Solar thermal energy to drive ejector HVAC systems: A numerical study under Blida climatic conditions

This paper aims to show factors that have a direct impact on solar air conditioners that use the ejector as an alternative to the compressor to reduce electricity consumption in the refrigeration field. The weather data of the Blida region were selected as the main data for conducting this study. A parabolic trough solar collector has been made as a solar device to provide the thermal energy needed for the generator. All the mathematical equations that dominate the system have been analyzed and then numerically simplified using Engineering Equation Solver software. The optical efficiency of the studied solar collector was 65.02%, while its maximum value of thermal efficiency was only 60.46%. Regarding the thermal ratio of the studied machine, it reached 0.54. Serious exploitation of this technology will help solve the problem of high consumption of electricity in the hot seasons and also contribute to the preservation of the environment by using water (R718) as a refrigerant. [Display omitted] •An ejector air conditioner driven by a parabolic trough solar collector was studied.•R718 (water) was used as an environmentally friendly refrigerant.•A supersonic ejector was used to completely replace the gas compressor.•The main ejector dimensions were determined in accordance with the system operating conditions.•The average System Thermal Ratio of the studied system in the critical mode is 0.54.