Economic and technical optimization of a tri-generation setup integrating a partial evaporation Rankine cycle with an ejector-based refrigeration system using different solar collectors

Jixiang Liao, Xingye Liu and Yunfeng Pang

Renewable Energy, 2024, vol. 236, issue C

Abstract: Three collector types, namely parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC), linear Fresnel collector (LFC), and dish collector, are employed to drive a tri-generation configuration composed of a partial evaporation Rankine cycle (PERC), a hot water production unit (HWPU), and a cascade ejector-based compression refrigeration system (ECRS) for electricity, cooling, and heating production. The ECRS is integrated with the topping PERC through an absorption refrigeration system (ARS). Moreover, the collector is indirectly connected to the system by a storage tank to increase the operating hours of the system. The performance of the system is evaluated by thermodynamic and economic analysis. The three-objective optimization result is a testament to the fact that utilizing PTSC brings about the best performance of the system. The system exergy efficiency (ηex) in the case of PTSC is 8.1 % and 24.9 % higher than in the case of LFC and dish collector, respectively. The economic performance of the system in the case of PTSC is superior to that of the dish collector. Furthermore, the PTSC case results in a relatively similar economic performance to the LFC case. The system produces power, cooling, and heating at rates of 200.8 kW, 564.9 kW, and 795.7 kW in the optimum case of utilizing PTSC, respectively. Moreover, ηex, total cost rate (C˙tot), and specific cost of tri-generation (ctri) are obtained as 11.48 %, 204.7 $h−1, and 44.91 $GJ−1, correspondingly. The results indicate that ηex of the proposed layout in the case of PTSC is superior to a comparable tri-generation configuration introduced in the field by 2.78 % points.

Keywords: Parabolic trough solar collector; Linear Fresnel collector; Dish collector; Partial evaporation Rankine cycle; Ejector; Cascade refrigeration system (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148124015738
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:236:y:2024:i:c:s0960148124015738

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.121505

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable Energy is currently edited by Soteris A. Kalogirou and Paul Christodoulides

More articles in Renewable Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().