Solar-driven compression-assisted desorption chemisorption refrigeration/cold energy storage system

In rural regions, freshly harvested fruits and vegetables cannot be precooled in time, resulting in enormous economic losses. In this paper, a novel solar-driven compression-assisted desorption chemisorption refrigeration/ cold energy storage system for refrigerated warehouses is proposed. Compression-assisted desorption allows flexible adjustment of the desorption temperature of composite sorbent to actively adapt to the instable solar hot water temperature. The desorption reaction can increase compressor suction pressure, which helps to reduce power consumption and improve the coefficient of performance (COP). The chemisorption energy storage module completes its regeneration by day and releases cold energy to refrigerated warehouse at night. This module can change the refrigerating temperature depending on the type of fruits and vegetables, superior to the phase change cold storage technology. Therefore, the system can effectively overcome the problems caused by the instability and intermittency of solar energy. According to the performance test results of the reactor, the COP is 5.5 at a hot water temperature of 90 C, an evaporating temperature of-10 C and a condensing temperature of 40 C, which is higher than the 2.6 of the R404A vapor-compression system. Additionally, its refrigerating capacity can be changed by adjusting the number of reactors operating inside the sorption bed, ranging from 1.52 kW to 5.21 kW. Analysis results indicate that the system can efficiently and consistently meet the precooling needs of freshly harvested fruits and vegetables during the picking season. The payback period is less than one year, considering the economic benefits it brings. Ultimately, the novel system is suitable for refrigerated warehouses in sunny rural regions.

Automated summary

This paper proposes a solar-driven refrigeration/cold energy storage system that can effectively solve the problem of delayed precooling of freshly harvested fruits and vegetables in rural regions. It shows high energy efficiency and adaptability.