Development, analysis and performance assessment of a combined solar and geothermal energy-based integrated system for multigeneration

In this paper, a novel solar and geothermal energy-based integrated multigeneration system is proposed for multigenerational product plan. The system includes two ORC (organic Rankine cycle) power turbines, two thermal energy storage systems, an absorption chiller, a heat pump for space heating and a drying system. The present system is analyzed thermodynamically through energy and exergy methodologies, and the performances of the systems and subsystems are assessed incorporating energy and exergy analyses specifically for four cases; single generation, cogeneration, tri-generation and multigeneration. Both exergy destruction and losses in sub-embodiments and hence in the overall system are determined. Several design parameters, including the mass flow rate and temperature of the geothermal fluid, turbine inlet pressure, and ambient conditions, are varied to evaluate their effects on energy and exergy performances. The energy and exergy efficiencies of this proposed system, while working on multigeneration mode, are found to be 51% and 62%, respectively, whereas these efficiencies on single generation mode are in the order of 22% and 54%, respectively. This proposed system is superior to conventional single-source-based systems.