Sorption Refrigeration Technologies: Literature Review

Sorption-based refrigeration systems, encompassing both absorption and adsorption cycles, have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional vapor-compression technologies for sustainable cooling applications. These systems offer significant advantages in terms of energy efficiency, environmental compatibility, and their potential integration with renewable energy sources such as solar thermal systems. This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent developments in sorption refrigeration technologies, focusing on working pairs, thermodynamic performance, system configurations, and heat management strategies. The analysis highlights the comparative performance of common working pairs such as NH3-H2O and LiBr-H2O under various climatic and operational conditions. Special attention is given to dynamic modeling approaches, heat and mass transfer mechanisms, and innovations in adsorbent and absorbent materials, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and composite sorbents. The review also discusses hybrid and solar-assisted configurations, as well as phase-change material (PCM) integration for improved system stability and efficiency. Overall, this work consolidates current knowledge, identifies existing challenges, and outlines future directions toward higher energy performance, reduced intermittency, and large-scale deployment in tropical climates.