EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION AND PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION OF AN INTEGRATED SOLAR COGENERATION SYSTEM FOR COMBINED COOLING AND POWER (CCP)

Abstract

The growing energy demand in the world over requires the establishment of effective and viable energy systems. Solar powered combined cooling and power (CCP) cogeneration holds a potential solution. Nonetheless, drastic discrepancies are found between theory and experiments particularly when actual weather is considered. In the current analysis, the experimental study of a multifunctional solar CCP system with parabolic trough collectors, an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), and a LiBr-H₂O absorption chiller is conducted. Parametric analysis is done, and the empirical models are formulated using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to obtain the correlation between important operational parameters and the performance of the system. Optimized conditions are determined and the overall system efficiency is maximized at 59.0% and a 23.0% improvement over the operation of the system in the baseline. The paper offers empirical models and the best working guidelines, which can be introduced in the practical implementation of solar CCP systems.