Comparative analyses and optimizations of hybrid biomass and solar energy systems based upon a variety of biomass technologies

Abstract

The abundance of fossil fuels and their negative environmental effects, together with the substantial reduction in their investment prices, have made solar-biomass hybrid plants an increasingly appealing choice for supplying the world’s energy needs. This study evaluates the performance of a PV/biomass hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) that incorporates three distinct biomass processes, including pyrolysis, direct combustion, and gasification. The hybrid system is modeled employing the multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA). The most excellent layout is tabbed based on factors such as the largest proportion of green energy and the least amount of noxious emissions, as well as the minimum cost of energy (COE) and net present cost (NPC). The COE in the pyrolysis system is 17% and 38% lower than in scenarios 1 and 2, respectively. The decrease in NPC and overall system cost, which demonstrates 17% and 65% drops in NPC and 15% and 37.5% decreases in total system cost, respectively, as compared to scenarios 1 and 2. After comparing all the essential aspects, it is revealed that the HRES incorporating biomass pyrolysis is preferable to the most cost-effective option for making hybrid systems than other HRESs executed up of gasifier or direct combustion biomass technologies. This idea would improve the use of biomass resources in HRES by including the foremost biomass power production technology, making it simpler for researchers to identify the paramount hybrid renewable energy systems and create decisive HRES using biomass as the main source.

Keywords

• Renewable energy
• Solar energy
• Wheat straw
• Gasifier
• Direct combustion
• Pyrolysis