Performance analysis of an absorption-compression hybrid refrigeration system recovering condensation heat for generation

Absorption refrigeration systems (ARSs) are widely used both in commercial and industrial projects. In the conventional ARS, much high-temperature heat is supplied to the generator; meanwhile, a large quantity of low-temperature heat is rejected to the environment directly through the condenser and the absorber. In order to enhance the performance of conventional ARS, an absorption-compression hybrid refrigeration system is studied, and it can recover all condensation heat for the generation of refrigerant by improving the grade of condensation heat through a vapor compressor. The effects of different parameters on the performance of this hybrid refrigeration system are investigated by simulation. As a conclusion, the absorption-compression hybrid refrigeration system recovering condensation heat for generation (RCHG-ARS) shows a 70–80% decrease of the generation heat inputted from outside, and the primary energy efficiency (PEE) of RCHG-ARS can be 97.1% higher than that of conventional ARS.