Advanced Exergy and Economic Analysis of a Hybrid Renewable CCHP System for Industrial Energy and Dairy Processing

Abstract

Industrial advancements in recent years have led to a significant increase in global energy consumption. Consequently, the pollution resulting from the use of fossil fuels to meet this energy demand has become a pressing issue. The utilization of biomass as a renewable energy source presents a viable solution to mitigate this problem. In addition to biomass, solar energy has also emerged as a dependable energy source that has been extensively researched in recent times. This study proposes a combined heat and power (CCHP) system that integrates four different systems - biomass, milk powder processing, refrigeration, and photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, milk powder, and cooling capacity. The proposed system underwent optimization through a multi-objective approach to enhance its overall performance and payback period time. The findings indicate that the payback period for the investment can be reduced to 3.82 years, with a maximum cycle efficiency of 33 percent. These values can be adjusted based on the relative importance of each factor. For instance, if the payback period is extended to 4.8 years, the cycle efficiency would decrease to 27 percent.