A review on solar-powered closed physisorption cooling systems

Cooling, refrigeration, and air conditioning processes are considered essential needs and major requirements for all human beings in our world today. However, the traditional vapor compression machines are dominating electricity consumers and their operation and propagation cause high electricity peak loads during the summer, especially in those countries with tropical climate. That is besides their refrigerants having high global warming as well as ozone layer depletion potentials. Providing cooling by utilizing a green energy such as solar energy is the key solution to electricity and pollution problems. Adsorption refrigeration systems that are driven by solar energy are mature technologies. They are proven to be suitable and applicable for refrigeration as well as air-conditioning applications. Solar adsorption cooling technology is divided into physisorption and chemisorption systems. The physisorption machines include open and closed cycle operation. This paper presents a review on previous researches and developments of the solar driven closed physisorption refrigeration systems. The discussion includes, experimental and numerical simulation studies as well as methods that are suggested to improve the system performance. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.