Experimental verification of H2O/LiBr absorber bundle performance with smooth horizontal tubes

A model for absorption of water vapor into LiBr flowing over horizontal smooth tubes is developed to predict the absorption performance of a tube bundle. The performance of a horizontal smooth tube absorber is calculated and compared with experimental data. The calculation results of absorber performance are found to vary considerably depending on mass diffusivity. The literature value of mass diffusivity, of the order of 10(-9) m(2) s(-1), causes the model to deviate from the experimental results especially for solution side heat transfer coefficient. A parametric study varying mass diffusivity shows that a value of 1.0 x 10(-10) m(2) s(-1) gives a better agreement with the experimental results. The effects of absorber capacity, heat transfer coefficient of droplets ejected from the system (slinging) and number of tubes in the bundle on the absorption performance are also discussed. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.