IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i18p13602-d1237909.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Optimizing Solar Energy Harvesting through Integrated Organic Rankine Cycle–Reverse Osmosis Systems: A Techno–Economic Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Lina Wang

    (School of Marine Technology and Environment, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China)

  • Chunyu Zhou

    (Information Office, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China)

  • Hamid Reza Rahbari

    (AAU Energy, Aalborg University, 6700 Esbjerg, Denmark)

Abstract

When it comes to seawater desalination in the small- to medium-electricity ranges, the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) powered by solar energy stands out as the most energy-efficient technology currently available. Various solar techniques have been developed to capture and absorb solar energy. Among them, the parabolic trough collector (PTC) has gained recognition as a low-cost solar thermal collector with a long operating life. This study investigates the thermodynamic performance and economic parameters of a PTC-powered ORC using Dowtherm A and toluene as working fluids for the solar cycle and ORC cycle, respectively. Thermo-economic multi-objective optimization and decision-making techniques are applied to assess the system’s performance. Four key parameters are analyzed for their impact on exergy efficiency and total hourly cost. Using TOPSIS decision-making, the best solution from the Pareto frontier is identified, featuring an ORC exergy efficiency of 30.39% and a total hourly cost of 39.38 US$/h. The system parameters include a mass flow rate of fresh water at 137.7 m 3 /h, a total output net power of 577.9 kJ/kg, and a district heating supply of 1074 kJ/kg. The cost analysis reveals that the solar collector represents approximately 68% of the total hourly cost at 26.77 US$/h, followed by the turbine, thermoelectric generator, and reverse osmosis (RO) unit.

