Product data

16JB single effect absorption
cooling cycle — The 16JB single
effect absorption chiller consists of an
evaporator, absorber, condenser,
steam or hot water generator, solution
heat exchanger, refrigerant/solution
pumps, purge, controls, and auxil-
iaries. Water is used as the refrigerant
in vessels maintained under low ab-
solute pressure (vacuum). The chiller
operates on the principle that under
vacuum, water boils at a low tempera-
ture (in this case approximately 40 F
[4.4 C]), thereby cooling the chilled
water circulating through the tubes of
the evaporator. A refrigerant pump
is used to circulate the refrigerant
water over the evaporator tubes to
improve heat transfer.
To make the cooling process con-
tinuous, the refrigerant vapor must be
removed as it is produced. A lithium
bromide solution (which has a high
affinity for water) is used to absorb the
water vapor. As this process contin-
ues, the lithium bromide becomes
diluted, which reduces its absorption
capacity. A solution pump then trans-
fers this weak (diluted) solution to
the generator where it is reconcen-
trated by the introduction of steam or
hot water to boil off the previously
absorbed water. The water vapor
released in the shellside of the genera-
tor then enters the condenser to be
cooled and returned to a liquid state.
At this point, the refrigerant water
returns to the evaporator to begin a
new cycle.
To remove heat from the machine,
relatively cool water from a cooling
tower or other source is first circulated
through the tubes of the absorber to
remove the heat of vaporization. This
same water is then circulated through
the tubes of the condenser. The
strong (reconcentrated) solution from
the generator flows back to the ab-
sorber to also begin a new cycle. For
efficiency reasons, the strong solu-
tion from the generator is passed
through a solution heat exchanger to
preheat the weak solution while
precooling the strong solution before
returning to the absorber.
16JB ABSORPTION COOLING CYCLE
LEGEND
PIC — Product Integrated Control
Concentrated LiBr
Diluted LiBr
Refrigerant Liquid
7