Exergetic analysis of a solar thermal power system

This communication presents a second law analysis based on an exergy concept for a solar thermal power system. Basic energy and exergy analysis for the system components (viz. parabolic trough collector/receiver and Rankine heat engine, etc.) are carried out for evaluating the respective losses as well as exergetic efficiency for typical solar thermal power systems under given operating conditions. It is found that the main energy loss takes place at the condenser of the heat engine part, whereas the exergy analysis shows that the collector–receiver assembly is the part where the losses are maximum. The analysis and results can be used for evaluating the component irreversibilities which can also explain the deviation between the actual efficiency and ideal efficiency of a solar thermal power system.     

Introducing an integrated SOFC,linear Fresnel solar field,Stirling engine and steam turbine combined cooling,heating and power process

A new integrated combined cooling, heating and power system which includes a solid oxide fuel cell, Stirling engine, steam turbine, linear Fresnel solar field and double effect absorption chiller is introduced and investigated from energy, exergy and thermodynamic viewpoints. In this process, produced electrical power by the fuel cell and steam turbines is 6971.8 kW. Stirling engine uses fuel cell waste heat and produces 656 kW power. In addition, absorption chiller is driven by waste heat of the Stirling engine and generates 2118.8 kW of cooling load. Linear Fresnel solar field produces 961.7 kW of thermal power as a heat exchanger. The results indicate that, electrical, energy and exergy efficiencies and total exergy destruction of the proposed system are 49.7%, 67.5%, 55.6% and 12560 kW, respectively. Finally, sensitivity analysis to investigate effect of the different parameters such as flow rate of inputs, outlet pressure of the components and temperature changes of the solar system on the hybrid system performance is also done.     

Component exergy analysis of solar powered transcritical CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> rankine cycle system

In this paper,exergy analysis method is developed to assess a Rankine cycle system,by using supercritical CO2 as working fluid and powered by solar energy.The proposed system consists of evacuated solar collectors,throttling valve,high-temperature heat exchanger,low-temperature heat exchanger,and feed pump.The system is designed for utilize evacuated solar collectors to convert solar energy into mechanical energy and hence electricity.In order to investigate and estimate exergy performance of this system,the energy,entropy,exergy balances are developed for the components.The exergy destructions and exergy efficiency values of the system components are also determined.The results indicate that solar collector and high temperature heat exchanger which have low exergy efficiencies contribute the largest share to system irreversibility and should be the optimization design focus to improve system exergy effectiveness.Further,exergy analysis is a useful tool in this regard as it permits the performance of each process to be assessed and losses to be quantified.Exergy analysis results can be used in design,optimization,and improvement efforts.     

Performance analysis of humid air turbine cycle with solar energy for methanol decomposition

According to the physical and chemical energy cascade utilization and concept of synthesis integration of variety cycle systems, a new humid air turbine (HAT) cycle with solar energy for methanol decomposition has been proposed in this paper. The solar energy is utilized for methanol decomposing as a heat source in the HAT cycle. The low energy level of solar energy is supposed to convert the high energy level of chemical energy through methanol absorption, realizing the combination of clean energy and normal chemical fuels as compared to the normal chemical recuperative cycle. As a result, the performance of normal chemical fuel thermal cycle can be improved to some extent. Though the energy level of decomposed syngas from methanol is decreased, the cascade utilization of methanol is upgraded. The energy level and exergy losses in the system are graphically displayed with the energy utilization diagrams (EUD). The results show that the cycle’s exergy efficiency is higher than that of the conventional HAT cycle by at least 5 percentage points under the same operating conditions. In addition, the cycle’s thermal efficiency, exergy efficiency and solar thermal efficiency respond to an optimal methanol conversion.     

