Modeling and simulation of solar absorption system performance in Beirut

An analytical study is performed on solar energy utilization in space cooling of a small residential application using a solar lithium bromide absorption system. A simulation program for modeling and performance evaluation of the solar-operated absorption cycle is done for all possible climatic conditions of Beirut. The results have shown that for each ton of refrigeration it is required to have a minimum collector area of 23.3 m(2) with an optimal water storage tank capacity ranging from 1000 to 1500 liters for tile system to operate solely on solar energy for about seven hours a day. The monthly solar fraction of total energy use in cooling is determined as a function of solar collector area and storage tank capacity. An economic assessment is performed based on current cost of conventional cooling systems. It is found that the solar cooling system is marginally competitive only when combined with domestic water heating. (C) 1997, Elsevier Science Ltd.