Dynamic modeling and multi-objective optimization of a solar adsorption air-conditioning system for sustainable residential cooling. Case study: Meknes, Morocco

This paper introduces a dynamic modeling and multi-objective optimization framework for a solar adsorption air-conditioning system used for sustainable residential cooling in Meknes, Morocco. The system consists of a compound parabolic collector (CPC) field, a two-bed activated carbon/methanol adsorption chiller, a loop for chilled water, a cooled floor, and a model of the building's heat. A transient lumped-parameter formulation is developed to characterize the thermal response of the collector, the cyclic operation of the adsorption unit, and the subsequent interaction with indoor thermal comfort under fluctuating summer conditions. The NASA POWER database provides hourly climatic boundary conditions that can be used to develop a simulation framework capable of accounting for time-varying climatic conditions representative of the studied location. The dynamic results show that the main system temperatures in a physically consistent manner. They also show that the coupled collector–adsorption–building setup lowers indoor temperature peaks and stops heat from building up over time. The developed model is then used as a simulation-based optimization tool to lower the levelized cost of cooling and overheating degree-hours while raising the solar fraction. The optimization finds a possible compromise solution with a mean coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.1254, a solar fraction of 0.4908, a levelized cost of cooling of 211.73 MAD/kWh, and overheating degree-hours of 17.93 K·h. The results indicate that floor-side thermal coupling, a moderate chilled-water set-point temperature, and controlled daytime ventilation are the most important factors in improving the system work overall. The suggested framework provides a strong foundation for evaluating and improving the comfort and performance of solar-powered home cooling systems in hot climates.