Effect of irreversibilities on performance of an absorption heat transformer used to increase solar pond’s temperature

Absorption thermal systems are attractive for using waste heat energy from industrial processes and renewable energy such as geothermal energy, solar energy, etc. The Absorption Heat Transformer (AHT) is a promising system for recovering low-level waste heat. The thermal processes in the absorption system release a large amount of heat to the environment. This heat is evolved considerably at temperature, the ambient temperature results in a major irreversible loss in the absorption system components. Exergy analysis emphasises that both losses and irreversibility have an impact on system performance. Therefore, evaluating of the AHT in exergy basis is a much more suitable approach. In this study, a mathematical model of AHTs operating with the aqua/ammonia was developed to simulate the performance of these systems coupled to a solar pond in order to increase the temperature of the useful heat produced by solar ponds. A heat source at temperatures not higher than 100 °C was used to simulate the heat input to an AHT from a solar pond. In this paper, exergy analysis of the AHT were performed and effects of exergy losses of the system components on performance of the AHT used to increase solar pond’s temperature were investigated. The maximum upgrading of solar pond’s temperature by the AHT, is obtained at 51.5 °C and gross temperature lift at 93.5 °C with coefficients of performance of about 0.4. The maximum temperature of the useful heat produced by the AHT was ˜150 °C. As a result, determining of exergy losses for the system components show that the absorber and the generator need to be improved thermally. If the exergy losses are reduced, use of the AHT to increase the temperature of the heat used from solar ponds will be more feasable.     

Exergetic optimization for solar heat receiver with heat loss and viscous dissipation

The exergetic efficiency of heat receiver in solar thermal power system is optimized by considering the heat loss outside the receiver and fluid viscous dissipation inside the receiver. The physical models of heat loss and pumping power consumption for solar heat receiver are first proposed, and associated exergetic efficiency is further induced. As the flow velocity rises, the pumping power consumption and heat absorption efficiency significantly rises, and the maximum absorption efficiency and optimal incident energy flux also increase. Along the flow direction of solar receiver, the exergy flux increment and the flow exergy loss almost linearly increase, while the exergetic efficiency varies very slowly at high flow velocity. According to the exergetic efficiency loss from flow viscou’s dissipation, the exergetic efficiency of solar heat receiver will first increase and then decrease with the flow velocity. Because of the coupling effects of heat absorption efficiency and exergetic efficiency from fluid internal energy, the exergetic efficiency of solar heat receiver will approach to the maximum at proper inlet temperature. As a result, the exergetic efficiency of solar heat receiver will reach the maximum at optimal inlet temperature, incident energy flux and flow velocity.     

Exergetic optimization of flat plate solar collectors

In this paper, an exergetic optimization of flat plate solar collectors is developed to determine the optimal performance and design parameters of these solar to thermal energy conversion systems. A detailed energy and exergy analysis is carried out for evaluating the thermal and optical performance, exergy flows and losses as well as exergetic efficiency for a typical flat plate solar collector under given operating conditions. In this analysis, the following geometric and operating parameters are considered as variables: the absorber plate area, dimensions of solar collector, pipes' diameter, mass flow rate, fluid inlet, outlet temperature, the overall loss coefficient, etc. A simulation program is developed for the thermal and exergetic calculations. The results of this computational program are in good agreement with the experimental measurements noted in the previous literature. Finally, the exergetic optimization has been carried out under given design and operating conditions and the optimum values of the mass flow rate, the absorber plate area and the maximum exergy efficiency have been found. Thus, more accurate results and beneficial applications of the exergy method in the design of solar collectors have been obtained.     

On the improvement of annual performance of solar thermal power plants through exergy management

Advancing in the learning curve of solar thermal power plants (STPP) requires detailed analysis for reducing exergy losses in the energy conversion chain. This requirement should be applied to any configuration proposed for the solar field and the power block. The aim of this work is to perform this type of analysis for two ways of structuring the power plant. The first plant structure consists of a subdivision of the solar collector field into specialized sectors with specific goals conveying different requirements in temperature. The second plant structure is based on a dual thermal energy storage system with a defined hierarchy in the storage temperature. The subdivision of the solar field into different sectors reduces the exergy losses in the heating process of the working fluid. Moreover, the average temperature of the heat transfer fluid in the solar field decreases when it is compared to the conventional solar field, reducing this way the exergy losses in the collectors. The dual thermal energy storage system is devised for keeping the exergy input to the power block at its nominal level for long periods of time, including post‐sunset hours. One of the storage systems gathers a fluid heated up to temperatures above the nominal value and the second one is the classical one. The combination of both allows the manager of the plant to keep the nominal operation of the plant for longer periods than in the case of classical system. Numerical simulations performed with validated models are the basis of the exergy analyses. The configurations are compared to a reference STPP in order to evaluate their worth. Furthermore, the behaviour of the configurations is analysed to study the irreversibility of the included devices. Special attention is paid to the storage systems, as they are a key issue in both plant structures. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

