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Energy Procedia 6 (2011) 467–476

MEDGREEN 2011-LB

Performance and Evaluation of Aqua Ammonia Auto Air

Conditioner System Using Exhaust Waste Energy.

Khaled S. AlQdah *
Tafila Technical University, Zip code: 66110, Tafila, Jordan.
Abstract

This work presents an experimental study of an aqua-ammonia absorption system used for automobile air
conditioning system, this system using the exhaust waste heat of an internal combustion diesel engine as
energy source. The energy availability that can be used in the generator and the effect of the system on
engine performance, exhaust emissions, auto air conditioning performance and fuel economy are
evaluated. Because automotive air conditioning is one the most equipment that heavily uses CFC
compounds and the leakage of CFCs from such air conditioners impact on the environment. The main
purpose of this investigation to explore the feasibility of using waste energy to design the absorber and
generation since these components are the most important components of absorption and they are directly
influence the performance of the whole system. It has been found that the aqua -ammonia concentration
effect the cooling capacity. The estimated cooling load for the automobile found to be within acceptable
ranges which are about 1.37 ton refrigeration. The obtained results show that the coefficient of
performance (COP) values directly proportional with increasing generator and evaporator temperatures
but decrease with increasing condenser and absorber temperatures. Measured values for generator,
absorber, and evaporator and condenser temperature were recorded and the coefficient of performance of
the system varied between 0.85 and 1.04.
The main components of the absorption cycle were designed and fabricated for optimal performance and
could be rapidly transfer to the industry, The system was found to be applicable and ready to produce the
required conditioning effect without any additional load to the engine. The proposed system decreases
vehicle operating costs and environmental pollution caused by the heating system as well as causing a
lower global warming.

© 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of [name organizer]

Key Words: Absorption; Performance; COP; Waste heat; Aqua –Ammonia; Generator.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: 00962 3 22 50 326; fax: 00962 3 22 50 002

E-mail address: [email protected]

1876–6102 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2011.05.054
468 Khaled S. AlQdah / Energy Procedia 6 (2011) 467–476
gy ( )

Nomenclature
A: Cross sectional or surface area (m2 )
COP: Coefficient of Performance;
D: Diameter (m)
g: Gravitational acceleration (m/s2)
H: Specific enthalpy (kJ/kg)
h: Convective heat transfer coefficient of tube (W/m2k)
K: Thermal conductivity (W/m2)
m: Mass flow rate (kg/hr)
M: Mass flow rate for the mixture (kg/hr)
Nu: Nusselt number
Pr: Prandtls number
P: Pressure (bar)
Q: Heat gained or lost in a certain device (kW)
Qg: Heat gained in the generator (kW)
T: Temperature (°C)
Toe: Ton oil equivalent
TR: Ton Refrigeration
U: Overall heat transfer coefficient (W/m2k)
!: density (kg/m3)
"TLMTD: log mean temperature difference (°C)
Subscripts
a: ammonia
g: gas
i: inside
l: liquid
o: outside

1. Introduction
In 2009, Jordan local crude oil and natural gas production was nearly 163 thousand toe, i.e. 3.3% of
Jordan’s total energy needs. In view of the limited production of local resources, Jordan has depended on
imports to meet its energy needs. Crude oil and oil products imported in 2009 were around 4557 thousand
toe as shown in figure 1[1]. Jordan is relatively poor in conventional energy resources as illustrated in
figure 2 which represents the primary energy resources and usage for the year 2008.
Therefore, the long term security requirement of Jordan is to reduce the dependence on imported oil and
natural gas and move towards use renewable energy sources. Moreover, the extensive fossil fuel
exploitation results in atmospheric and environmental pollution and lead to some undesirable phenomena
represented by global warming, greenhouse effect, climate change, ozone layer depletion and acid rain. It
is therefore unlikely that that any future scenario for Jordan will not include a significant proportion of its
energy to come from other sources such as renewable energy and other alternative energy resources such
as waste energy. Much of an internal combustion engines heat from combustion is discarded out of the
exhaust or carried away via the engine cooling water. All this wasted energy could be useful. The
common automobile, truck or bus air conditioner uses shaft work of the engine to turn a mechanical
compressor. Operating the mechanical compressor increases the load on the engine and therefore
increases fuel consumption, emissions and engine operating temperature. Nowadays all the scientists and
car manufacturers in the world search to solve two main problems in vehicles. The first problem is fuel
economy and the reduction of fuel consumption, the second problem is fuel emissions and environmental
impact.
 Khaled S. AlQdah / Energy Procedia 6 (2011) 467–476 469
gy

Figure1.Imported crude oil and oil products during the period 2005-2009 in Jordan (000 metric tons)

Figure2. The primary energy resources and usage for the year 2008 for Jordan.

