Energy and Exergy Analysis of Vapour Absorption Cooling System Driven by Exhaust Heat of IC Engine

Traditionally, vapour compression system used in vehicle air conditioning causes reduction in engine power and increases fuel consumption 15–20%. In internal combustion engine, only 30–35% of fuel energy is converted into useful work and about 50% energy of fuel is released as heat to the atmosphere. The exhaust from IC engine has waste heat in the temperature range of 150–400 °C. This exhaust heat of IC engine can be employed for the vapour absorption system which requires low-grade heat source. In this article, the energy and exergy analysis of vapour absorption cooling system powered by waste heat of IC engine exhaust is presented. The effect of absorber and generator temperatures on the COP and exergetic efficiency of vapour absorption cooling system is determined. The exergy destruction in components and performance parameters like COP, exergy efficiency are also computed. The aim of present article is thermodynamic evaluation of the utilization of exhaust heat of IC engine for vapour absorption cooling system heat by both first law and second law approach.