Thermodynamic analysis of an absorption refrigeration cycle operating with the working fluid pair (CO2+ethyl-lactate)
With the increasing energy demand for cooling and in the search for alternatives to compression refrigeration machines, vapor absorption refrigeration technology is emerging as a promising solution. However, the traditional working fluids used in these machines (based on H2O and NH3 as refrigerants) present some disadvantages such as corrosion, low compactness, toxicity, and crystallization risks. To overcome these disadvantages, this study considers using carbon dioxide (CO2) as refrigerant combined with a bio-based solvent, namely ethyl lactate (E-LAC). Indeed, based on new experimental heat of mixing data and considering the available literature data, ethyl lactate was identified as an interesting absorbent for CO2. The experimental data obtained for the (CO2–E-LAC) mixture, combined with those from the literature, were used to develop an appropriate thermodynamic model to finally assess, by calculation the performance of a single-stage absorption chiller with this working fluid pair.