Performance Dynamics of Activated Carbon-Methanol Pair in Adsorption Refrigeration Systems

Abstract

Adsorption refrigeration systems have shown potential for addressing the adverse effects of traditional compressor-based refrigeration systems. Adsorption refrigeration systems that utilise activated carbon and methanol demonstrate good performance, especially at temperatures below 0 °C. This combination significantly improves the cooling performance of the system, making it a dependable option for freezing applications. Despite having the potential to meet cooling demand and be eco-friendly, the adsorption refrigeration system has several drawbacks that hinder its commercialisation. This paper discusses the properties of the activated carbon methanol pair in the adsorption refrigeration system. The focus is on the desorption temperature, thermal stress, repeatability and reliability of the experimental process. The experimental method was used to evaluate the performance of the activated carbon-methanol system in the solar powered adsorption refrigeration prototype. The experiments involved monitoring the temperatures in the adsorber bed, condenser and evaporator. Experiment results show that activated carbon methanol does not depict good properties when the adsorber bed temperature is more than 120 oC. Also, findings show that the pair does not provide reliable results after thermal stress and lacks repeatability. Desorption of the activated carbon methanol pair was observed to start at a temperature of 45 ℃. This shows that adsorption refrigeration systems could solve the cooling demand when subjected to the required operating conditions. Also, low-grade heat can be utilised to produce cooling for domestic and industrial processes.