2. Literature Review
The most available studies that conducted the auto air conditioners using waste energy as thermally
driven are Robert and Frosch [4], Binghadi et al [5], Frank et al [2]; Alhusein and Inayatallah [6]
designed a simple aqua ammonia absorption system for automobile air conditioning utilizing the exhaust
waste heat from a spark ignition engine. Gui et al [7], Masadeh [8], Carried out the analysis and
investigation of an automobile aqua- ammonia air conditioner using the available energy from spark
ignition engines.
Al-Aqeeli and Gandhidasan [3], the feasibility and design of an air conditioning system for automobiles
using the Open Cycle Absorption System, with LiBr-H2O as the working fluid has been carried out. Shah
Alam[9], Proposed a model for utilizing the exhaust waste heat to run automobile air-conditioner In his
work three fluid ( Ammonia –Hydrogen and Water) Vapor absorption systems is used for air conditioning
of four strokes, four cylinders passenger car.
Silva et al [10]. Crepinsek et al [11], Comparison of the performances of absorption refrigeration cycles
were carried at for different working fluid. Koehler et al [12] studied the performance of absorption cycle
for mobile system.
470 Khaled S. AlQdah / Energy Procedia 6 (2011) 467–476

3. Objective
The main objective of this work is to investigate the feasibility to utilize the waste heat from the diesel
engine from the exhaust for automobile air conditioning system and to explore the advantages of this
system over conventional air-conditioning system. Feasibility study should make to decide the unit’s
chances to be produced on commercial scales in Jordan, because it has many advantages such as low
emissions and environmental impact in addition to less engines fuel consumption and more economic.

4. Experimental Investigation and Thermodynamics analysis

A Four cylinder diesel engine installed in the Mechanical Engineering Department Laboratory at the
Faculty of Engineering/ Tafila Technical University was used for the experiment. Several sample tests
were prepared or carried out. Like other air conditioner systems, the automobile air conditioner must
provide adequate comfort cooling to the passenger in the conditioned space under a wide variety of
ambient conditions. In automobile air conditioning load factors are constantly and rapidly changing as the
automobile moves over highways at different speeds and through all kinds of surroundings [3]. As the car
moves faster there is greater amount of infiltration into the car and the heat transfer between the outdoor
air and the car surface is increased. The physical sizing of the air-conditioning system is critical, since
space must be used efficiently to hold the design system.
Cooling capacity is the amount of heat that the air-conditioning system is able to remove from the
vehicle. It is measured in kilowatts (kW). Previous studies and experiments were performed by
researchers. The results obtained described the effect of each heat source inside the automobile [13].
Different designers may make different assumptions and follow different aspects, but the best design is
the one that takes all factors, which affect the load calculations into account. Cooling load for the
temperature difference between 40°C and 20°C for automobile holds 5 passengers has been estimated and
found to be 4.8 kW which corresponds to 1.37 ton refrigeration (TR). This value falls into the range
mentioned previously in the literature [3]. It is stated in the literature that the cooling capacity required for
the typical automobile is from 1 to 1.5 tons of refrigeration. Based on cooling load calculations, the
cooling capacity or heat that must be removed from the evaporator space approximately 5 kW.
In order to measure the exhaust waste energy to know the amount of heat that can be utilize by the
generator (Qg). Shell and tube heat exchanger has been used. Water passed through the tube and hot gases
from the exhaust flow in the shell and touch the pipe wall .The waste heat from the exhaust which can be
transferred to the water and the heat gain by water can be estimated from the following formula [14]
•
Qg = m C p (T out − T in ) ………………………………........................….….….….... (1)
Where Qg is the generator heat (kW)
•
m : Water mass flow rate.
Cp: specific heat at constant pressure

Figure 3 shows the heat flow for a typical ammonia-water absorption cycle [15]; this figure also indicates
the heat flow direction in each component. In order to analyze this cycle based in thermodynamic and
heat transfer laws the data were recorded to be easily compared to the other works reported in literature.
 Khaled S. AlQdah / Energy Procedia 6 (2011) 467–476 471

Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2011) 000–000 5

Figure3. Heat flow direction for the absorption cycle

The state of the substances described in figure 4 shows that pure ammonia vapor at point 1 mixed with
liquid water in the absorber and the strong solution of aqua ammonia pumped to the generator as shown at
point 3. vaporization of ammonia occurs inside the generator and pure ammonia vapor enters the
condenser and leaves as hot liquid at point 5. The coefficient of performance of the cycle can be found
from the following relation [16].