Suggested Citation

  • Lina Wang & Chunyu Zhou & Hamid Reza Rahbari, 2023. "Optimizing Solar Energy Harvesting through Integrated Organic Rankine Cycle–Reverse Osmosis Systems: A Techno–Economic Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-20, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:18:p:13602-:d:1237909
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/18/13602/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/18/13602/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alirahmi, Seyed Mojtaba & Ebrahimi-Moghadam, Amir, 2022. "Comparative study, working fluid selection, and optimal design of three systems for electricity and freshwater based on solid oxide fuel cell mover cycle," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 323(C).
    2. Zhou, Jianzhao & Chu, Yin Ting & Ren, Jingzheng & Shen, Weifeng & He, Chang, 2023. "Integrating machine learning and mathematical programming for efficient optimization of operating conditions in organic Rankine cycle (ORC) based combined systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    3. Olabi, A.G. & Abdelkareem, Mohammad Ali, 2022. "Renewable energy and climate change," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    4. Mahmoudan, Alireza & Esmaeilion, Farbod & Hoseinzadeh, Siamak & Soltani, Madjid & Ahmadi, Pouria & Rosen, Marc, 2022. "A geothermal and solar-based multigeneration system integrated with a TEG unit: Development, 3E analyses, and multi-objective optimization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 308(C).
    5. Li, Sheying & Cai, Yang-Hui & Schäfer, Andrea I. & Richards, Bryce S., 2019. "Renewable energy powered membrane technology: A review of the reliability of photovoltaic-powered membrane system components for brackish water desalination," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C), pages 1-1.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kar, Sumi & Basu, Kajla & Sarkar, Biswajit, 2023. "Advertisement policy for dual-channel within emissions-controlled flexible production system," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    2. Razmi, Amir Reza & Hanifi, Amir Reza & Shahbakhti, Mahdi, 2023. "Design, thermodynamic, and economic analyses of a green hydrogen storage concept based on solid oxide electrolyzer/fuel cells and heliostat solar field," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    3. Luigi Fortuna & Arturo Buscarino, 2022. "Sustainable Energy Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-7, December.
    4. Mahsa Dehghan Manshadi & Milad Mousavi & M. Soltani & Amir Mosavi & Levente Kovacs, 2022. "Deep Learning for Modeling an Offshore Hybrid Wind–Wave Energy System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-16, December.
    5. Kumarasamy Palanimuthu & Ganesh Mayilsamy & Ameerkhan Abdul Basheer & Seong-Ryong Lee & Dongran Song & Young Hoon Joo, 2022. "A Review of Recent Aerodynamic Power Extraction Challenges in Coordinated Pitch, Yaw, and Torque Control of Large-Scale Wind Turbine Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-27, November.
    6. Pashchenko, Dmitry, 2023. "Hydrogen-rich gas as a fuel for the gas turbines: A pathway to lower CO2 emission," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    7. Kamal, Md. Mustafa & Saini, R.P., 2023. "Performance investigations of hybrid hydrokinetic turbine rotor with different system and operating parameters," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    8. A. G. Olabi & Khaled Obaideen & Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem & Maryam Nooman AlMallahi & Nabila Shehata & Abdul Hai Alami & Ayman Mdallal & Asma Ali Murah Hassan & Enas Taha Sayed, 2023. "Wind Energy Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals: Case Study on London Array," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-22, March.
    9. Han, X.C. & Xu, H.J. & Hua, W.S., 2023. "Decomposition performance and kinetics analysis of magnesium hydroxide regulated with C/N/Ti/Si additives for thermochemical heat storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 344(C).
    10. Mehrenjani, Javad Rezazadeh & Gharehghani, Ayat & Ahmadi, Samareh & Powell, Kody M., 2023. "Dynamic simulation of a triple-mode multi-generation system assisted by heat recovery and solar energy storage modules: Techno-economic optimization using machine learning approaches," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 348(C).
    11. Fan, Siyuan & Wang, Xiao & Wang, Zun & Sun, Bo & Zhang, Zhenhai & Cao, Shengxian & Zhao, Bo & Wang, Yu, 2022. "A novel image enhancement algorithm to determine the dust level on photovoltaic (PV) panels," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 201(P1), pages 172-180.
    12. Vlasopoulos, Antonis & Malinauskaite, Jurgita & Żabnieńska-Góra, Alina & Jouhara, Hussam, 2023. "Life cycle assessment of plastic waste and energy recovery," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    13. Yi Zhang & Wenjing Li & Guodong Chen, 2022. "A Thermodynamic Model for Carbon Dioxide Storage in Underground Salt Caverns," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-20, June.
    14. Dou, Zhenhai & Zou, Yunhe & Mohebbi, Amir, 2024. "Design and multi-aspect analysis of a geothermal and biomass dual-source power, cooling, heating, and hybrid freshwater production system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    15. Simona Di Fraia & Rafał Figaj & Musannif Shah & Laura Vanoli, 2024. "Biomass-Driven Polygeneration Coupled to Power-to-X: An Energy and Economic Comparison Between On-Site Electric Vehicle Charging and Hydrogen Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-24, November.
    16. Ouyang, Tiancheng & Pan, Mingming & Tan, Xianlin & Huang, Youbin & Mo, Chunlan & Wang, Zhiping, 2023. "Advanced power-refrigeration-cycle integrated WHR system for marine natural gas engine base on multi-objective optimization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    17. Diana Lemian & Florin Bode, 2022. "Battery-Supercapacitor Energy Storage Systems for Electrical Vehicles: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-13, August.
    18. María Dolores Mainar-Toledo & Maryori Díaz-Ramírez & Snorri J. Egilsson & Claudio Zuffi & Giampaolo Manfrida & Héctor Leiva, 2023. "Environmental Impact Assessment of Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Plant for Heat and Electricity Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-21, September.
    19. Hoseinzadeh, Siamak & Astiaso Garcia, Davide & Huang, Lizhen, 2023. "Grid-connected renewable energy systems flexibility in Norway islands’ Decarbonization," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    20. Chao Tu & Yingfang Shi, 2023. "Market-Incentive Environmental Regulation and the Quality of Corporate Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-17, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:18:p:13602-:d:1237909. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.