Title: Thermodynamic analysis and optimisation of a solar combined cooling, heating and power system for a domestic application

Authors: Fateme Ahmadi Boyaghchi; Parisa Heidarnejad

Addresses: Faculty of Engineering, Alzahra University, Vanak, Tehran 009821, Iran ' Faculty of Engineering, Alzahra University, Vanak, Tehran 009821, Iran

Abstract: A micro solar driven combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system based on organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is proposed and investigated for summer and winter modes. Detailed exergy analyses indicate that 11.7% and 9.8% of total input exergy are useful in winter and summer, respectively. Auxiliary boiler and solar collectors are found to be the highest source of irreversibility for both modes. The effects of several key parameters on the system performance, required collector area and solar fraction are investigated. The system exergy efficiencies are optimised by means of genetic algorithm. Optimum values of turbine inlet pressure, turbine inlet temperature and turbine back pressure are 985.6 kPa, 130ºC and 263.1 kPa in summer and 1001 kPa, 120ºC and 332.4 kPa in winter, respectively. It is also shown that system exergy efficiency improves from 9.8% to 10.09% in summer and 11.7 to 17.21% in winter under optimum conditions.

Keywords: combined cooling heating and power; CCHP; ejector; energy efficiency; exergy efficiency; R123; optimisation; thermodynamic analysis; solar energy; solar power; domestic applications; organic Rankine cycle; ORC; winter; summer; irreversibilities; genetic algorithms; turbine inlet pressure; turbine inlet temperature; turbine back pressure.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2015.068216

International Journal of Exergy, 2015 Vol.16 No.2, pp.139 - 168

Received: 18 Dec 2013
Accepted: 03 Mar 2014
Published online: 24 Mar 2015 *

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