Model performance assessment and experimental analysis of a solar assisted cooling system

Due to the economic development and occupancy requests, building thermal comfort reached higher levels during the last years. Energy consumption rates have become excessive and engendered an increasing reliance on fossil-fuel reserves. Hence, the conception of energy-efficient buildings as well as applying solar cooling techniques has become a promising solution. In this context, the current work dealt with the appraisal of a solar system that drives the cooling process in an office building located in the Center of Researches and Energy Technologies in Tunisia. The solar system consisting of linear parabolic trough solar collectors' field coupled to a 16 kW double effect Lithium Bromide absorption chiller, supplies chilled water to a set of fan coils installed in the 126 m(2) laboratory building. A dynamic model that couples the solar cooling system with the building was developed using the TRNSYS tool and several simulations were performed to assess the case study and improve its performance. The model results were compared to the data collected during the experimental campaign conducted in summer 2015 and showed that the collectors efficiency was at the range of 26-35%, the COP ranged between 0.65 and 1.29, the daily maximum solar COP was approximately at 35%. However, the solar system was unable to cover 32.3% of the cooling requirements, the absorption chiller was switched on only during 53.8% of its total operating time. An improved system configuration was then studied; the integration of an auxiliary heater prior to the chiller as well as the increase of the aperture area guaranteed high driving temperatures and more suitable conditions to the absorption chiller. As a result, the chiller operating time increased to 75.8%, the cooling power increased by 75.6%, the solar COP reaches 57% and the solar fraction averaged 87%. The summer season performances predict that the improved system configuration achieves primary energy savings that reach 82.3% compared to a classic air conditioning system producing the same cooling power, the yearly avoided CO2 emissions are estimated to 2947 kg. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.