Antoine Dalibard*, Dirk Pietruschka, Ursula Eicker, Jhrgen Schumacher

zafh. net — Centre of Applied Research Sustainable Energy Technologies
University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart, Schellingstr.24, 70174 Stuttgart,
*antoine. dalibard@hft-stuttgart. de, Tel +49 711 8926 2875, Fax +49 711 8926 2698

Abstract

The paper deals with the dynamic simulation of a large solar adsorption cooling plant, located in the headquarters of the company FESTO (Southern Germany). This installation consists of 1218 m2 of vacuum tubes collectors of the type CPC and three adsorption chillers with a total nominal cooling capacity of 1.05 MW. A detailed dynamic simulation model of the solar plant and the adsorption chillers has been developed in order to predict the performance of the system. The dynamic behaviour of both the solar plant and the adsorption chillers were simulated for different operating conditions and compared with measurement data. The simulation results show a good agreement with the measurements. The model thus validated will be used for further investigations and to perform online simulation for an automated alarm and fault detection system.

Keywords: solar, cooling, adsorption, dynamic, simulation.

1. Introduction

1.1. Technology Centre of FESTO AG (Berkheim/Esslingen)

The innovative and highly energy efficient office building of the FESTO AG & Co. KG in Esslingen, with a useful floor area of 26.000 m2 is cooled in summer by three 350 kW adsorption chillers (manufacturer: Mayekawa) and additionally through thermally activated bore piles of the buildings foundation. The cooling energy of the bore piles is provided to the thermally activated concrete ceilings of the building and the cooling energy of the adsorption chillers is mainly used to cool the air in the ventilations systems of the building. Since the completion of the building in 2001, the driving heat for the chillers was provided by gas boilers and waste heat from the production facility. Since the end of 2007, a large solar plant, consisting of 1218 m2 vacuum-tube collectors of the type CPC Star Azurro from the manufacturer Paradigma, contribute to heat production for cooling and heating.