Hybrid double effect absorption refrigeration system with a preceded air dehumidification compared to a conventional compression refrigeration system.

In cold store refrigeration, depending on the ambient conditions a considerable part of the energy input is required to remove the latent heat, thus, to dehumidify the air. Separating the sensible cooling of the air from the removal of the latent cooling load in a two-stage absorption process bears the potential to increase energy efficiency significantly if dehumidification is driven by part of the heat rejected from the cooling.
To investigate this process, a closed absorption chiller combined with an open absorption liquid desiccant system is build up at TU Berlin. Measurements conducted at this test-rig are compared to a parameter study of an electrically driven compression refrigerating system. Both processes are evaluated regarding its primary energy consumption.
The analysis reveals boundary conditions under which the absorption process could reduce primary energy consumption of cold storages and thus, could increase the economic viability.