Comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of a novel solar based trigeneration system

Articles in Press

Document Type : Mechanics article

Authors

1 دانشگاه محقق اردبیلی

2 University of Mohaghegh Ardabili

Abstract

This study explores the integration of solar tower technology and thermal energy storage (TES) within the framework of a supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) Brayton cycle, a copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) hydrogen production cycle, and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) for the generation of superheated steam. The combination of these subsystems enhances overall energy efficiency, ensures uninterrupted operation, and minimizes exergy loss. Comprehensive energy and exergy analyses were conducted to evaluate the performance and requirements of each subsystem, highlighting the thermodynamic advantages of this integrated approach. The Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software was used to model the system and calculate thermodynamic properties from the EES library. The results show that, in the basic design configuration, exergy destruction amounts to 9930 kW in the solar tower, 7111 kW in the S-CO2 Brayton cycle, and 9735 kW in the Cu-Cl cycle. The system is capable of producing 4226 kW of power, 2697 kW of heat, and 0.04971 kg/s of hydrogen. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the plant are 17.48% and 18.72%, respectively. These findings demonstrate that this integrated system effectively addresses existing gaps in the literature by presenting a novel combination of solar-powered Cu-Cl hydrogen production and superheated steam generation. The proposed system contributes to the advancement of renewable, efficient, and continuous energy production

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Journal of Modeling in Engineering

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 September 2025

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History

  • Receive Date: 23 November 2024
  • Revise Date: 16 March 2025
  • Accept Date: 28 June 2025

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