Structure optimization and performance experiments of a solar-powered finned-tube adsorption refrigeration system

A large-diameter aluminum-alloy finned-tube absorbent bed collector was designed and optimized by enhancing the heat and mass transfer in the collector. The collection efficiency of the adsorbent bed collector was between 31.64% and 42.7%, and the temperature distribution in the absorbent bed was relatively uniform, beneficial to adsorption/desorption of the adsorbate in the absorbent bed. A solar-powered solid adsorption refrigeration system with the finned-tube absorbent bed collector was built. Some experiments corresponding to the adsorption/desorption process with and without a valve control were conducted in four typical weather conditions: sunny with clear sky, sunny with partly cloudy sky, cloudy sky and overcast sky. Activated carbon–methanol was utilized as the working pair for adsorption refrigeration in the experiments. The experiments achieved the maximum COP of 0.122 and the maximum daily ice-making of 6.5kg. Under the weather conditions of sunny with clear sky, sunny with partly cloudy sky, and cloudy sky, ice-making phenomenon were observed. Even in the overcast-sky weather condition, the cooling efficiency of the system still reached 0.039 when the total solar radiation was 11.51MJ. The cooling efficiency of the solar-powered adsorption refrigeration system with a valve control in the adsorption/desorption process was significantly higher than that without a valve control.