IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v16y2023i10p4235-d1152411.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Dynamic Investigation of a Coupled Parabolic Trough Collector–Phase Change Material Tank for Solar Cooling Process in Arid Climates

Author

Listed:
  • Abdelhamid Ajbar

    (Chemical Engineering Department, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

  • Bilal Lamrani

    (Laboratoire MANAPSE, Faculté des Sciences, Université Mohammed V de Rabat, P.O. Box 1014, Rabat 10000, Morocco)

  • Emad Ali

    (Chemical Engineering Department, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

The use of solar energy for cooling processes is advantageous for reducing the energy consumption of conventional air-conditioning systems and protecting the environment. In the present work, a solar-powered cooling system with parabolic trough collectors (PTC) and a phase change material (PCM) tank is numerically investigated in the arid climates of Saudi Arabia. The system contains a 160-kW double-effect absorption chiller powered by solar-heated pressurized water as a heat transfer fluid (HTF) and a shell and tube PCM as a thermal battery. The novelty of this paper is to investigate the feasibility and the potential of using a PTC solar field coupled to a PCM tank for cooling purposes in arid climates. The numerical method is adopted in this work, and a dynamic model is developed based on the lumped approach; it is validated using data from the literature. The functioning of the coupled system is investigated in both sunshine hours (charging period) and off-sunshine hours (discharging period). The PTC area in this work varies from 200 m 2 to 260 m 2 and the cooling capacity of the chiller ranges from 120 kW to 200 kW. Obtained results showed that the 160-kW chiller is fully driven by the 240 m 2 -solar PTC during the charging period and about 23% of solar thermal energy is stored in the PCM tank. It was demonstrated that increasing the PTC area from 220 m 2 to 260 m 2 leads to a reduction in the PCM charging time by up to 45%. In addition, it was found that an increase in the cooling loads from 120 kW to 200 kW induces a decrease in the stored thermal energy in the PCM tank from 450 kWh to 45 kWh. During the discharging period, the PCM tank can continue the cooling process with a stable delivered cooling power of 160 kW and an HTF temperature between 118 °C and 150 °C. The PCM tank used in the studied absorption chiller leads to a reduction of up to 30% in cooling energy consumption during off-sunshine hours.

