What is the difference between the absorption chiller & air chiller?

In absorption chiller heat is used to make pressure difference which in turn produce cooling effect. Thus this heat is performing job of the compressor.

In air cooled chiller normally we have DX system using Compressor to chill water and is cooled by Air.

they both use water to transfer cooled ,

air cooled chiller uses freon to cool that water in a evaporator heat ex-changer, and its condenser cooled by air (fans) like any simple AC.

the absorption chiller use other chemical  to cool that water in a evaporator heat ex-changer...in this cycle you have a water cooled condenser (by cooling tower) but before it you have boiler to separate water from the chemical

An Absorption Chiller is a machine uses a heat source to generate chilled water rather than electrical source that is used in vapor compression cycle.

It’s an attractive idea to produce chilled water with heat.

As the same in vapor compression cycle, absorption cycle achieve removing heat using the evaporation of a refrigerant at low pressure and the ejection of heat using the condensation the refrigerant at high pressure.

The major difference between  a vapor compression system and an absorption chiller is that a vapor compression system using a compressor to make the pressure difference required to circulate the refrigerant while the absorption chiller using heat.

The absorption chiller is very attractive because using energy in the form of heat, such as solar or waste heat, makes it using a little work input and saving in money. Also it can works with industrial waste heat streams.

Air cooled chillers absorb heat from process water, and the heat is then transferred to the air around the chiller unit. This type of chiller system is generally used in applications where the additional heat it discharges is not a factor. In fact, it's often practical to use the excess heat to warm a plant during the winter, thus providing additional cost savings.

The major difference between the absorption chiller and air chiller is that in absorption chiller the warm air is absorb by the chiller and it convert the it in cool form which again supply in the refrigeration system while in air chiller the coolant is cool by the air chiller by applying the cool air which temp. is low.

THE ABSORPTION CHILLER USES LITHIUM BROMIDE AS AN ABSORBENT TO DILUTE WATER.

WHERE WATER THE REFRIGERANT IS SEPARATED BY ADDING HEAT IN THE GENERATOR.

AIR CHILLER USES AIR TO COOL WATER THE REFRIGERANT