Multi-objective optimisation of a novel combined cooling, heating and power system integrated with flat plate solar collectors using water/CuO nanofluid

Abstract

This paper presents the modelling and optimisation of a new micro combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system driven by solar energy. The copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles suspended in the pure water are applied as the heat transfer medium inside the collector subsystem. Four objective functions namely the daily thermal and exergy efficiencies, total heat exchangers area and total product cost rate are selected for optimisation. Non-dominated sort genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) is individually employed to achieve the final solutions of the system for three working fluids, including R123, R600a and R245fa for two scenarios. The multi-objective optimisation results indicate that R600a with 5.15% improvement in total heat transfer relative to the base point in the first scenario and 6.85% improvement in total product cost rate relative to the base case in the second scenario is the best fluid in comparison with other working fluids.