This paper thermodynamically analyzes an air-cooled type double effect absorption refrigeration system using ammonia/lithium nitrate and ammonia/sodium thiocyanate solutions as working pairs and driven by high temperature heat source such as waste heat energy, innovatively, an air-cooled type non-adiabatic absorber is implemented in the system to improve the cycle performance. Comparing to the single effect absorption refrigeration system, the double effect system is designed not only to directly and efficiently utilize high temperature waste heat energy for cycle performance improvement, but also to greatly extend the application occasion to high ambient temperature condition. Parametric analysis of the present system show that COP of the double effect system is 30-60% higher than the single effect system under air cooling working condition and the high pressure generating temperature of the double effect system can be extended to as high as 220 degrees C. Influences of high pressure generator temperature, low pressure generator temperature, absorber outlet solution temperature as well as other system working parameters on cycle performance are numerically simulated and parametric optimization is provided in the present model. Cycle performance comparison of NH3/LiNO3 system with NH3/NaSCN system has been carried out. According to the simulation results, COP of NH3/NaSCN system is found to be 10-15% higher than that of NH3/LiNO3 system in evaporating temperature range of -10 degrees C < T-e < 5 C. However in low evaporating temperature conditions, T-e <= -10 degrees C, NH3/LiNO3 systems are found to be more competitive than that of NH3/NaSCN system. The main concern of the present study is that implementation of non-adiabatic absorbers in air-cooled type double effect ammonia/salt absorption refrigeration systems is essential, and only under non-adiabatic absorption conditions can the double effect ammonia/salt system realize miniaturization. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.