In this work an innovative ammonia-water double-effect GAX absorption system is investigated. The objective is to replace the complex Generator-Absorber heat eXchanger element by commercially-diffused components, decreasing cost and system complexity. A literature review of the most important absorption systems is done: a focus on ammonia-water cycle is conducted as well. As a result, plate heat exchangers are considered the best solution, even if this choice comports the addition of some separation tanks. A physical model is built to study the possible new architectures and it is detailed in the discussion. Numerical simulations are conducted in order to evaluate the cycle performances for both the chiller and heat pump configurations.