Experimental analysis of absorption refrigeration system driven by waste heat of diesel engine exhaust

This work presents an experimental study of an ammonia–water absorption refrigeration system using the exhaust of an internal combustion engine as energy source. The exhaust gas energy availability, the performance of the absorption refrigeration system and the engine performance are evaluated. A commercial turbocharged diesel engine has been tested in a bench test dynamometer, with the absorption refrigeration system adapted to the exhaust system. The maximum COP obtained from the refrigeration system is 0.136 and it has been shown that heat energy available with exhaust gas is capable of producing sufficient cooling capacity for air-conditioning the vehicle without requiring any energy input from the engine.