Absortion

Absorption cooling chillers are a promising technology for the near future. This type of chillers use waste or renewable heat (i.e. from solar thermal collectors) for cooling purposes, thus reducing the energy consumption of air-conditioning systems in dwellings, buildings, cars, etc.

The ISE research group works in the modelling and experimental characterization of water-lithium bromide and ammonia-water systems.

Our current research is devoted to reducing the size and increasing the energy efficiency of this refrigeration technology using microporous membranes. Research is conducted at the level of individual components (including absorber and generator). It covers modelling, simulation, design, construction and testing.

Scheme of the membrane-based micro-absorber.

Financial support:

National Project “ABMIN: High-efficiency micro-sized absorption cooling chillers using membrane technology” ENE2013-43131-R, funded by “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad” with 145.200 Euros, for the period 01/01/2014 to 31/12/2016. Recent publications:

  • M. de Vega, M. Venegas, N. García-Hernando, U. Ruiz-Rivas “Performance evaluation of H2O-LiBr absorber operating with microporous membrane technology”, 1st Thermal and Fluid Engineering Summer Conference, TFESC, New York, 9-12 August, 2015. Submitted.

  • N. García-Hernando, M. Venegas, M. de Vega, U. Ruiz-Rivas “Micro-absorption chiller components based on membrane technology”, Energy & Materials Research Conference – EMR2015, Madrid, 25-27 February, 2015.

  • M. Venegas, N. García-Hernando, U. Ruiz-Rivas, M. de Vega “Modelling of membrane-based micro-absorbers for absorption cooling technology”, Energy & Materials Research Conference – EMR2015, Madrid, 25-27 February, 2015.

  • A.M. Hdz-Jasso, M.R. Contreras-Valenzuela, A. Rodríguez-Martínez, R.J. Romero, M. Venegas “Experimental heat transformer monitoring based on linear modelling and statistical control process”, Applied Thermal Engineering, 75, pp. 1271-1286, 2015.

  • N. García-Hernando, M. de Vega, A. Soria-Verdugo, S. Sánchez-Delgado “Energy and exergy analysis of an absorption power cycle”, Applied Thermal Engineering, 55, pp. 69-77, 2013.

  • N. García-Hernando, J.A. Almendros-Ibáñez, G. Ruiz, M. de Vega “On the pressure drop in plate heat exchangers used as desorbers in absorption chillers”, Energy Conversion and Management, 52, pp. 1520-1525, 2011.