Improving the Energy Efficiency of Adsorption Chillers by Intensifying Thermal Management Systems in Sorbent Beds

The objective of this study was to develop a strategy for miniaturizing heat exchangers (HXs) used for the thermal management of sorbent beds within adsorption refrigeration systems. The thermal mass of the microchannel heat exchanger (MCHX) designed and fabricated in this study is compared with that of commercially available tube-and-fin HXs. Efforts are made to quantify the overall effects of miniaturization on system coefficient of performance (COP) and specific cooling power (SCP). A thermal model for predicting the cycle time for desorption is developed, and experiments are used to quantify the effect of the intensified HX on overall system performance.