Modeling and experimentation of a novel pressurized CHP system with water extraction

Abstract

A novel cooling and power cycle is proposed, which combines a semi-closed cycle gas turbine called the high-pressure regenerative turbine engine (HPRTE) with a vapor absorption refrigeration system (VARS). This combined HPRTE/VARS cycle is capable of producing power, water and refrigeration effect for external loads. In a previous study, the combined cycle was modeled using zero-dimensional steady-state thermodynamics, with specified values of polytrophic efficiencies and pressure drops for the turbo-machinery and heat exchangers. In this study, a modified version of the combined HPRTE/VARS cycle is experimentally investigated for the demonstration of the combined cycle concept and for the model validation. This modified HPRTE has two water-cooled heat exchangers instead of the absorption refrigeration system. The model of the original combined HPRTE/VARS cycle was modified to simulate the performance of the modified HPRTE cycle. Temperatures, pressure, mass flow rates and other overall cycle parameters obtained from the computer model are compared with the corresponding experimental values of the modified cycle. The agreement between the values is found to be within acceptable limits. In addition, the uncertainty analysis of the experimental data is undertaken to find the uncertainty in the final output variables: thermal efficiency and non-dimensional water extraction parameter. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.