Why it is not popular!

[mkpo]

Dear colleagues,

I recently come to know that there are lots of small sizes (1 ton to 4 ton) air-conditioning systems available in Chinese market with vapor compression refrigeration system assisted with evacuated tube solar collector. The collector is placed between compressor and condenser and help decrease the required size of the compressor a lot. The manufactures claim that they can decrease the use of 30-40 percent of electricity by using this type of system. I just want to know that why this system is not being so popular, if it decreases so much energy consumption. The cost is also not so high. You can get a chinese small 1 ton system with $450...could anyone suggest me the major technical reasons associated with this system....

for detail...
http://www.atlantissolar.com/aircon1.html
http://www.atlantissolar.com/solarac_method.pdf

[nike123]

Probably because it is not clear what they are achieved with that solar collector.
I simply cannot see how it is done! Or I am stupid?

[Hitech]

Kinda like adding heat to the system to give the condenser more to do

[mkpo]

http://www.atlantissolar.com/ac_details.html

Follow the link...They have explained the system very brief...

Probably because it is not clear what they are achieved with that solar collector.
I simply cannot see how it is done! Or I am stupid?

[nike123]

Sorry, but these sentences doesn't have much sense to me.
It is written in very bad English, or I don't understand what is written here:

The refrigerant from the compressor goes through the copper coil inside the collector and undertake a heat exchange.

If collector absorb heat from sun that mean further increase in refrigerant temperature and more heat for condenser to reject. It could be good in heating, but what about night, when heating is more needed.

The refrigerant heated by the medium inside the solar collector will go through a cycle inside the system cooling and heating

This does not make sense without further clarification.

What refrigerant is inside?

[momo]

Spanish company has similar product using sheet condenser/evaporators.. blurb somewhere on the web. However, not sold as a package unit. OK: the sun helps for heating but cooling - how much heat can be rejected?. They look bulky and is it a water tank on top? Their page closes my explorer (probably bad fl*sh or cookie/hacking links) so I will not be buying ;-) (Take note Web designers!)

[mkpo]

Sorry, for my bad english.

What I understand from the system layout is the solar evacuated tube collector used just after the compressor will help superheat the refrigerant inside the system. I think that, in general, the compressor is used in refrigerant circuit to increase the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant vapor coming from evaporator. To achieve the increase in pressure and temperature it takes electric power as energy input.

In this case, the compressor only pumps refrigerant to increase the pressure and the part of the energy required for operating the refrigerating is supplied in terms of heat from solar collector. I dont know whether thermodynamically it is possible or not...you may better analyze.

[hookster]

Solar heat pump with compressor boost. Now get rid of the horrible chemical gas and fill it with an aqueous ammonia solution to make it a real refrigeration system!!