Suggested Citation

  • Abdelhamid Ajbar & Bilal Lamrani & Emad Ali, 2023. "Dynamic Investigation of a Coupled Parabolic Trough Collector–Phase Change Material Tank for Solar Cooling Process in Arid Climates," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-25, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:10:p:4235-:d:1152411
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/10/4235/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/10/4235/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lamrani, Bilal & Kuznik, Frédéric & Draoui, Abdeslam, 2020. "Thermal performance of a coupled solar parabolic trough collector latent heat storage unit for solar water heating in large buildings," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 411-426.
    2. Lamrani, B. & Johannes, K. & Kuznik, F., 2021. "Phase change materials integrated into building walls: An updated review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    3. Kalogirou, Soteris A, 2002. "Parabolic trough collectors for industrial process heat in Cyprus," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 27(9), pages 813-830.
    4. El-Sharkawy, Ibrahim I. & AbdelMeguid, Hossam & Saha, Bidyut Baran, 2014. "Potential application of solar powered adsorption cooling systems in the Middle East," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 235-245.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. William Quitiaquez & José Estupiñán-Campos & César Nieto-Londoño & Patricio Quitiaquez, 2023. "CFD Analysis of Heat Transfer Enhancement in a Flat-Plate Solar Collector/Evaporator with Different Geometric Variations in the Cross Section," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-15, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Reda, Francesco & Viot, Maxime & Sipilä, Kari & Helm, Martin, 2016. "Energy assessment of solar cooling thermally driven system configurations for an office building in a Nordic country," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 27-43.
    2. Lattieff, Farkad A. & Atiya, Mohammed A. & Al-Hemiri, Adel A., 2019. "Test of solar adsorption air-conditioning powered by evacuated tube collectors under the climatic conditions of Iraq," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 20-29.
    3. Yang, Shiyu & Oliver Gao, H. & You, Fengqi, 2022. "Model predictive control in phase-change-material-wallboard-enhanced building energy management considering electricity price dynamics," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).
    4. Ajbar, Wassila & Parrales, A. & Huicochea, A. & Hernández, J.A., 2022. "Different ways to improve parabolic trough solar collectors’ performance over the last four decades and their applications: A comprehensive review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    5. Lamrani, Bilal & Elmrabet, Yasmine & Mathew, Ibeh & Bekkioui, Naoual & Etim, Promise & Chahboun, Adil & Draoui, Abdeslam & Ndukwu, Macmanus Chinenye, 2022. "Energy, economic analysis and mathematical modelling of mixed-mode solar drying of potato slices with thermal storage loaded V-groove collector: Application to Maghreb region," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 48-58.
    6. Basdanis, Thanasis & Tsimpoukis, Alexandros & Valougeorgis, Dimitris, 2021. "Performance optimization of a solar adsorption chiller by dynamically adjusting the half-cycle time," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 362-374.
    7. Najafi, G. & Ghobadian, B. & Mamat, R. & Yusaf, T. & Azmi, W.H., 2015. "Solar energy in Iran: Current state and outlook," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 931-942.
    8. Nishant Modi & Xiaolin Wang & Michael Negnevitsky, 2023. "Solar Hot Water Systems Using Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage: Perspectives and Challenges," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-20, February.
    9. Beyne, W. & T'Jollyn, I. & Lecompte, S. & Cabeza, L.F. & De Paepe, M., 2023. "Standardised methods for the determination of key performance indicators for thermal energy storage heat exchangers," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    10. Zou, Bin & Yao, Yang & Jiang, Yiqiang & Yang, Hongxing, 2018. "A new algorithm for obtaining the critical tube diameter and intercept factor of parabolic trough solar collectors," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 451-467.
    11. Hassan, H.Z. & Mohamad, A.A. & Al-Ansary, H.A. & Alyousef, Y.M., 2014. "Dynamic analysis of the CTAR (constant temperature adsorption refrigeration) cycle," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 852-858.
    12. Li, Ming & Xu, Chengmu & Ji, Xu & Zhang, Peng & Yu, Qiongfen, 2015. "A new study on the end loss effect for parabolic trough solar collectors," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 382-394.
    13. Gado, Mohamed G. & Ookawara, Shinichi & Nada, Sameh & El-Sharkawy, Ibrahim I., 2021. "Hybrid sorption-vapor compression cooling systems: A comprehensive overview," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    14. El Ghazzani, Badreddine & Martinez Plaza, Diego & Ait El Cadi, Radia & Ihlal, Ahmed & Abnay, Brahim & Bouabid, Khalid, 2017. "Thermal plant based on parabolic trough collectors for industrial process heat generation in Morocco," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1261-1275.
    15. Silva, R. & Pérez, M. & Fernández-Garcia, A., 2013. "Modeling and co-simulation of a parabolic trough solar plant for industrial process heat," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 287-300.
    16. Ghazouani, Mokhtar & Bouya, Mohsine & Benaissa, Mohammed, 2020. "Thermo-economic and exergy analysis and optimization of small PTC collectors for solar heat integration in industrial processes," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 984-998.
    17. Seol, Sung-Hoon & Nagano, Katsunori & Togawa, Junya, 2020. "Simulation on annual performance of solar adsorption heat pump system using composite natural mesoporous material in different metrological conditions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 1587-1604.
    18. M.T. Nitsas & E.G. Papoutsis & I.P. Koronaki, 2020. "Experimental Performance Evaluation of an Integrated Solar-Driven Adsorption System in Terms of Thermal Storage and Cooling Capacity," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-15, November.
    19. Haghighi, A.P. & Pakdel, S.H. & Jafari, A., 2016. "A study of a wind catcher assisted adsorption cooling channel for natural cooling of a 2-storey building," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 118-138.
    20. Liu, Lu & Zhang, Xuelai & Xu, Xiaofeng & Lin, Xiangwei & Zhao, Yi & Zou, Lingeng & Wu, Yifan & Zheng, Huifan, 2021. "Development of low-temperature eutectic phase change material with expanded graphite for vaccine cold chain logistics," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 2348-2358.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:10:p:4235-:d:1152411. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.