Investigation of a Biomass-Driven Cogeneration System Integrated with an Externally Fired Gas Turbine, Organic Rankine Cycle, and Absorption Refrigeration Cycle: Thermodynamic and Exergoeconomic Analyses and Optimization

Jie Ren, Zuoqin Qian, Xinyu Wang (), Weilong Huang and Baolin Wang
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Jie Ren: School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430063, China
Zuoqin Qian: School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430063, China
Xinyu Wang: School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430063, China
Weilong Huang: School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430063, China
Baolin Wang: School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430063, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-35

Abstract: The utilization of biomass for multi-generation systems is garnering significant interest due to its potential in conserving primary energy and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, enhancing its energy efficiency remains a critical challenge. This study introduces an innovative cogeneration system that combines biomass gasification with an externally fired gas turbine, organic Rankine cycle, and absorption refrigeration cycle. It undergoes thorough thermodynamic and exergoeconomic evaluations, with a dual-objective optimization conducted to identify the optimal operational conditions that achieve the highest exergy efficiency while minimizing product cost. The findings reveal that, in the base case, the thermal efficiency, exergy efficiency, and sum unit cost of the product (SUCP) of the system are 66.36%, 32.04%, and 8.71 USD/GJ, respectively. A parametric study illustrates that elevating the air compressor pressure ratio or the temperature difference at the cold end enhances thermal efficiency but reduces exergy efficiency. Additionally, the lowest unit cost of the product is attainable by optimizing the gas turbine inlet temperature. The performance of the system shows negligible sensitivity to the turbine inlet pressure of a bottoming organic Rankine cycle. Finally, optimization demonstrates a 9.7% increase in exergy efficiency and a 1.8% rise in the SUCP compared to the baseline scenario. The study suggests integrating with other energy sources for diversified product outputs and conducting environmental analyses in future research.

Keywords: biomass gasification; EFGT; organic Rankine cycle; absorption refrigeration cycle; exergoeconomic analysis; multi-objective optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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