GSJ: Volume 7, Issue 9, September 2019

ISSN 2320-9186
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An Experimental Study of the Waste Heat

Recovery for the Absorption Type Transport
Airconditioning System
Jolou F. Miraflor1, Elmer B. Dollera, Nestor G. Ipanag, Rogelio C. Golez, Jr.
Roel Jeznar A. Cañeda, Yuri G. Melliza

Abstract− This paper deals with the study of heat exchange between the exhaust manifold and refrigerant for the
absorption refrigeration system. This type of heat exchanger is called the Absorption Type Transport Airconditioning
System(ATTAS) The exhaust gas from the internal combustion engines is used to heat the refrigerant in order to create
a temperature difference needed for the cooling of circulated air inside the passenger bus compartment. The ATTAS
collects the combustion gases from the internal combustion engine’s exhaust manifold and boils the refrigerants
composed primarily water. This study also deals with the effectiveness of the exhaust gas heat exchanger in collecting
the heat from the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine and used it to vaporize the molecules of the
refrigerant contained in the heat exchanger. The application of the ATTAS heat exchanger significantly changed the
engine exhaust temperature and amount of gas emission. The exhaust gas temperature from the bus engines without
o
ATTAS and without load is 108 C and with the attachment of the ATTAS heat exchanger without load, the exhaust gas
o o
temperature is 88 C or with an average of exhaust gas temperature reduction of 20.0 C. The exhaust gas temperature
o
from the bus engines without ATTAS and with load is 127.1 C and with the attachment of the ATTAS heat exchanger
o o
with load, the exhaust gas temperature is 105 5 C or with an average exhaust gas temperature reduction of 21.6 C.
The composition of the exhaust gases was greatly affected by the installation of ATTAS heat exchanger to the bus
engine. With the attachment of the ATTAS heat exchanger, the amount of carbon monoxide increases from 191.9 ppm
to 225.7 ppm, the amount of oxygen increases from 16.41 % to 17.8 % while the amount of NOx decreases from 96.4
ppm to 80.4 ppm.

Index Terms− absorption refrigeration system, gas emissions, lithium bromide, waste heat recovery

1 Introduction The application of the exhaust gas heat exchanger

is expected to affect the combustion engine’s exhaust
T HIS paper deals about the study of a new car air-
conditioning system that will give a better
performance over the conventional car air-
system. First, it will reduce the exhaust gas
temperature and thus reduces the internal combustion
conditioning system. engine’s contribution to global warming. Second, it
Heat exhaust from the tail pipe contains a vast has the capability of changing the amount of
amount of heat energy that would be useful as a pollutants generated by the exhaust gases. The
source of energy for other heat consuming devices. exhaust gases in which most people considered them
One such heat consuming device is the Absorption harmful to both human lives and the environment are
Type Transport Airconditioning System(ATTAS). This generated inside the engine during combustion and
type of device utilizes the waste energy from the can be affected by the change in temperature due to
exhaust pipe of the passenger buses and serve it as the the water inside the exhaust gas heat exchanger. The
source of energy to boil the lithium bromide of an application of the exhaust gas heat exchanger in the
absorption refrigeration system. engine’s exhaust system can be advantageous in such
a way that it can reduced the exit temperature of the
____________________________________
1Jolou F. Miraflor is currently a professor of Electrical Engineering