车用柴油机节能潜力的能质分析方法与试验研究

在热平衡分析基础上建立了柴油机能质分析的平衡计算模型,并以WD615(162kW)型车用柴油机为对象进行了试验研究,对比分析柴油机工作过程中的能质分布规律和节能潜力。结果表明:在冷却水及排气能量利用之前,柴油机的热平衡规律和有效能利用率一致。在柴油机最大扭矩点(约1 600r/min),系统有效功占总热量的百分比达到最大值,效率、冷却水和排气的可用能比例也达到最大,约有17%的可用能还未得到利用。不可逆燃烧、有限温差传热和摩擦损耗等因素降低了系统能量的能级,减少柴油机系统的损同时梯级利用排气及冷却水能量,是车用柴油机节能的可行手段。分析方法也为柴油机的效率评价提供了一种新的参考方案。     

Exergy analysis of an integrated solar combined cycle system

Exergetic analysis has become an integral part of thermodynamic assessment of any power generation system. Energy and exergy studies for power plants optimum design and for combined chemical industries received much attention recently. An Integrated Solar Combined Cycle System (ISCCS) is proposed as a means of integrating a parabolic trough solar thermal plant with modern combined cycle power plants. In this study attempt will be made to analyze the Integrated Solar Combined Cycle in Yazd, Iran using design plant data. Energy and exergy analysis for the solar field and combined cycle is carried out to assess the plant performance and pinpoint sites of primary exergy destruction. Exergy destruction throughout the plant is quantified and illustrated using an exergy flow diagram, and compared to the energy flow diagram. The causes of exergy destruction in the plant include: losses in combustor, collector, heat exchangers, and pump & turbines which accounts for 29.62, 8.69, 9.11 and 8% of the total exergy input to the plant, respectively. Exergetic efficiencies of the major plant components are determined in an attempt to assess their individual performances.     

基于超临界CO2循环的地热与太阳能混合系统研究

超临界CO₂循环可以耦合较低温度的地热和较高温度的太阳能热组成混合热源发电系统。相比能量分析方法,火用分析方法更便于分析混合系统对提高能量利用率的作用,以及识别造成可用能损失的设备和过程。115℃地热和200℃地热分别与采用槽式聚光集热技术的太阳能热组成混合热源,构成简单回热超临界CO₂循环。分析结果表明：混合系统的火用效率比单纯太阳能热的循环系统提高了5% ~ 10%;太阳能聚光集热器的?损失最大,占80%以上,其次是除预冷器以外的各类换热器以及透平;相比之下,压缩机和预冷器的火用损失较小。减少?损失的关键是提高太阳能聚光集热器和换热器的性能,包括提高集热管运行温度,以及提高换热器效能。     

Exergy‐based performance analysis of packed‐bed solar air heaters

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the thermal performance of a solar air heater having its flow channel packed with Raschig rings. The packing improves the heat transfer from the plate to the air flow underneath. The dimensions of the heater are 0.9 m wide and 1.9 m long. The aluminium‐based absorber plate was coated with ordinary black paint. The characteristic diameter of the Raschig rings, made of black polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tube, is 50 mm and the depth of the packed‐bed in flow channel is 60 mm. Energy and exergy analyses were applied for evaluating the efficiency of the packed‐bed solar air heater. The rate of heat recovered from the packed‐bed solar air heater varied between 9.3 and 151.5 W m^?2, while the rate of thermal exergy recovered from the packed‐bed solar air heater varied between 0.04 and 8.77 W m^?2 during the charging period. The net energy efficiency varied from 2.05 to 33.78%, whereas the net exergy efficiency ranged from 0.01 to 2.16%. It was found that the average daily net energy and exergy efficiencies were 17.51 and 0.91%, respectively. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the packed‐bed solar air heater increased as the outlet temperature of heat transfer fluid increased. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exergetic analysis and economic evaluation of central tower receiver solar thermal power plant

