Potential application of cascade adsorption-vapor compression refrigeration system powered by photovoltaic/thermal collectors

In the present study, a theoretical assessment of an adsorption-assisted cascade compression refrigeration system powered by photovoltaic/thermal collectors is performed. The proposed system is intended to produce refrigeration and electricity simultaneously. Herein, mathematical modeling of the proposed system is developed using MATLAB/SIMULINK and validated with the open literature. The impact of collector area, compressor displacement volume, cooling water temperature, and brine temperature on the system performance are quantitatively investigated and analyzed. The economic analysis of the proposed system has also been conducted. It is observed that decreasing the compressor displacement volume and cooling water temperature could substantially increase the overall coefficient of performance and energy saving. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the system performance enhances with the increase of the collector area and the brine temperature. It is found that the proposed system can concurrently attain a daily average cooling capacity and electricity yield of 1.7 kW and 103 kWh at cooling and brine temperatures of 30 degrees C and -20 degrees C, respectively. Simulation results indicate that the proposed system can generate annual refrigeration production and electricity production of 34.4 kWh(c) m(-2) and 213 kWh(el) m(-2), respectively, with an annual average coefficient of performance of 2.38. Moreover, the economic analysis exhibited that the photovoltaic/thermal collectors-assisted cascade adsorption compression system is economically competitive for refrigeration applications, revealing an annual energy saving of 24.8% and a payback period of similar to 3.9 years. In this regard, cascade adsorption-compression systems could significantly extend the potential application and energy savings for cooling systems and heat pumps.