EFFECT OF OPERATING-CONDITIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF 2-BED CLOSED-CYCLE SOLID-SORPTION HEAT-PUMP SYSTEMS

The effect of two operating parameters, the regeneration temperature and the ambient temperature, on the performance of two-bed, closed-cycle solid-sorption heat pumps is investigated. The results show that increasing the regeneration temperature can improve both the COP and cooling capacity, and the effect on cooling capacity is more significant than the COP. Increasing the regeneration temperature from 180 degrees C to 260 degrees C, the cooling capacity increases by 50 percent and the COP improves 20 percent When the ambient temperature drops, the system performance increases significantly. When the ambient temperature decreases by 10 degrees C from the design point of 35 degrees C, the COP and cooling capacity increases by 50 percent and 40 percent, respectively. Also, the bed cycling speed should be increased to achieve the optimum system performance when the regeneration temperature is higher or the ambient temperature becomes lower.