Thermodynamic evaluation of a novel renewable energy system that simultaneously provides electricity, freshwater, and syngas using a multiobjective optimization approach

Abstract

Abstract This research entails the simulation and thermodynamic evaluation of a combined solar‐powered system that is intended to achieve the energy necessary to construct factories in areas where other sources of energy are not available. The system comprises five major circuits: (1) a parabolic trough that collects solar energy and passes it to downstream circuits via an evaporator, (2) an organic Rankine cycle that generates electricity for devices and factories, (3) a proton exchange membrane electrolysis unit that produces hydrogen from pure water, (4) a methanation unit that produces gas by combining hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and (5) a reverse osmosis (RO) unit that purges seawater to produce freshwater. This investigation studies the efficiency of energy and exergy, the destruction rate of exergy, and the economic value of system components as a whole. The system is represented by the technical equation solver, and the results are obtained as a result. This research employs the genetic algorithm and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method to locate the most effective point. The achieved outcomes include a maximum total system efficiency of 54.935% and a minimum total cost of 2.578 $/GJ. Dated to the optimal point, the power generated is 305.5 kW, the required power of a single‐cell electrolyzer is 293.8 W, the mass flow rate of methane and hydrogen production is 448.92 kg/hr and 225.64 kg/h, respectively. The water volume generated by RO is 35.25 m3/h, and the total cost of the investment is 85.57 $/h.

Keywords

• electrolyzer
• energy optimization
• energy systems
• exergy and economic exergy
• organic Rankine cycle
• parabolic trough solar collector