ABSTRACT
The quest for a safe and comfortable environment has always been one of the main preoccupations of the sustainability of human life. Accordingly, research aimed at the development of thermally powered adsorption cooling technologies has intensified in the past few decades. These technologies offer double benefits of reductions in energy consumption, peak electrical demand in tandem with adoption of environmentally benign adsorbent/ refrigerant pairs without compromising the desired level of comfort conditions. Alternative adsorption cooling technologies are being developed, which can be applied to buildings [1-4]. These systems are relatively simple to construct as they have no major moving parts. In addition, there is only marginal electricity usage, which might be needed for the pumping of heat transfer fluids. The heat source temperature can be as low as 50°C if a multistage regeneration scheme is implemented [5,6]. However, since the system is driven by low-temperature waste heat, the coefficient of performance (COP) of thermally activated adsorption systems is normally poor [7]. A recent study shows that the cooling capacity of the two-stage silica gel/water refrigeration cycle can be improved significantly when a reheat scheme is used [8]. In the first part of this chapter, several advanced thermally activated adsorption cooling cycles are overviewed. Finally, a three-bed dual evaporator-type advanced adsorption cooling cum desalination (AACD) cycle is introduced in which the evaporators work at two different pressure levels and produce cooling effects and potable water from saline or brackish water. The performance results of the AACD cycle are presented.
