INTEGRATION OF EVACUATED TUBULAR SOLAR COLLECTORS WITH LITHIUM BROMIDE ABSORPTION COOLING SYSTEMS

By surrounding the absorber-heat exchanger component of a solar collector with a glass-enclosed evacuated space and by providing the absorber with a selective surface, solar collectors can operate at efficiencies exceeding 50% under conditions of δT/HT = 75°C·m2/Kw (δT = collector fluid outlet temperature minus ambient temperature, HT = incident solar radiation on a tilted surface). The high performance of these evacuated tubular collectors thus provides the required high temperature inputs (70–88°C) of lithium bromide absorption cooling units, while maintaining high collector efficiency. This paper deals with the performance and analysis of two types of evacuated tubular solar collectors integrated with the two distinct solar heating and cooling systems installed on CSU Solar Houses I and III.