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International Journal of Applied Engineering Research

ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 9, Number 6 (2014) pp. 655-662


Research India Publications
http://www.ripublication.com



Theoretical Analysis of Modified Refrigeration Cycle of a
Single Effect Lithium Bromide-Water Vapour Absorption
System Using Exhaust Gases of IC Engine


Raghvendra Kumar Singh
1
and Trinath Mahala
2


1
M. Tech (Automobile Engg.), Galgotias University, Greater Noida, U. P
2
Galgotias University, Greater Noida, U. P


Abstract:

As the utilization of automobiles is increasing, companies are launching their
improved vehicles to fulfill the needs of passengers. Air-conditioning is one of
the essential needs of passengers in vehicles. In an internal combustion engine,
55-60% of total energy of burnt fuels is waste, only 35-39% heat energy is
converted into useful work.
In road transport vapour compression refrigeration system is commonly
used for air conditioning purpose. In this system compressor extracts the
energy from engine, so engine has to do some extra work which results in
increase of fuel consumption.
In this research, LiBr-H
2
O vapour absorption system driven by exhaust
gases of the engine is used in the automobiles for air-conditioning purpose.
Because of this there is improvement in the engine efficiency and reduction in
exhaust emission. The exhaust gases of the engine are used as a heat sources
in the generator thus it avoids the extraction of power from the engine. For
better improvement of COP LiBr-H
2
O vapour absorption cycle is modified. In
this modification, another heat exchanger between evaporator and generator is
incorporated. From the evaporator, 20% of mass of refrigerant flow to the
generator through this heat exchanger. After this modification it is found that
the maximum COP is increased to 0. 9451 from 0. 7961. Maximum COP is
achieved when generator temperature is 81. 20C, condenser and absorber
temperature are 31. 7C and evaporator temperature is 8. 6C. The COP of the
system is improved by 18. 72%.


Nomenclature
COP coefficient of performance
a absorber
656 Raghvendra Kumar Singh and Trinath Mahala


M
ws
mass flow rate of weak solution
c condenser
X

mass fraction of LiBr in solution
g generator
C
p1
specific heat of rich LiBr solution
e evaporator
C
p2
specific heat of weak LiBr solution
i in
Q heat transfer rate
o out
C
pws
specific heat of saturated steam
h
n
enthalpy at respective point from evaporator
C
pw
specific heat of superheated steam
represent sum of from generator
n represent state points
m mass flow rate


Introduction:
Refrigeration and air-conditioning is the most important facility in human comfort in
the modern day. Due to some refrigerant deplete the ozone layer; the interest in
lithium bromide-H
2
O absorption refrigeration system has been growing. In his system
waste heat or sunlight can be used as energy source.
In automobiles the current air-conditioning system is based on vapour
compression refrigeration system. Due to extraction of the power from the engine by
the compressor, it affects the fuel economy. To improve fuel economy the vapour
absorption system can be used.
Eisa et al.
[1]
did an experiment on LiBr-water absorption cooling system and
found that the COP of the system is increases with the increment in generator
temperature and COP is decreased as the condenser and absorber temperatures are
increased. Joudi and Lafta
[2]
conducted a study on LiBr-H
2
O cooling machine, for the
analysis of heat and mass transfer processes in the absorber using finite difference
analysis. They had shown that COP and cooling capacity is increased with source
temperature. Jason et al.
[3]
proposed a detailed solution procedure and validated and
shows that the performance of the system evaluated based on the circulation ratio
which is measured of the system size and cost.


Vapour absorption system description:
A systematic representation of simple single effect vapour absorption system is shown
in fig. 1. Vapour absorption consists 8 main components: a generator, a condenser, a
absorber, a evaporator, a pump, 2 throttle valves and a heat exchanger. The working
fluid is LiBr-H
2
O solution where LiBr used as absorbent and water is used as
refrigerant.

Theoretical Analysis of Modified Refrigeration Cycle 657


The generator is the main component where thermal energy from an IC engine is
provided to evaporate the water from the LiBr-H
2
O solution. The high pressure water
vapour at the exit of generator flows to condenser where the water vapour is
condensed. A throttle valve is used to reduce pressure and allow to refrigerant to pick
up thermal energy at low temperature of the evaporator. This condensed water
sprayed over the evaporator coils. At the exit low pressure steam is absorbed into the
LiBr rich solution coming from the generator. Weak mixture of LiBr-H
2
O pumped to
generator. The heat exchanger allows for the weak solution to be preheated using part
of thermal energy of the boing rich solution, exiting the generator.
[3]




Fig. 1 modified single effect LiBr-H
2
O Vapour absorption refrigeration system


In this modification two heat exchangers are used. Heat exchanger-2 of
effectiveness 0. 1 is incorporated between evaporator and generator. From the
evaporator, 20% of mass of refrigerant flow to the generator through heat exchanger2.
For heating this refrigerant the heat is taken from the heated refrigerant which flow
from generator to condenser.

Thermodynamic analysis of the system
The analysis of the modified refrigeration cycle of single effect Li-Br water vapour
absorption system has been done with the help of mathematical modelling explained
in detail as below.


