Study of the Performance of a Solar Refrigerator Using a Silica Gel-water Combination

Abstract

Solar adsorption refrigeration as an environmentally-friendly refrigeration method has attracted a great deal of interest over the world. This technology will therefore benefit developing countries with high solar energy potential. The aim of this work is to contribute to a better understanding of the functioning of the refrigeration systems by adsorption. An experimental survey is conducted on such a prototype using silicagel-water couple constructs by BLM and installed in Ouagadougou (IRSAT) in the eighties. In this study, we measured the overall solar radiation on the collector, ambient temperature and the temperature of the various parts of the system, i.e., the collector, condenser and evaporator. We then used A. Errougani's correlation to estimate the mass of water adsorbed to calculate the amount of cold produced at the evaporator. The observed facts were that the SCOP of this machine varies between 0,091 and 0,138 for an average daily solar radiation ranging from 14,56 MJ and 18,68 MJ. This prototype, despite its old age had an interesting SCOP and testifies an increase of the temperature to the evaporator in relation to the one predicted initially.