Ammonia Based Combustion/Electric Refrigeration Principles

[GeeeAus]

Hi.

I'm new here it's great to have found somewhere to ask my questions.

I have a friend who is conducting research into making a climate control system for a house that uses the heat of the sun to circulate ammonia in a non-electric refrigeration system.

He has seen the kero/electric/gas hybrid systems that some car fridges employ and wants to know about the technologies suitability on a larger scale to cool a building using only sun light/latent heat as an energy source.

Does anybody know what kind of temp input would be required to make such a system work? Or perhaps the volume of refrigerant used. Obviously I'm after the mathematics of the principles in place. The formulas for working out the charge, heat input to pressure relationship and also the cooling capacity at said charge and input.

Thanks

GeeeAus
In Oz

[Andy]

Hi:)
this would be an absorbtion system. Energy input compared with cooling output would be little better than 1:1 meaning for 1kW of cooling you would need 1kW of energy input. maybe 30kW for to cool a house. That would be a very expensive solar collector.:)
Kind Regards. Andy.:)

[dogma]

Hi GeeeAus.

I have seen a site on the web, don't ask me where now I've forgot, but ole bud uses Stainless steel to reflect sunlight onto a heat exchanger which contains a glycol, which in turn heats the system.

I think he's in the desert of America. Makes "ICE" by using this method. And it is actually cheap as to set up. Just a bit of stainless few poly pipes etc.

Don't think I want one in my backyard but.

[star882]

maybe 30kW for to cool a house. That would be a very expensive solar collector.
Except that an absorption system needs a cheap solar to heat collector as opposed to the more expensive solar to electricity collectors.

[frank]

Hi Andy

Nice to see you back on the Forum :)