Thermal design of air cooled condenser of a solar adsorption refrigerator

  • Amar Rouag Laboratoire de Génie Energétique et Matériaux (LGEM), Université de Biskra, B.P. 145 R.P. 07000, Biskra, Algeria
  • Adel Benchabane Laboratoire de Génie Energétique et Matériaux (LGEM), Université de Biskra, B.P. 145 R.P. 07000, Biskra, Algeria
  • Adnane Labed Laboratoire de Génie Mécanique (LGM), Université de Biskra, B.P. 145 R.P. 07000, Biskra, Algeria
  • Nora Boultif Laboratoire de Génie Energétique et Matériaux (LGEM), Université de Biskra, B.P. 145 R.P. 07000, Biskra, Algeria

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to study the design of a condenser of a solar adsorption refrigerator which will be tested in the region of Biskra (Algeria). The LMTD (log mean temperature difference) method is used to calculate the size of the condenser applying experimental data obtained from the literature. For this purpose, a calculation code has been developed to determine the total heat transfer area of the heat exchanger. Therefore, we present a comparison between calculated and experimental results obtained from the literature. This comparison allowed the validation of the calculation method by applying the same experimental conditions. The discussion of the results indicates that we cannot use the ambient air in free convection mode as a cooling fluid if its temperature exceeds 30°C. This problem presents the greatest obstacle especially in the Saharan regions, such as in Biskra, where the average ambient air temperature during the summer exceeds 35°C. As a solution, we propose in this article the improvement of the heat transfer by the air-forced convection mode. Thus, it is established that the use of the air fan can extend the operating temperature limits of the condenser above 35°C.

References

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Published
2016-03-30
How to Cite
ROUAG, Amar et al. Thermal design of air cooled condenser of a solar adsorption refrigerator. Journal of Applied Engineering Science & Technology, [S.l.], v. 2, n. 1, p. 23-29, mar. 2016. ISSN 2352-9873. Available at: <https://revues.univ-biskra.dz/index.php/jaest/article/view/1509>. Date accessed: 29 mar. 2024.
Section
Section B: Thermal, Mechanical and Materials Engineering

Keywords

Solar adsorption refrigerator; Condenser; LMTD; Sizing; Free convection; Forced convection;

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