Abstract
In this study a small-scale, completely autonomous combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system is coupled to a photovoltaic (PV) subsystem, to investigate the possibility of reducing fuel consumption. The CCHP system generates electrical energy with the use of a simple gas turbine cycle, with a rated nominal power output of 1 MWe. The nominal power output of the PV subsystem is examined in a parametric study, ranging from 0 to 600 kWe, to investigate which configuration results in a minimum lifecycle cost (LCC) for a system lifetime of 20 years of service. The load profile considered is applied for a complex of households in Nicosia, Cyprus. The solar data for the PV subsystem are taken on an hourly basis for a whole year. The results suggest that apart from economic benefits, the proposed system also results in high efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. The parametric study shows that the optimum PV capacity is 300 kWe. The minimum lifecycle cost for the PV-assisted CCHP system is found to be 3.509 million €, as compared to 3.577 million € for a system without a PV subsystem. The total cost for the PV subsystem is 547,445 €, while the total cost for operating the system (fuel) is 731,814 € (compared to 952,201 € for a CCHP system without PVs). Overall, the proposed system generates a total electrical energy output of 52,433 MWh (during its whole lifetime), which translates to a unit cost of electricity of 0.067 €/kWh.
Highlights
Cogeneration has gained more attention in recent years in an effort to develop highly efficient systems at all scales from the kW to the MW range [1,2,3,4]
The results for the proposed PV-assisted CCHP system are analyzed in terms of thermodynamics and cost
A parametric study is used to evaluate the system configuration resulting in minimum lifecycle cost (LCC)
Summary
Cogeneration has gained more attention in recent years in an effort to develop highly efficient systems at all scales from the kW to the MW range [1,2,3,4]. Cogeneration can have various applications, which can typically combine the generation of power, heating and cooling. In climates which require both space heating and space cooling in different periods of the year, a promising application of cogeneration is combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP). CCHP systems can be considered as alternatives to large-scale, electricity-only generating power plants, to improve fuel efficiency by recovering the rejected heat from the thermal cycle for district heating and district cooling. Such a system can be applied in various scales, configurations and capacities, an interesting application is in small-scale, decentralized, completely
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