Qe
COP = …………………………………………....................……………..…. (2)
Qg

4.1. System Design

The generator is used to create the same task of the compressor in the conventional compression
refrigeration cycle. It is located where the heat is available from the exhaust gases, and the important
limiting factor the space occupied by generator. The generator used to evaporate the mixture of ammonia
that react with water and leaves pure ammonia or mixture with high ammonia concentration.
The generator is design to have a capacity of 4.8kW with temperature around 90 °C and pressure of 19
bars. The maximum space available in the automobile that this component can be installed is 50 cm long,
25 cm wide and 15 cm high. Due to limited space the full design details and consideration will not
presented in this paper, but the general and basic heat transfer , thermodynamics and fluid mechanics and
other formula from references[15, 17,18,19,20] were used to design all the system components generator,
absorber, condenser, evaporator and expansion valve
The value of overall heat transfer coefficient U found to be as U = 7.196 w/m2°C . It is know that the
amount of heat required to be rejected by the absorber to achieve good absorption process must be not
less than 1739 kJ/ kg of refrigerant. Then the total heat transfer area was calculated A = 0.3978463 m2.
Which represents a tube having 6.65 meters long [6, 8].

5. Results and Discussion

Before operating the air conditioning system it is needed to study the performance of the engine at
variable speeds in order to evaluate the available energy in the exhaust gases.
472 Khaled S. AlQdah / Energy Procedia 6 (2011) 467–476

The effects of different engine parameters on the performance of air conditioner are investigated, these
parameters are the engine speed, exhaust gases temperature and exhaust gas flow rates.
Moreover, the effect of the generator, condenser absorber and evaporator temperatures on the capacity of
the system were observed. It is clear that as the engine speed increases the flow gases temperature and
flow rates and hence energy available will increase so the engine speed will directly affect the
performance of the air conditioning unit through increasing the energy produced by the engine exhaust as
shown in figures 4 and 5. These figures show that the generator temperature and generator capacity and
the refrigeration effect of the unit will increased by increasing the engine speed this trend of increase is
expected to vanish and only small variations are expected to occur after speed of 2100 RPM, this is
because when strong solution is heated in the generator and ammonia vapor is separated there will be a
maximum limit to this separation over which any increase in the generator temperature or heat input to
the system will not be more effective.

6.5
6
Qg(Kw)

5.5
5
4.5
4
800 1300 1800 2300 2800 3300
Engine Speed RPM

Figure 4. Effect of diesel engine speed on the exhaust heat generation (Qg).

320
Exhaust Temperature ° C

300
280
260
240
220
200
180
800 1300 1800 2300 2800 3300
Engine Speed RPM

Figure 6. The effect of diesel engine speed on the exhaust gas temperature
 Khaled S. AlQdah / Energy Procedia 6 (2011) 467–476 473

The above figures show the variation of the exhaust gas temperature with the diesel engine speed at
different loads. This temperature increases with the engine speed and the vehicle load. This means that
the higher the engine speed and vehicle load, the higher the amount of heat provided to the passenger
compartment. For the vehicle loads of 20% and 80%, the maximum exhaust gas temperatures were 230
and 280 °C, respectively. It is seen that this temperature had sufficiently high values when the engine
speed was between 1500 and 2100 rpm. Furthermore, exhaust gas temperatures at different vehicle loads
diverge with the increasing engine speed.
Consequently, the heat generated or energy available in the exhaust gases variation with the engine speed
explored in figure 4, directly proportional relation between Qg and engine speed as a result of exhaust gas
temperature increasing. Therefore, absorption refrigeration system may be able to take advantage of the
exhaust gas power availability and provide the cooling capacity required for automotive air conditioning.
Figure 6 shows the variation of COP with evaporator temperature for the generator temperature Tg =80°C
and condenser Tc= 45 °C. The COP increased slightly by increasing the evaporator temperature.
Increasing the evaporator temperature from 4 to 14 °C will increase the COP, this increasing due to the
increasing of enthalpies and hence increasing the capacity of the evaporator.

1.2
1
0.8
COP

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 5 10 15
o
Evaporator Temperature C

Figure 6. Variation of COP with the evaporator temperature

Figure 7 reported the relations between exhaust temperature and heat generated, because increasing the
exhaust temperature increasing the available energy in the exhaust then lower values of COP obtained
depending on the equation (2).