Department, College of Engineering, Xavier University,

Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
Email: [email protected]
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 GSJ: Volume 7, Issue 9, September 2019
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exhaust system but the change in temperature may This would command the success in the whole study
affect the magnitudes of the exhaust gases. of the ATTAS.
This study therefore focuses on the testing of the
designed exhaust gas heat exchanger called ATTAS in
the mechanical engineering laboratory. The 2.1 Experimentation and Testing
performance of the designed heat exchanger in the Using the exhaust gas analyzer, the proponent
generation of vapor and steam at elevated measured the following exhaust gases with and
temperature will be observed. The designed heat without the designed exhaust gas heat exchanger:
exchanger’s effects to the amount of the internal Nitrogen Oxide, Carbon Monoxide, and Oxygen
combustion engines exhaust gases emission such as gases. The temperature release of the exhaust pipe
Oxides of Nitrogen, Carbon Monoxide, and Oxygen and the heat of the vapor produced by the heat
will be investigated. The study will also prove the exchanger were also measured using the digital
capability of the designed heat exchanger in reducing thermometer.
the temperature of the engine’s exhaust system. The
2.2 Standardizing Measurement Procedure
effects of the heat exchanger to the internal
To standardize the measurement, the proponent
combustion engine’s fuel consumption will also be
considered the following procedure. Water of the
observed.
exhaust gas heat exchange was preheated up to 80 oC.
In the total system design of the ATTAS, the
With all the measurements and the other accessories
design of the exhaust gas heat exchanger is considered
set, the engine is run for eight minutes setting the rpm
critical and basic for the success of this study. The
to about 2000 at the instant the engine was started; ten
answer to the following questions will help the
readings of the above mentioned gases were taken at
researcher decides whether or not the designed
an interval of two minutes; and after the last
exhaust gas heat exchanger is effective and is capable
measurement was taken the engine was allowed to
of supporting the operation of the ATTAS:
run for two minutes before it was shut down.
1. Does the designed exhaust gas heat exchanger
The weight difference of the fuel before and after
capable of delivering an output temperature of 100
0C?
running the engine for ten minutes determines the
fuel consumption. This procedure allowed the
2. Does the designed exhaust gas heat exchanger
proponent to observe the effect to the fuel
reduce the temperature of the exhaust gases released
consumption of the designed exhaust gas heat
by the exhaust system’s pipe?
exchanger.
3. Does the designed exhaust gas heat exchanger
reduce the amount of NOx and CO? Does the device
also improve the O2 level? 2.3 Bacharach Exhaust Gas Analyzing Setting
The Bacharach instruments comes with standard
2 Experimental operating procedure: In turning on the power all
The research design is experimental in nature. The numerical LCD segments are tested for 5–15 seconds;
proponent implemented the experimentation and after which, the LCD shows the detected CO, NOx,
testing using a stationary engine (Toyota 2C-TE SO2, and O2 level. A minus sign may appear during
Model - 1.975L of volume displacement). The power up as the sensor stabilizes. After turning on,
expected temperature release from the exhaust the instrument the instrument is allowed to warm up
manifold of the unloaded engine is low since engine for approximately one minute after which the display
temperature is relative to the load of the engine. To is zeroed using the kit screwdriver before the gas
replicate the loading of the engine, braking equipment sample is taken.
was installed on the flywheel; this allowed the
proponent to adjust the friction and raised the exhaust
2.4 Quantification of Variables
temperature of the engine to the desired engine rpm
Carbon Monoxide, CO forms when there is
of 2000. The ability of the heat exchanger in utilizing
insufficient oxygen to fully oxidize the carbon from
the available heat from the exhaust system of the
the carbon-containing compounds of the fuel input a
internal combustion engine is therefore very critical.
condition that is called rich air/fuel ratio. In high

