Thermoeconomic Analysis of a Solar-Assisted Industrial Process Heating System
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2024
Abstract
Thermal energy in the industrial sector for process heating applications in the range of 50 to 250 degrees C consumes about 35% of the global fossil fuel. Cascaded solar thermal systems are promising solutions to meet clean and uninterrupted thermal energy supply for industrial process heating. Well-engineered cascaded arrangement of solar thermal collector (STC) and photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collector can attain an average solar fraction of more than 50%. In the present research, a solar-assisted process heating system, wherein a STC integrated in series with PVT, has been designed to produce low- to medium-temperature heat at higher solar fractions. Herein, thermal performance and economic viability of this novel system have been investigated and analyzed methodically. In the present research, a comprehensive TRNSYS simulation model is developed and validated experimentally. Results show that PVT integrated with heat pipe evacuated tube collector (PVT-HPETC) and PVT integrated with flat plate collector (PVT-FPC) system can generate thermal energy as high as 1625 and 1420 W with a thermal efficiency of 81 and 77% and exergy efficiency of 13.22 and 12.72%. Levelized cost of heat (LCOH) for PVT-HPETC at process heat temperatures of 60, 70, and 80 degrees C is 0.214, 0.208, and 0.201 MYR/kWh, respectively. It is worth to note that LCOH is less than the existing cost of heat generation which proves that these systems are economically feasible.
Keywords
Photovoltaic-Thermal Collector, Phase-Change Material, Evacuated Tube Collectors, Flat-Plate, Exergy Analysis, PVT System, Performance Analysis, Environmental-Analysis, Operating-Conditions, Storage-System
Divisions
umpedac
Funders
Qatar University; Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF),Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) (QUPD-CENG-23-24-537),Post-Doc Research Program, Qatar University
Publication Title
International Journal of Energy Research
Volume
2024
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons
Publisher Location
ADAM HOUSE, 3RD FL, 1 FITZROY SQ, LONDON, WIT 5HE, ENGLAND