658 Raghvendra Kumar Singh and Trinath Mahala


Mass balance
m
i
= m
o
(1)

Material balance
m
o
X
i
= m
e
X
o
(2)

Energy balance
Q-W= m
o
h
o
-m
i
h
i
(3)

Where are Q is the heat transfer rate and W is the work transfer rate.
Heat exchanger calculation

1
=(T
3
-T
a
) / (T
g-
T
a
) (4)
T
5
=T
g-
M
ws
*C
p2
* (T
3
-T
2
)/ (M
4
*C
p1
) (5)

2
=(T
12
-T
11
)/ (T
7
-T
11
) (6)
T
7p
=T
7
-M
11
*C
pw
* (T
12
-T
11
)/ (M
7
*C
pws
) (7)

Where
1
and
2
are the effectiveness of the heat exchanger-1 and heat exchanger-
2 respectively and specific heats of LiBr-H
2
O solutions are calculated
[6]
as:
C
p1
=A
0
+A
1
. X
rich
+(B
0
+B
1
. X
rich
). T
g
(8)
C
p2
=A
0
+A
1
. X
weak
+(B
0
+B
1
. X
weak
). T
a
(9)

Where A
0
, A
1
, B
0
, B
1
are constants and the value of these constants are
A
0
=3. 462023
A
1
=-2. 679895/100
B
0
=1. 3499/1000
B
1
=-6. 55/10000000

The COP of the system is defined as
COP =

(Assumed pump work W


p
=0) (10)


Assumptions
The thermodynamic analysis presented here is based on these assumptions:
The heat losses from the components of the system are negligible.
The refrigerant leaving the condenser and evaporator assumed to be saturated
condition.
Refrigerant leaving generator and absorber are in supersaturated in
equilibrium conditions at their respective temperature, pressure and
concentrations.
There is the negligible pump work.
There are no temperature losses during flow from one component to other.


Theoretical Analysis of Modified Refrigeration Cycle 659


Result and Discussion
A computer program is developed using Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software
for calculating the thermodynamic analysis of modified single effect LiBr-H
2
O
vapour absorption system by varying the generator temperature 60C to130C and
evaporator temperature 4C to10C and keeping absorber and condenser temperature
equal and vary 25C to 45C. Subroutines for calculating the properties of the system
are linked to the EES library.

Effect of variation in generator temperature
For absorber and condenser temperature T
a
=T
c
=31. 7C and evaporator temperature
T
e
=8. 6C, the maximum COP is 0. 796, which achieved at generator temperature Tg
=80. 26C. For the modified cycle at same absorber, condenser and evaporator
temperature the maximum COP is 0. 945 which is achieved at 81. 20C. The
maximum COP is increased by 18. 72%.


Fig. 2a

Fig. 2b

Fig. 2a variation of COP with generator temperature in simple cycle and Fig. 2b
variation of COP with generator temp in modified cycle of single effect system(T
e=
8.
6, T
a
=T
c
,
1
=0. 7 and
2
=0. 1)

660 Raghvendra Kumar Singh and Trinath Mahala


Effect of variation in absorber & condenser temperature
The effect of the variation in the absorber & condenser temperatures on the COP is
illustrated in Fig. 3a & 3b. The increment in the absorber temperature, specific
circulation ratio is also increased which increases the generator heat duty and pump
work. The mass flow rate of refrigerant is assumed constant so evaporator load is
constant.


Fig. 3a

Fig. 3b

Fig. 3a Effect of absorber temperature on COP in single effect cycle and Fig. 3b effect
of absorber temperature on COP in modified cycle (T
g
=80C, T
a
=T
c,

1
=0. 7 and

2
=0. 1)


Effect of evaporator temperature
Fig 4a and 4b show the effect of evaporator temperature on COP. The COP of both
systems increases with increase in evaporator temperature. Evaporator temperature
varies 4C-10C at different generator and evaporator temperatures.
Theoretical Analysis of Modified Refrigeration Cycle 661



Fig. 4a

Fig. 4b

Fig. 4a Effect of evaporator temperature on COP in simple cycle and Fig. 4b effect of
absorber temperature on COP in modified cycle (T
g
=80C, T
a
=T
c,

1
=0. 7 and
2
=0.
1)



Conclusions
A computer program is developed to compare the performance of simple cycle and
modified refrigeration cycle of single effect vapour absorption system. The various
effects are in variation in absorber, condenser evaporator and generator temperature
on COP. It is shown that an increase in the generator temperature increases the COP
up to an optimum generator temperature. The COP of the modified cycle of single
effect vapour absorption system is nearly 18. 72% greater than simple cycle of LiBr-
H
2
O vapour absorption system. The optimum value of COP is achieved at generator
temperature is 81. 20C, condenser and absorber temperature are 31. 7C and
evaporator temperature is 8. 6C. It is also shown that increase in evaporator
662 Raghvendra Kumar Singh and Trinath Mahala


temperature increases the COP while increase in absorber and condenser temperature
decreases the COP. The analysis of both cycles proves that the performance of the
modified cycle is higher than simple cycle of LiBr-H
2
O vapour absorption system.


References

[1] Eisa MAR, Diggory PJ, Holland FA. Experimental studies to determine the
effect of difference in absorber and condenser temperatures on the
performance of a water-lithium bromide absorption cooler. Energy Convers
Manag 1987; 27 (2): 253e9.
[2] Joudi KA, Lafta AH. Simulation of a simple absorption refrigeration system.
Energy Convers Manag 2001; 42 (13): 1575e605.
[3] Jason Wonchala, Maxwell Hazledine, Kiari Goni Boulama. Solution
procedure and performance evaluation for a water LiBr absorption
refrigeration machine. Energy 65 (2014): 272e284
[5] Y. Kaita. Thermodynamic analysis of lithium bromide-water solution at high
temperature. International journal of refrigeration 24 (2001) 374-390

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