Preliminary design and optimization of a solar-driven combined cooling and power system for a data center

Abstract

Aiming at the demand of reducing cost, increasing efficiency and green low-carbon development in data center, a novel solar-driven combined cooling and power system is constructed by coupling supercritical power cycle with transcritical refrigeration cycle. The heliostat field is designed, and the models on thermal, economic, environmental and comprehensive performances are established. On this basis, system performances under design conditions are studied, and the system parameters are analyzed. Thereafter, optimal system performances at typical days in four seasons are compared based on genetic algorithm. The results indicate that: under design conditions, the system energy and exergy efficiencies are 29.47% and 16.21% respectively. The total system capital cost is $1.2576 × 108. The carbon emissions are reduced by 257,420 kg per day. The comprehensive performance evaluation index (CPEI) can reach up to 47.63%. CPEI increases with the increase of turbine inlet pressure. With the increase of high-pressure compressor (HPC) inlet pressure and evaporation temperature, CPEI increases first and then decreases. Furthermore, CPEI shows a continuous downward trend as the load rate of data center increases. The system performances at autumn equinox and spring equinox are more similar, while those at summer solstice and winter solstice are quite different from those of spring equinox.