What is it about?
This system, designed and tested with industrial-grade reagents without additives, leverages low-grade waste heat or renewable energy sources like solar, biomass, or geothermal energy. The system operated effectively with generation temperatures between 54–69°C, desorbing up to 6.65 L of liquid ammonia, and evaporator temperatures of 2–5°C.
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Photo by TECNIC Bioprocess Solutions on Unsplash
Why is it important?
In the near future, this may be a greener alternative to traditional refrigerants that harm the planet. Plus, it’s versatile enough to work in everything from industrial plants to off-grid homes, making sustainable cooling more accessible and helping us tackle climate change while keeping our spaces comfortably chilly.
Perspectives
This work is driven by the need to find eco-friendly alternatives to traditional cooling systems that rely on electricity and environmentally harmful refrigerants. The researchers are exploring how a thermochemical cooling system, using a reaction between industrial-grade barium chloride and ammonia, can work in real-world conditions. By designing, building, and testing a prototype under actual ambient conditions, they aim to prove that this system can effectively use low-grade heat sources (like waste heat or renewables) to provide cooling. The focus on industrial-grade materials and in-reactor dehydration of BaCl2 reflects a practical, cost-conscious approach, ensuring the technology is feasible for real-world applications. Ultimately, the perspective is one of innovation and optimism, aiming to develop a scalable, sustainable cooling solution that reduces energy consumption and environmental impact, with potential benefits for industries, homes, and off-grid communities.
Professor Rosenberg J Romero
Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Experimental barium chloride-ammonia cooling cycle study at low generation temperatures, Applied Thermal Engineering, August 2018, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2018.06.020.
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