The performances of half-effect. single-effect and double-effect H2O/LiBr absorption cooling cycles were analyzed, and it was found that there is an obvious blank for generation temperature between the maximum generation temperature of the single-effect cycle and the minimum generation temperature of the double-effect cycle. It was proposed that the one and a half-effect (1.5-effect) cycle can fill up the blank perfectly. The state of the art in the 1.5-effect cycles was reviewed and analyzed, and two new configurations of 1.5-effect cycles were proposed. Three configurations of 1.5-effect cycles, which are suitable for H2O/LiBr as working fluids. were selected to be analyzed in detail. The 1.5-effect cycle shows the optimum performance at the foregoing blank of generation temperature. For example, under the conditions of evaporation temperature t(E) is 5 degrees C, and condensation temperature t(C) is 42 degrees C, and absorption temperature t(A) is 37 degrees C, the optimum range of generation temperature t(G) for the 1.5-effect cycle is from 110 degrees C to 140 degrees C. The coefficient of performance of the 1.5-effect cycle is about 1.0, which is more than 30% higher than that of the single-effect cycle at the same condition. The effects of the efficiency of solution heat exchanger, the generation temperature, the absorption temperature (or the condensation temperature) and the evaporation temperature on the performances of the three configurations of 1.5-effect cycle were analyzed. It was shown that the configuration 11, which is composed with a high-temperature single-effect subcycle and a low-temperature half-effect subcycle, has the highest coefficient of performance and the best operational flexibility. Among the four parameters analyzed, the performances of 1.5-effect cycles are most sensitive to the change of absorption temperature (or condensation temperature), and then to the change of generation temperature. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.