This article presents the analytical evaluation of a central tower receiver solar thermal power plant with air‐cooled volumetric receiver using exergy analysis. The energetic and exergetic losses as well as the efficiencies of a typical central tower receiver‐based solar thermal power plant have been carried out under the specific operating conditions. The enhancement in efficiency of the plant from the variation in power input to constant power input achieved by thermal storage backup condition has been determined. It is found that the year round average energetic efficiency can be increased from 24.15% to 25.08% and year round average exergetic efficiency can be increased, from 26.10% to 27.10% for the selected location Jodhpur. The unit cost of electric energy generation (kWh_e) is found to be INR 10.09 considering 30‐year lifespan of the solar plant along with a 10% interest rate. The present study provides a base for the development of future solar thermal power plants in India. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Energy and exergy analysis of hydrogen production by solid oxide steam electrolyzer plant

Energy and exergy analysis has been conducted to investigate the thermodynamic–electrochemical characteristics of hydrogen production by a solid oxide steam electrolyzer (SOSE) plant. All overpotentials involved in the SOSE cell have been included in the thermodynamic model. The waste heat in the gas stream of the SOSE outlet is recovered to preheat the H₂O stream by a heat exchanger. The heat production by the SOSE cell due to irreversible losses has been investigated and compared with the SOSE cell's thermal energy demand. It is found that the SOSE cell normally operates in an endothermic mode at a high temperature while it is more likely to operate in an exothermic mode at a low temperature as the heat production due to overpotentials exceeds the thermal energy demand. A diagram of energy and exergy flows in the SOSE plant helps to identify the sources and quantify the energy and exergy losses. The exergy analysis reveals that the SOSE cell is the major source of exergy destruction. The energy analysis shows that the energy loss is mainly caused by inefficiency of the heat exchangers. The effects of some important operating parameters, such as temperature, current density, and H₂O flow rate, on the plant efficiency have been studied. Optimization of these parameters can achieve maximum energy and exergy efficiencies. The findings show that the difference between energy efficiency and exergy efficiency is small as the high-temperature thermal energy input is only a small fraction of the total energy input. In addition, the high-temperature waste heat is of high quality and can be recovered. In contrast, for a low-temperature electrolysis plant, the difference between the energy and exergy efficiencies is more apparent because considerable amount of low-temperature waste heat contains little exergy and cannot be recovered effectively. This study provides a better understanding of the energy and exergy flows in SOSE hydrogen production and demonstrates the importance of exergy analysis for identifying and quantifying the exergy destruction. The findings of the present study can further be applied to perform process optimization to maximize the cost-effectiveness of SOSE hydrogen production.     

Maximum power-conversion efficiency for the utilization of solar energy

The overall efficiency of solar thermal power plants is investigated for estimating the upper limit of their practical performances. This study consists of the theoretical optimization of the heat engine and the optimization of the overall system efficiency, which is the product of the efficiency of the solar collector and the efficiency of the heat engine. In order to obtain a more realistic performance of the solar thermal power plant, the solar collector concentration ratio, the diffused solar radiation and the convective and radiative heat losses of the solar collector are taken into account. Instead of the classical Carnot efficiency, the efficiency at maximum power is used as the optimal conversion efficiency of a heat engine. By means of simple calculations, the optimal overall system efficiency and the corresponding operating conditions of the solar collector are obtained. The results of the present work provide an accurate guide to the performance estimation and the design of solar thermal power plants.     

Second law analysis of a diesel engine waste heat recovery with a combined sensible and latent heat storage system

The exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine carries away about 30% of the heat of combustion. The energy available in the exit stream of many energy conversion devices goes as waste. The major technical constraint that prevents successful implementation of waste heat recovery is due to intermittent and time mismatched demand for and availability of energy. The present work deals with the use of exergy as an efficient tool to measure the quantity and quality of energy extracted from a diesel engine and stored in a combined sensible and latent heat storage system. This analysis is utilized to identify the sources of losses in useful energy within the components of the system considered, and provides a more realistic and meaningful assessment than the conventional energy analysis. The energy and exergy balance for the overall system is quantified and illustrated using energy and exergy flow diagrams. In order to study the discharge process in a thermal storage system, an illustrative example with two different cases is considered and analyzed, to quantify the destruction of exergy associated with the discharging process. The need for promoting exergy analysis through policy decision in the context of energy and environment crisis is also emphasized.     