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GSJ: Volume 7, Issue 9, September 2019
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temperature products, even with lean mixtures, hypothesis being the variances of the variables are
dissociation ensures that there are quite significant equal (δ12 = δ22), The decision rule is that the neglect of
levels of CO. the null hypothesis will mean that there is significant
Oxygen, (O2) is important in the combustion difference in the variables before and after the
process. CO level is expected to go higher when the installation of the exhaust gas heat exchanger: and the
oxygen content is insufficient for complete oxidation. acceptance therefore will mean that there is no
This situation occurs upon starting the engine when a significant difference in the variables before and after
high air/fuel mixture is necessary, during idling and the installation of the exhaust gas heat exchanger.
during acceleration, when the temperature is low or The statistical test procedure was set at alpha
reaction time is short during flame spread in air/fuel equals 0.05, The decision is confirmed by the P(T≤t)
mixture on the lean fuel side. value for both one-tailed and two-tailed conditions.
Oxygen (O2) readings provide a good indication
of lean running engine, since O2 increases with leaner
air/fuel mixtures. Generally, O2 is the opposite of CO; 3 Findings and Analysis
that is O2 indicates leaner air/fuel mixtures while CO The operation of the absorption type transport air-
indicates richer air/fuel mixtures. Lean air/fuel conditioning system depends upon the capability of
mixtures and misfires typically cause high O2 output the exhaust gas heat exchanger in collecting the heat
from the engine. of the exhaust gases and uses it to compress the
The oxide of nitrogen is represented as by the molecules of water that it contains. The molecules of
chemical compound as NOx and can be considered as water are compressed by the increase in the
the most harmful component from the exhaust gases. temperature of the surrounding environment that
This compound is generated by combining nitrogen turns the water into steam. The change in the state of
with an excess amount of oxygen. water into steam occurs at the boiling temperature of
Nitric oxide or NO forms throughout high about 100 0C.
temperature burn gases behind the flame through
chemical reactions involving the two elements that do
not achieve chemical equilibrium. The component 3.1 The Exit Steam Temperature of the EGHX
forms in larger quantities when combustion The ATTAS operates primarily through the
temperatures exceed to about 1371 0C. The higher the exhaust gas heat exchanger by absorbing the hot gases
temperature of burned gases the higher the rate of from internal combustion engine exhaust manifold
nitric acid formation, so when combustion is done in and use it in heating the water that the heat exchanger
the area closer to the theoretical air/fuel ratio, the contains. The amount of heat absorbed should be
Stoichiometric ratio, more nitric oxide is release as it is capable of converting the water inside the heat
closer to complete combustion. Oxides of nitrogen are exchanger into vaporize state or steam, such condition
the greatest resultant exhaust gas from spark ignition can only be attained if the absorbed heat reaches the
engines. In high temperature and combustion this level to about the boiling of water at about 100 0C.
reaction occurs to form nitric oxide: N2 + O2  2NO. The testing of the designed exhaust gas heat
When this oxide cools in the presence of air it is exchanger has proved its effectiveness in the
production of steam vapor. The temperature of the
further oxidized to nitrogen dioxide: 2NO + O2 
steam or water vapor is constant at 99 0C (hence
2NO2 – a high pressure is also necessary for such a
reaction. statistical analysis was not performed), a value where
water begins to vaporize.

2.5 Statistical Analysis

The magnitudes of the carbon monoxide, nitrogen
oxide, oxygen and exhaust gas temperature before
and after the installation of the exhaust gas heat
exchanger were to be compared. The statistical
method to use in the analysis of the data is the t-Test:
Two-Sample Assuming Equal Variances. The null

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3.2 Temperature on the Exhaust Pipe

Fuel combustion takes place inside the internal
combustion engine, and produces expanding gases that
are used to provide mechanical power. For diesel engines
the ignition of fuel is caused by compression of air in its
cylinders instead of a spark.
Combustion gases forms primarily inside the engine
and among others, CO, NOx, and O2 are combustion
gases that give important information outside the
internal combustion engine. High CO reading indicates a
rich and high O2 reading indicates a lean running engine.
NOx, considered as the most dangerous combustion by-
product forms in large quantities when combustion
Figure 3.1 Steam at the pipe outlet temperatures exceed to about 1371 oC (Toyota Emission
Analysis, p. 8, www.autoshop101.com). Anything that
Figure 3.1 shows how the steam was generated causes combustion temperature to rise will also cause
by the exhaust gas heat exchanger during testing. The NOx to rise (Toyota Emission Analysis, p. 5,
steam production as seen in the figure has proven that www.autoshop101.com).
the water inside the exhaust gas heat exchanger has The temperature of the exhaust gases from the engine
reached the boiling temperature of 100 0C. is measured in two cases. First, when there is no
The measured temperature of 99 oC was attachment of the ATTAS heat exchanger and second,
measured near the tip of the exit pipe and would have when there is an attachment of the ATTAS heat
been a bit higher should the set up allows the exchanger.
proponent to make a few insertion of the digital The attachment and installation of the exhaust gas
thermometer prove inside the exit pipe. heat exchanger has reduced the temperature of the
exhaust gas through the exhaust pipe. In Table 3.1, the
Figure 3.2 also shows the effect of the heat
average temperature difference of the ATTAS heat
transfer between the exhaust gases from the internal
exchanger before and after the installation of the heat
combustion engine to the ATTAS where water is
exchanger on the unloaded system is 20.0 oC while 21.6
tested to absorbed the waste heat generated by the oC on the loaded system. Primarily the water in the
exhaust gases. ATTAS heat exchanger caused the reduction of the
temperature of the exhaust gas. The heat exchanger
converts a large quantity of heat into a pressurized steam
of the heat exchanger.

