Performance study of a solar powered ice maker operating in Baghdad-city

Abstract EN

Iraq is characterized by high abundance of solar energy, which can run manysolar energy systems, including adsorption refrigeration systems.

A solar-poweredadsorption ice maker was built in Baghdad- Iraq.

The ice maker works on twoadsorption pairs, namely activated carbon and methanol.

The unit generator is aflat plate solar collector of (0.211) m2 filled with a grain activated carbon.

Theflat plate collector was covered using a glass sheet of 6 mm thickness.

A (3) kg ofgranular activated carbon type (NORIT PK 1-3) of particle size is of (3.15) mm isused as an adsorbent.

Methanol is used as a desorbent medium.

Different mass ofmethanol is used to achieve different mass ratios of activated carbon and methanol.

A natural air-cooled condenser was used to condense the methanol vapour, while, the evaporator was immersed in a water bath of 1-litre volume, intended to befrozen.

The maximum solar coefficient of performance is about 0.36, while theminimum is approximately (0.1).

The daily production of ice was (1) litre whenthe top collector area of (0.211) m2, which is equivalent to (4.8) kg ice/m2.

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