Development of a New Solar-Assisted Refrigeration Pipe for Potential Permafrost Protection
Publication: Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 34, Issue 3
Abstract
This study proposes a new solar-assisted refrigeration method to protect the permafrost underlying an embankment from degradation. It was initially revealed that the mediocre performance of the current permafrost protection systems was due to a lack of energy needed to make these systems more efficient. In this study, heat-driven adsorption refrigeration technology was considered to satisfy the real-time performance and effectiveness of permafrost protection. A prototype of the solar photothermal adsorption refrigeration pipe was designed and manufactured, and its practical performance was experimentally investigated. The test results indicate that the prototype demonstrates good performance corresponding to the lowest refrigerating temperature of −2.9°C, with an average of −1.5°C in warm seasons. The prototype can also maintain stable output with daily cooling capacity and COP values approaching 81.23 kJ and 0.067, respectively, which can be improved by using a larger apparatus size in practical application. The authors thus conclude that the new structure may be a potential candidate for the thermal maintenance of subgrade engineering.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41731281).
References
Arora, C. P. 2000. Refrigeration and air conditioning. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw-Hill.
Best, R., and W. Rivera. 2015. “A review of thermal cooling systems.” Appl. Therm. Eng. 75: 1162–1175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2014.08.018.
Chen, Q. F., S. W. Du, Z. X. Yuan, T. B. Sung, and Y. X. Li. 2018. “Experimental study on performance change with time of solar adsorption refrigeration system.” Appl. Therm. Eng 138: 386–393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2018.04.061.
Cheng, G. D., Z. Z. Sun, and F. J. Niu. 2008. “Application of the roadbed cooling approach in Qinghai–Tibet railway engineering.” Cold Reg. Sci. Technol. 53 (3): 241–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2007.02.006.
Fong, K. F., T. T. Chow, C. K. Lee, Z. Lin, and L. S. Chan. 2010. “Comparative study of different solar cooling systems for buildings in subtropical city.” Sol. Energy 84 (2): 227–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2009.11.002.
Guo, H. X., S. C. Yuan, and L. X. Zhang. 2009. “Fundamental energy conditions of the application of low-temperature heat pipe in Qinghai–Tibet Railway.” [In Chinese.] J. Southeast. Univ. 39 (5): 967–972. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1001-0505.2009.05.020.
Holman, J. P. 2010. Heat transfer. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kang, S. C., Y. W. Xu, Q. L. You, W. A. Flügel, N. Pepin, and T. D. Yao. 2010. “Review of climate and cryospheric change in the Tibetan Plateau.” Environ. Res. Lett. 5 (1): 015101. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/5/1/015101.
Kim, I. G., K. M. Kim, Y. S. Jeong, and I. C. Bang. 2017. “Flow visualization and heat transfer performance of annular thermosyphon heat pipe.” Appl. Therm. Eng. 125: 1456–1468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2017.07.116.
Lai, Y. M., H. X. Guo, and Y. H. Dong. 2009. “Laboratory investigation on the cooling effect of the embankment with L-shaped thermosyphon and crushed-rock revetment in permafrost regions.” Cold Reg. Sci. Technol. 58 (3): 143–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2009.05.002.
Liu, Z. Y., Y. Z. Lu, and Y. T. Wang. 2000. “A novel solar cooling tube and its performance experimental study.” [In Chinese.] Acta Energ. Sol. Sin. 21 (1): 82–88.
Ozgoren, M., M. Bilgili, and O. Babayigit. 2012. “Hourly performance prediction of ammonia-water solar absorption refrigeration.” Appl. Therm. Eng. 40: 80–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2012.01.058.
Sarafraz, M. M., F. Hormozi, and S. M. Peyghambarzadeh. 2014. “Thermal performance and efficiency of a thermosyphon heat pipe working with a biologically ecofriendly nanofluid.” Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transfer 57: 297–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2014.08.020.
Shen, L., L. T. Liu, T. M. Gao, J. J. Xue, and F. N. Chen. 2012. “The quantity, flow and functional zoning of energy resources in China.” [In Chinese.] Resour. Sci. 34 (9): 1611–1621.
Shukla, R., K. Sumathy, P. Erickson, and J. W. Gong. 2013. “Recent advances in the solar water heating systems: A review.” Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev. 19: 173–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2012.10.048.
Sun, Z. Z., W. Ma, S. J. Zhang, Z. Wen, and G. L. Wu. 2018. “Embankment stability of the Qinghai–Tibet railway in permafrost regions.” J. Cold Reg. Eng. 32 (1): 04018001. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CR.1943-5495.0000153.
Tai, B. W., J. K. Liu, T. F. Wang, and Y. H. Tian. 2017. “Thermal characteristics and declining permafrost table beneath three cooling embankments in warm permafrost regions.” Appl. Therm. Eng. 123: 435–447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2017.05.031.
Teng, Y., R. Z. Wang, and J. Y. Wu. 1997. “Study of the fundamentals of adsorption systems.” Appl. Therm. Eng. 17 (4): 327–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1359-4311(96)00039-7.
Wang, R. Z. 2013. Refrigeration principle and technology. [In Chinese.] Beijing: Science Press.
Wang, Y. F., M. Li, W. P. Du, X. Ji, and L. Xu. 2018. “Experimental investigation of a solar-powered adsorption refrigeration system with the enhancing desorption.” Energy Convers. Manage. 155: 253–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2017.10.065.
Wu, D., L. Jin, J. B. Peng, Y. H. Dong, and Z. Y. Liu. 2014. “The thermal budget evaluation of the two-phase closed thermosyphon embankment of the Qinghai–Tibet highway in permafrost regions.” Cold Reg. Sci. Technol. 103: 115–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2014.03.013.
Wu, Y.-T., C.-F. Ma, and X.-H. Zhong. 2010. “Development and experimental investigation of a miniature-scale refrigeration system.” Energy Convers. Manage. 51 (1): 81–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2009.08.033.
Yang, H. X., L. Lu, and J. Burnett. 2003. “Weather data and probability analysis of hybrid photovoltaic-wind power generation systems in Hong Kong.” Renewable Energy 28 (11): 1813–1824. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-1481(03)00015-6.
Yang, M. Z. 2013. New energy in China. [In Chinese.] Beijing: China Water Power Press.
Zhao, L., Q. B. Wu, S. Marchenko, and N. Sharkhuu. 2010. “Thermal state of permafrost and active layer in Central Asia during the international polar year.” Permafrost Periglacial Processes 21 (2): 198–207. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.688.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 34 • Issue 3 • September 2020
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 16, 2019
Accepted: Mar 4, 2020
Published online: May 18, 2020
Published in print: Sep 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Oct 18, 2020
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.