br />

=<br />

Refrigeration ðevaporatorÞ cooling<br />

Generator heat + Pump work<br />

=<br />

_Q evaporator<br />

_Q generator + _W pump<br />

(14.19)<br />

A Carnot absorption cycle can be constructed by driving a Carnot refrigerator with a Carnot engine, as shown in<br />

Figure 14.20. In this system, both the engine and the refrigerator exhaust heat to the local environment at temperature<br />

T a .<br />

The thermal efficiency of the Carnot engine used here is<br />

ðη T Þ Carnot<br />

engine<br />

= _ W engine<br />

_Q generator<br />

and the thermal efficiency (COP) of the Carnot refrigerator used here is<br />

ðη T Þ Carnot<br />

refrigerator<br />

= ðCOPÞ Carnot<br />

refrigerator<br />

=<br />

_Q evaporator<br />

_W refrigerator<br />

Since the overall efficiency of a combined system is equal to the product of the efficiencies of its components,<br />

the COP of this combined system is equal to the product of the thermal efficiency of the Carnot engine multiplied<br />

by the thermal efficiency of the Carnot refrigerator, or<br />

ðCOPÞ Carnot<br />

absorption<br />

refrigerator<br />

=<br />

!<br />

_W engine<br />

_Q generator<br />

!<br />

Q _ evaporator<br />

=<br />

_W refrigerator<br />

_Q evaporator<br />

_Q generator<br />

(14.20)<br />

as all the work produced by the engine is used to drive the refrigerator, or _W engine = _W refrigerator = _W. For a Carnot<br />

cycle, _Q generator = _W /ð1 − T a /T g Þ and _Q evaporator = _WT e /ðT a − T e Þ. Consequently,<br />

ðCOPÞ Carnot<br />

absorption<br />

refrigerator<br />

= T <br />

e<br />

T g − T a<br />

T g T a − T e<br />

(14.21)<br />

Gas generator<br />

at temperature<br />

T g<br />

Condenser at<br />

ambient<br />

temperature T a<br />

Carnot<br />

engine<br />

Q generator<br />

Q ambient<br />

T a<br />

Ambient<br />

at temperature<br />

W engine = W ref.<br />

Carnot<br />

refrigerator<br />

Q evaporator<br />

Evaporator<br />

at temperature<br />

T e<br />

Q condenser<br />

FIGURE 14.20<br />

A Carnot absorption refrigeration cycle.

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