The Impact of Solar Radiation at Different Colombian Thermal Floors on an Adsorption Refrigeration Cycle

Abstract

The process of energy transition in Colombia has sparked an exploration into appropriate geographical areas for the utilization of solar energy. The country’s rugged terrain and significant climate variability pose challenges for implementing standardized technologies uniformly across all regions. Consequently, this study aims to develop and apply a mathematical model to characterize the performance of a solar adsorption cooling system under the environmental conditions found in six distinct Colombian cities, taking into account different thermal profiles and extreme weather periods such as the El Niño and La Niña phenomena. The selected mathematical model was simulated in these cities, considering ambient temperature and solar radiation variables over a twelve-month period during these extreme weather phenomena and an additional twelve-month period representative of a typical year with minimal influence from these phenomena. The results indicated that despite a lower coefficient of performance (COP) compared to the other cities, Riohacha demonstrated a greater number of ice production days owing to its high levels of solar radiation.