Exhaust Gas Condition Without With Difference

Temperature ATTAS ATTAS
No- 108.0 0C 88.0 0C 20.0 0C
load
With- 127.1 0C 105.5 0C 21.6 0C
load

Table 3.1 Average temperature of exhaust gas

Statistical analysis result showed that there is a

significant difference in the exhaust gas temperature
before and after the installation of the exhaust gas
Figure 3.2 Visible high pressure steam from the inlet pipe
heat exchanger. With no attached load condition, the
average temperature reduction is 20.0 oC and when

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GSJ: Volume 7, Issue 9, September 2019
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the load is attached, the average temperature

reduction is 21.6 oC.

3.4 Oxides of Nitrogen inside the ATTAS Heat

3.3 Effects on Gas Emissions Exchanger
Exhaust gases from the internal combustion Nitrogen Oxide is a combustion by-product that is
engines powered by diesel fuel has many greatly affected by temperature. In the combustion
components. NOx, CO, CO2, O2, sulfur dioxide, water process inside the engine formation of Nitrogen
vapor, fly ashes are just few components of the gas Oxides picks up at temperature above 1371 0C and
emissions. In this study, the gas emission reduces in magnitude below 1371 0C. The main means
measurements are focused only in NOx, CO and O2. of the removal of nitrogen oxide is the catalytic
Initial data were taken under no load condition “unfixing” back to dinitrogen at temperature below
(torque device was not activated). Readings of the 800 0C where the oxides of nitrogen becomes
exhaust gases were taken before and after the thermodynamically unstable yet kinetically extremely
installation of the heat exchanger while running the stable in the absence of a suitable catalysts (Selective
engine at about 2000 rpm. Catalytic Reduction of Nox with N-Free Reductants,
Table 3.2 shows the amount of oxides of Nitrogen pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/cheay/1995/95). The
has decreased from 74 to 48 ppm; the Carbon combustion process continues inside the exhaust gas
Monoxide has increased from 218 to 253 ppm; and the heat exchanger where reduction and oxidation or
O2 has increased from 14.7 to 16.7 %. molecular dissociation occurs and the drop in
When 50 psi is applied as load to the engine Nitrogen Oxide can be drawn from the very low
through the braking system, the values of the temperature (between 105.5 to 127.1 0C) inside the
parameters with and without the exhaust gas heat heat exchanger.
exchanger resulted into a rather similar pattern.
Table 3.2 also shows the oxides of nitrogen has
decreased from 96.4 to 80.4 ppm; the carbon
monoxide has increased from 191.9 to 225.7 ppm; the 3.5 Carbon Monoxide inside the ATTAS Heat
amount of oxygen has also increased from 16.4 to 17.8 Exchanger
%. The engine temperature is quite stable when the In the three-way catalytic converter, carbon
readings were taken at about 88 to 89 0C. monoxide varies inversely with the Nitrogen Oxide,
The t-Test was conducted for the gathered data for the decrease of the magnitude of latter results into the
two-sample with equal variances proves that there is a increase of the former and vice versa (Toyota
significant difference in the variances of the nitrogen Emission Analysis, p. 4, www.autoshop101.com).
oxide, the carbon monoxide, and the oxygen content Statistical analysis shows a positive correlation
of the exhaust gases before and after the installation of between CO and ΔT, revealing that CO emissions are
the exhaust gas heat exchanger. not independent of temperature
(http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3979/is_
Exhaust Condition Without With Difference 200410/ai_n9471589/pg_4).
Gas EGHX EGHX The proponent would rather justify the behavior of
No-load 74.0 48.0 -26 ppm
NOx ppm ppm
the carbon monoxide gas inside the exhaust gas
With- 96.4 80.4 -16 ppm exchanger as the result of molecular dissociation. The
load ppm ppm phenomenon allows the collision and the banging of
No-load 218.0 253.0 +35 ppm gas molecules (www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/1370-
CO ppm ppm 1301/63/3/304/moleculardissociation) inside the
With- 191.9 225.7 +33.8
load ppm ppm ppm exhaust gas heat exchanger. The situation makes it
No-load 14.7 % 16.7 +2 % possible for the gases in the active state to change its
O2 % state by releasing and absorbing other elements such
With- 16.41 17.8 +1.4 % as oxygen. The dissociation of the molecules of the
load % %
combustion gases was affected by the reduction of the
surrounding temperature.
Table 3.2 Measured gas emission

