Simulation and Exergoeconomic Analysis of a Trigeneration System Based on Biofuels from Spent Coffee Grounds

Diana L. Tinoco Caicedo (), Myrian Santos Torres, Medelyne Mero-Benavides, Oscar Patiño Lopez, Alexis Lozano Medina and Ana M. Blanco Marigorta
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Diana L. Tinoco Caicedo: Centro de Energías Renovables y Alternativas (CERA), Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral Ecuador, Guayaquil 090903, Ecuador
Myrian Santos Torres: Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas (FCNM), Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral Ecuador, Guayaquil 090903, Ecuador
Medelyne Mero-Benavides: Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas (FCNM), Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral Ecuador, Guayaquil 090903, Ecuador
Oscar Patiño Lopez: Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas (FCNM), Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral Ecuador, Guayaquil 090903, Ecuador
Alexis Lozano Medina: Department of Process Engineering, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Ana M. Blanco Marigorta: Department of Process Engineering, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: Biofuels have become a source of renewable energy to offset the use of fossil fuels and meet the demand for electricity, heat, and cooling in the industrial sector. This study aims to (a) develop a simulation of a trigeneration system based on a gas turbine cycle and an absorption chiller unit, using biomass and syngas from spent coffee grounds (SCGs) to replace the conventional system currently supplying the energy requirements of an instant coffee plant located in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and (b) carry out an exergoeconomic analysis of the simulated system to compare the effects of different fuels. The results showed an increase in the exergetic efficiency from 51.9% to 84.5% when using a trigeneration system based on biomass instead of the conventional non-integrated system. Furthermore, the biomass-based system was found to have the lowest operating costs ($154.7/h) and the lowest heating, cooling, and power costs ($10.3/GJ, $20.2/GJ, and $23.4/GJ, respectively). Therefore, the results of this analysis reveal that using SCGs as biofuel in this instant coffee plant is feasible for producing steam, chilled water, and power.

Keywords: syngas; biomass; spent coffee grounds; trigeneration system; exergy destruction cost rate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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