Multi-objective optimization and comprehensive assessment of CO2-based mixtures with thermal stability constraints for parabolic trough concentrated solar thermal power plants

Shijie Zhang, Yujie Yu, Jianyong Yin, Liushuai Li, Hang Liu, Erguang Huo, Rui Huang and Shukun Wang

Energy, 2025, vol. 341, issue C

Abstract: Blending CO2 with suitable organic fluids offers a promising approach to enhance the thermodynamic and economic performance of supercritical Brayton cycles in parabolic trough concentrated solar power (PT-CSP) plant. However, the high-temperature thermal stability of organic additives is often overlooked. This study develops a comprehensive assessment and multi-objective optimization framework that integrates thermodynamic, techno-economic, environmental, and ecological sustainability models to screen the optimal additive under safe operating constraints. Results show that CO2-based mixtures achieve higher thermal efficiency than that of pure CO2 under typical operating conditions of PT-CSP plant, with CO2&R134a mixture reaching the highest total thermal efficiency (26.05 %), 16.07 % higher than that of pure CO2. The advantage of CO2-based mixture as working fluid in terms of techno-economic aspect becomes increasingly prominent at elevated compressor inlet temperatures due to better thermodynamic match between working fluid and power cycle by adjusting mass fraction of additive. Nonetheless, the high global warming potential of some organic fluids leads to unacceptable greenhouse gas emissions and ecological cumulative exergy consumption, limiting their comprehensive competitiveness. Across various weighting strategies and cold source temperatures, R134a is identified as the optimal additive for recompression supercritical Brayton cycle in PT-CSP plant, based on trade-offs among total thermal efficiency, levelized cost of electricity, greenhouse gas emissions, and ecological sustainability.

Keywords: Concentrating solar power plants; CO2-Based mixtures; Techno-economic analysis; Environmental sustainability assessment; Multi-objective optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:341:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225050285

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.139386

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