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testing operation and the inaccuracy in the application

of the braking system and other human factors but
3.6 Oxygen Gas inside the ATTAS Heat further investigation is a welcome endeavor.
Exchanger
Rich and lean combustion condition occurs inside
the internal combustion engine. In the result
4 CONCLUSION
published by Toyota Motors Sales Oxygen and
Heat energy is a very expensive commodity and
Carbon Monoxide behavior is rather opposite; an
waste heat recovery system is very important
increase of one results into the decrease of the other.
component in a successful industrial operation for the
Rich air-fuel ratio is a result of too much fuel and
modern world. In this study, the amount of heat
lesser air in the mixture, while lean air-fuel ratio is a
available in the exhaust gases is so abundant that
result of lesser fuel and more air in the mixture
boiling of tap water is possible. This amount of heat is
(Toyota Emission Analysis, p. 2,
more than enough to boil the refrigerants needed for
www.autoshop101.com). The tests that were
the absorption refrigeration system. This study is
performed were totally outside the engine therefore
useful for the operators of passenger buses that spend
lean and rich air-fuel condition is not significant
a lot of money to fuel their engines and being used to
anymore, chemical reaction though possible can never
operate the air conditioning system of the passenger
be emphasized because of the absence of the proper
buses compartment. The waste heat recovery system
catalysts. The behavior of the oxygen gas inside the
in the ATTAS device will not only reduce the amount
exhaust gas heat exchanger can be drawn as a result
of fuel needed to run the passenger buses but also
due to dissociation the molecules of the combustion
reduces the amount of NOx in the gas emission
gases. Molecular dissociation allowed some oxygen
system.
molecules set free rather than combining to the carbon
monoxide atoms and form carbon dioxide.
The magnitude of differences of O2 before and
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
after the installation of the heat exchanger in both
The completion of the project would not have
loaded and unloaded system is surprisingly high a
been possible without the help of many persons. We
possible investigation using compressible flow
wish to extend our gratitude to the following:
principle can justify these differences but such
Our friends in the University, most especially to
procedure is left for further study.
Alfredo Buten and Darwin Mugot whose jokes and
A possibility of a leaky exhaust gas heat exchanger
company have made us forget the passage of time in
especially at the portion where the inlet pipe of the
making the analysis and in writing the manuscript of
exhaust gas heat exchanger connects to the exhaust
this project;
manifold of the engine can never be discounted.
Our instructor, Dr. Bennie Sy, PhD for
3.7 Other Observable Findings
continuously giving us advises and the challenges
It is important to note that the average
that help propelled the completion of this project;
temperature of the exhaust gas consistently reduced
Our Colleagues in the College of Engineering and
to a considerable value (21.6 0C reduction) when the
the Center for Industrial Technology of Xavier
designed ATTAS heat exchanger was installed.
University, whose comments and suggestions have
The effect of ATTAS heat exchanger to the
provided answers to many of our questions;
temperature of the exhaust gases is significant (t-Test:
Fr. Antonio S. Samson, S. J., for pulling me out of
Two-Sample Assuming Equal Variances). The
the XU Maintenance and allowing me to have the
application of the heat exchanger significantly
opportunity to enroll in the MOE Program;
changed the engine temperature from 88.7 to 89.8 0C.
Our family for understanding us for refusing their
The application of the exhaust gas heat exchanger
requests when we were busy doing our project and
into the internal combustion engine’s exhaust system
for giving us the inspiration to go on despite of the
showed no significant observation in the engine’s fuel
bumpy ride to completion;
consumption. The engine consumed 24.5 grams per
Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to
minute without the EGHX and 25.9 grams per minute
God, the Almighty, for directing and leading us to the
with the EGHX can be accounted from the inaccuracy
right conclusion.
of the setting the rpm to 2000 during the start of the

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