Abstract In this study, the dynamic behavior of a 4-bed adsorption chiller was analyzed employing highly porous activated carbon of type Maxsorb III as the adsorbent and R1234ze(E), which global warming potential (GWP) is as low as 9, as the refrigerant. The simulated results in terms of heat transfer fluid temperatures, cycle average cooling capacity and coefficient of performance (COP) were obtained numerically. With 80 kg of Maxsorb III, the system is able to produce 2 kW of cooling power at driving heat source temperature of 85 °C which can be obtained from waste heat or solar energy. In particular, it can be powered by the waste heat from the internal combustion engine and therefore is suitable for automobile air-conditioning applications.