PERFORMANCE SIMULATION OF ADSORPTIVE SOLAR COOLING UNITS .1. PERFORMANCE COMPARISON FOR 2 TYPES OF ACTIVATED CARBON

Adsorptive solar cooling units have been successfully tested in recent years. In this paper, a numerical simulation of one year of operation in Rabat (Morocco) is used to study the performance of an adsorptive solar refrigerator functioning with two pairs AC35-methanol and AC40-methanol. The model used is a simplified one where the adsorber, assumed to be a homogeneous temperature, is thermally linked to the front and rear faces of the collector by conductances assumed to be constant over the whole day and over the year. The model is validated by comparing experimental results obtained in Orsay (France) on a solar-powered icemaker to the numerical results obtained with the model. Results show that cooling is always achieved and that the highest efficiencies are obtained in winter. Comparison of the results with the two types of activated carbon (AC35 and AC40) shows that the use of AC40 improves the performance of the machine on days with little sunshine (results are 20% better).