Feasibility of a small-scale hybrid dish/flat-plate solar collector system as a heat source for an absorption cooling unit

Solar cooling systems based on absorption chillers may be considered as an alternative approach to compressor systems supplied by electric power. This article presents the results of experiments conducted with a hybrid solar system integrating a concentrator, and computer simulations of a hybrid solar cooling system incorporating flat plate collectors and a concentrator. The hybrid solar cooling system was fully based on solar energy and no auxiliary system was considered. Experiential validation of the concentrator model was performed and a transient model of the installation was developed. The model of the concentrator was developed using an analytic method. The dynamic simulation of the entire system model was performed using TRNSYS software. The system was investigated for a small-scale user, consisting of a single-floor residential house. Different time bases (day, week year), concentrator and flat plate collector areas, climatic conditions and energy tariffs were considered to investigate the energy and economic performance of the system. The main results are the following: concentrator efficiency of 70%, Primary Energy Saving of 50%, optimal concentrator area per absorption chiller capacity of 1.6 m(2)/kW and Simple Pay Back between 8 and 23 years.