Heat-driven cooling technologies

Heat-driven air conditioning systems are systems which use low-grade thermal energy like solar energy and waste heat rather than electricity to cool the air. These systems can produce significant energy savings, have low global warming and ozone depletion potential, and also ensure higher indoor air quality. This chapter of the book aims to disseminate the fundamentals of the technologies of heat-driven air conditioning to the wide spectrum of people and to review the latest developments in this area. At first, the heat driven technology is introduced and then different classes of heat-driven chillers such as closed cycle systems and open cycle systems are elaborated. Absorption and adsorption chillers come under the first category, while liquid and solid desiccant evaporative cooling systems are open cycle systems. So this chapter has sections of Absorption chillers, Adsorption chillers, Liquid Desiccant Evaporative cooling system, Solid desiccant evaporative cooling systems and developments in this field.