Experimental Study of a Solar Adsorption Refrigeration Unit, Factorial Analysis

Abstract

An experimental study was performed on an adsorption refrigeration unit powered by a solar energy and equipped with three different types of activated carbon (1: Coconut, 2: Palm seeds 3: charcoal). In this Study design, factorial analysis and optimization of a prototype unit were described. The activated carbon coupled with methanol was used as an adsorbent-adsorbate pairs. Experimental tests were carried out on an adsorptive solar-powered refrigerator for the three pairs. The temperatures of the bed of each adsorber and the corresponding refrigerator temperature for both the adsorption and desorption cycles respectively were recorded and studied as a response. Then a factorial analysis was carried out considering the type of activated carbon and the times interval as factors. The results showed that coconut have the highest bed temperature during the day cycle with a mean of 77.5℃ and the lowest mean temperature during the night cycle with a mean of 12.9℃. In addition, it was found from the analysis that the coconut shell activated carbon has the highest coefficient of performance of 0.25.