DESIGN OF A CAR AC SYSTEM BASED ON ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION CYCLE USING ENERGY FROM EXHAUST GAS OF AN IC ENGINE

Abstract

The most widely used type of air conditioning system in automobiles is Vapour Compression Refrigeration Systems (VCRS), which are mechanical and powered by the engine. This extra power use translates to more fuel being used and lower overall engine efficiency. The present project is an innovative automobile air conditioning system which uses waste heat from the exhaust gas of an Internal Combustion (IC) engine in a Vapour Absorption Refrigeration System (VARS). This thermal energy can be effectively recovered and used to drive the refrigeration cycle, as a big part of the fuel energy is dissipated in exhaust emissions, without having to provide any extra mechanical energy. The proposed system comprises of the four main parts as generator, condenser, evaporator and absorber. The engine's exhaust gases provide heat to the generator, thus starting the refrigeration process. All components are modeled in CATIA software and simulated in thermal and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in ANSYS software to check heat transfer and temperature distribution, system performance. Thermal behavior and application of materials including steel, aluminum alloy, copper and titanium alloy are investigated to determine its suitability for refrigeration applications. The simulation indicated the possibility to use the exhaust heat from the engine to cool the cabin and decrease the engine loading and fuel consumption for the proposed absorption refrigeration system. The system provides a sustainable, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution for the typical air conditioning systems in the automotive industry.