Multi-criteria optimization next to a comparative analysis of a polygeneration layout based on a double-stage gas turbine cycle fueled by biomass and hydrogen

The significance and advantages of utilizing renewable energy sources are widely recognized. Upon examining past studies, it was revealed that there has been a lack of research on harnessing the waste energy from double-stage gas turbines powered by biomass-hydrogen hybrid fuel for polygeneration applications. Thus, a new configuration is proposed in the study for the multi-production of electricity, cooling, heating, and potable water. In the current research, a high-pressure turbine is driven by a combustion chamber fed by a biomass gasifier. Meanwhile, a low-pressure turbine is driven by a post-combustion chamber fed by hydrogen as fuel. The heat loss of the topping gas turbine cycle is recuperated by a supercritical Brayton cycle (SBC), a steam Rankine cycle (SRC), and a water heater. The waste heat of the supercritical Brayton cycle and steam Rankine cycle is recovered through an absorption refrigeration cycle and a thermoelectric generator, respectively. Thus, the heat loss of the topping system is completely recovered. The net power output of the gas turbine cycle is considered the electricity production of the system while the output power of the SBC and SRC is utilized in a reverse osmosis desalination system to produce potable water. The investigations conducted on the system are thermodynamic and exergy-economic assessments and three-objective optimization utilizing 5 gases (i.e., CO2, CO, Nitrogen, Air, and Helium) in the SBC. The final results reveal the superiority of Helium as the supercritical gas, bringing about an exergy efficiency (ηex) of 32.11 %, a total cost rate (C˙tot) of 103 $h−1, a payback period (PP) of 0.159 years, and a specific cost of polygeneration (cpoly) of 22.03 $GJ−1 for the system. Although the levelized cost of products of the configuration is high due to the freshwater production, ηex of the proposed system is higher than the previous systems based on a double-stage gas turbine cycle driven by biomass and hydrogen.