Modelling of the Performance of a Solar Electric-Vapor Compression Refrigeration System in Dry Tropical Regions

This paper presents an assessment of a solar electric-vapor compression refrigeration (SE-VCR) system in a dry tropical area. The specific case of the city of Maroua (14.33E, 10.58N), located in the Sudano-Sahelian climatic region of Cameroon is considered. The overall evaluation of the hourly cooling loads and the performance of the system were done by the means of heat balance method. The results showed that, for an evaporating temperature of 0 oC, the effective power of the compressor varies between 5.33 kW and 6 kW, the capacity of the condenser varies between 24 and 28 kW, and the coefficient of performance varies from 3.28 to 3.74 while the efficiency of the installation varies between 17 % and 35 %. Regulations on new installations of air-conditioners require COP values of at least 3, so SE-VCR system could successfully be operated in dry tropical areas to improve thermal comfort in living environments.