Experimental Setup and Methodology on Active Mechanisms for Enhancing Heat and Mass Transfer in Sorption Fluids

Enhancement of heat and mass transfer in sorption fluids could improve the overall performance of absorption chillers. Active mechanisms are proposed as a potential effective means to achieve this goal. A testing facility is needed to evaluate the impact on the performance of the chiller after adding an active mechanism. The challenges of this project include the fulfillment of mechanism motion to drive extra heat and mass transfer in an absorber, the measurement of related variables, and the stability and repeatability of findings. These challenges come from the fact that absorption chillers are closed-loop systems with large heat exchangers, have low inside pressures, and can sustain only small pressure drops along the refrigerant loop. Measures are needed to prevent the impact of vibration on untargeted components in the system. In this paper, we introduce the details of the lab construction methodology, including the vibration table, the auxiliary water loop system, and the measuring instruments. Then, we present several examples to show the operation and testing procedure and stability of the test system. Last, the experiment plan matrix and analysis methodology are presented, which will be applied in the next-phase experiment. The fulfillment of active mechanism and test methodology with a closed absorption chiller for performance analysis can be references in similar thermal applications.