Experimental Analysis of a Laboratory-Scale Diesel Engine Exhaust Heat-Driven Absorption Refrigeration System as a Model for Naval Surface Ship Applications

Decreasing industrial energy sources and major environmental problems caused by uncontrolled energy consumption have led to studies on alternative energy sources. This study presents a design and experimental analysis of an exhaust gas-driven absorption refrigeration system for the purpose of air conditioning by using the exhaust heat of a diesel engine, which is installed in the Naval Academy Mechanics Laboratory. The diesel engine is loaded with a dynamometer, and water and ammonia are used as an absorbent and refrigerant, respectively. At various diesel engine loads, cooling capacity and coefficient of performance (COP) of the absorption refrigeration system are calculated. Experimental results have indicated the cooling capacity as 1.098 kW at a maximum engine power of 4.9 HP. The highest COP value in the designed system has been calculated to be .3022 for the generator temperature of 160 degrees C. Although the COP of refrigeration is low, the absorption refrigeration system can be provided a great cooling load from the exhaust heat of diesel engines and can be used in naval surface ships. In addition to energy efficiency of naval surface ships, infrared and acoustic signature can be minimized and a ship's susceptibility can be dramatically reduced.