Research PaperNo Access

Characterization of Ammonia–Water Absorption Chiller and Application

Gopalakrishnan Anand

Energy Concepts Company, 627 Ridgely Avenue, Annapolis MD 21401, USA

E-mail Address: ganand@energy-concepts.com

Corresponding author.

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Donald C. Erickson

Energy Concepts Company, 627 Ridgely Avenue, Annapolis MD 21401, USA

E-mail Address: enerconcep@aol.com

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, and

Ellen Makar

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2854-0044

Energy Concepts Company, 627 Ridgely Avenue, Annapolis MD 21401, USA

E-mail Address: emakar@energy-concepts.com

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https://doi.org/10.1142/S2010132518500359Cited by:2 (Source: Crossref)

Abstract

Ammonia-absorption refrigeration units (AARUS) can supply subfreezing refrigeration for many industrial applications. Such units are usually driven by waste heat or renewable energy at relatively low temperatures. The performance of the chiller is highly dependent on the temperatures of the driving heat, the chilling load, and the cooling water. In this paper, the performance of an advanced industrial-scale ammonia-absorption unit is modeled over a representative operating range. The performance is then characterized by a set of simple equations incorporating the three external temperatures. This simple model helps to evaluate potential applications, predict performance, and perform initial optimization. Case studies are presented highlighting the application of the model.

Keywords:

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