Optimal design of a multi-generation system based on solar and geothermal energy integrated with multi-effect distillatory

Abstract

In this study, an optimal system is designed to meet the needs of fresh water, heating, cooling and electricity. Four modes were simulated in MATLAB to provide the requirements of a hotel. The combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) with multi-effect distillation through thermal vapor compression (MED-TVC) was used as the base mode. Geothermal wells (Geo) were employed to convert the renewable energy of the earth into heat and electricity. Also, the flat plate collectors (FPC), photovoltaic panels (PV) were utilized to gain the sun's radiant energy and convert it into heat and electricity. An organic Rankine cycle (ORC) has been used to convert the obtained geothermal energy into electricity. The genetic algorithm has been used for optimal design. In the case of base, base + Solar, base + Geo and base + Solar + Geo 21, 24, 24, 27 design parameters were considered respectively. The total annual cost (TAC), in which the effects of pollution were included, was considered as the objective function in the optimal design. As the innovation of this work, the use of geothermal and solar energy with desalination process combined with CCHP was mentioned, which was not done in previous works. For a case study, the annual needs of a hotel in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan province, Iran were considered and the TAC obtained results for base, base + Solar, base + Geo and base + Solar + Geo modes were 1.2789×106$/year, 1.0950×106$/year, 5.8048×105$/year and 5.1436×105$/year , respectively. It was found that in the mode of using solar energy, geothermal energy and solar and geothermal energy, the objective function was improved 14.38%, 54.61% and 59.78%, respectively, comparing to the base mode.