6.5
6
Qg (kW)

5.5
5
4.5
4
180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320
Exhaust Temperature ( °C )

Figure 7. The effect exhausts gas temperature on heat generation (Qg).

474 Khaled S. AlQdah / Energy Procedia 6 (2011) 467–476

From the previous discussion regarding the COP value, it can be seen that this COP depends mainly on
the evaporation and regeneration energies. So, changing the values of these two will change the COP
produced. This indicates that higher regeneration temperatures are needed in order to allow the system to
work efficiently. Figure 8 shows that higher COP for the diesel engine using exhaust waste energy can be
achieved at the low heat generated and hence at low engine speed where the evaporator heat capacity
assumed to be constant in this case as a result from equation 2.

6.5
6
5.5
Qg(kW)

5
4.5
4
0.8 0.85 0.9 0.95 1 1.05 1.1

Figure 8. Variation of COP with the heat generated from the exhaust.

The variation of the system coefficient of performance versus the condenser temperature shown in figure
9, from this figure, it is clear that increasing has a reverse effect on the COP of the system. Increasing the
condenser temperature will the rate of heat rejected from the condenser and this will lead to large heat
gain required in the evaporator. Therefore, the conditions of the evaporator are held constant during this
investigation such as evaporator capacity (Qe) of the system.

1.2
1
0.8
COP

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
38 40 42 44 46 48 50
Condenser Temperature °C

Figure 9. Variation of the system COP with condenser temperature

 Khaled S. AlQdah / Energy Procedia 6 (2011) 467–476 475

Based on the data reported results and the literature, the power (mechanical or thermal) required for
running automobile air-conditioning system lowers the fuel mileage of the vehicle and indirectly affects
the atmosphere through increased exhaust emissions. The energy consumption of an air-conditioning
system is measured in terms of the coefficient of performance (COP) where COP is the heat removed
from the cold side of the system divided by the energy input required to run the cycle. From the results
obtained, it is clear that the system is feasible to be designed with good reduction in the cost of operation
and fuel consumption. The heat available in the exhaust gas it is able to evaporate the aqua-ammonia
solution to complete this cycle. The COP of a standard R-12 vapor/compression system used in
automobiles is 2.35 and the compressor efficiency is 65% [23], but for systems that using absorption
cycles did not exceed 1.3. From the results obtained in this work, it is clear that the system is feasible to
be designed with good reduction in the cost of operation and fuel and power consumption in addition to
low engine emissions. The suggested system has many advantages, including its high overall efficiency
and lack of moving parts. This waste-heat driven system would also be reliable in operation because of its
simplicity. Its size is a distinct drawback for automotive use, and the system would therefore benefit
strongly from energy conservation. Some very creative planning would be required to fit it into the engine
compartment, and research aimed at reducing system size is indicated. Mass production techniques also
need to be developed. The absorption cycle is large and complex. It has many individual components that
need to be assembled and maintained. It would benefit strongly from energy conservation and from
research efforts to reduce component size.

6. Conclusions
Performance of auto air conditioner using exhaust waste energy from diesel engine has been carried out in
this investigation. It is evident that COP strongly depends on working conditions such as generator,
absorber, condenser and evaporating temperature.
The aqua-ammonia vapour absorption automobile air conditioner is an economically attractive concept
for utilizing exhaust waste heat because most of the energy input comes from the heat available in the
exhaust gases, with only small electric power used to operate the pump. The engine exhaust gas was
confirmed as a potential power source for absorption automobile air conditioner system. In other words,
the absorption refrigeration system may be able to take advantage of the exhaust gas power availability
and provide the cooling capacity required for automotive air conditioning.
Overall, carbon monoxide emission was decreased when the absorption refrigeration system was installed
in the exhaust gas. So, changes in exhaust components concentration were a consequence of the major
modifications in the exhaust system. The absorption cycle has the economic advantage of having few
high precision components, thus reducing manufacturing costs. The low efficiency, however, is a negative
economic factor. Ammonia Absorption cycle, should be considered as a viable alternative to mechanical
vapor compression cycle. Appreciable cooling load reduction can be realized by modification on the
automobile body and the door and windows design.
With flexibility in operation, absence of compressor noise, very low maintenance and high reliability.
The waste heat energy available in exhaust gas is directly proportional to the engine speed and exhaust
gas flow rates.

Acknowledgment
Thanks are due to Professor. Mahmoud Hammad from University of Jordan for his valuable comments
and continual encouragement and sincere advice.

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