Thermodynamic assessment of photovoltaic systems

In this paper, an attempt is made to investigate the performance characteristics of a photovoltaic (PV) and photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) system based on energy and exergy efficiencies, respectively. The PV system converts solar energy into DC electrical energy where as, the PV/T system also utilizes the thermal energy of the solar radiation along with electrical energy generation. Exergy efficiency for PV and PV/T systems is developed that is useful in studying the PV and PV/T performance and possible improvements. Exergy analysis is applied to a PV system and its components, in order to evaluate the exergy flow, losses and various efficiencies namely energy, exergy and power conversion efficiency. Energy efficiency of the system is calculated based on the first law of thermodynamics and the exergy efficiency, which incorporates the second law of thermodynamics and solar irradiation exergy values, is also calculated and found that the latter is lower for the electricity generation using the considered PV system. The values of “fill factor” are also determined for the system and the effect of the fill factor on the efficiencies is also evaluated. The experimental data for a typical day of March (27th March 2006) for New Delhi are used for the calculation of the energy and exergy efficiencies of the PV and PV/T systems. It is found that the energy efficiency varies from a minimum of 33% to a maximum of 45% respectively, the corresponding exergy efficiency (PV/T) varies from a minimum of 11.3% to a maximum of 16% and exergy efficiency (PV) varies from a minimum of 7.8% to a maximum of 13.8%, respectively.     

带压缩空气储能的冷热电联产系统的

对一种带压缩空气储能的冷热电联产系统进行了热力学(火用)分析,得到了各主要部件和整个系统的(火用)损失及(火用)效率的变化规律.分析结果表明空气透平绝热效率的提高对系统(火用)效率的贡献大于压缩机效率同样提高的功效;在其它参数确定时,存在最佳压比,可使系统的(火用)效率在该条件下达极值;高温换热器是新型冷热电联产系统中产生(火用)损失的主要部件,而循环水量的大小是影响高温换热器(火用)效率的主要因素.     

Partitioning of MCHP‐TES system run time to incorporate transient system behaviour: a comprehensive exergy‐based analysis using simulation

By combining heat and power generation, mini‐combined and micro‐combined heat and power systems (MCHP) provide an efficient, decentralised means of power generation that can complement the composition of the electricity generation mix. Dynamic tools capable of handling transient system behaviour are required to assess MCHP efficiency beyond a mere static analysis based on steady‐state design parameters. Using a simulation of a cogeneration system, we combine exergetic definitions for different operational system states to quantify the overall system efficiency continuously over the whole period of operation. The concept of exergy allows direct comparison of different forms of energy. A sensitivity analysis was performed where we quantified the effect on MCHP overall performance under varying engine rotational speed, thermal energy storage size and fluid storage temperature in a range of MCHP simulations. We found that the exergetic quantity of natural gas used by the MCHP decreased slightly at higher engine speeds (?2% to ?4%). While the total amount of electricity generated is almost constant across the range of different engine output, more thermal exergy (up to +21%) can be recovered when the engine is operating at elevated speeds. Furthermore, selection of specific optimal thermal storage fluid temperatures can aid in improving system efficiency. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hybrid solar parabolic dish power plant and high‐temperature phase change material energy storage system

In this study, a conventional steam power plant with two regenerative boilers is considered, and one of its boilers is replaced with parabolic solar dish collectors and storing the produced thermal energy by the phase change material (PCM) in a storage tank. The results show the necessity of the existence of an auxiliary fired‐gas boiler to provide constant load during the whole 24 hours. The performance of the proposed hybridized system is evaluated through energy and exergy analyses. It was demonstrated that substituting solar collectors with one of the boilers marginally lowers the energy efficiency but increases the exergy efficiency of the whole power plant up to 41.76%. Moreover, it is found out that this hybridization decreases the total irreversibility of the power plant in comparison with the base case, from 51.1 to 47.2 MW. The parametric analysis states that raising the mass flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in the solar collectors not only enhances the system performance but also increases the volume of the PCM tank.