Thermodynamic Assessment of an Integrated Solar Collector System for Multigeneration Purposes

This chapter performs a thermodynamic analysis of an integrated system with a concentrating collector for power, heating, cooling, hydrogen, and domestic hot water production. The renewable energy-based integrated system consists of five subssystems; (1) a concentrating collector, (2) energy storage, (3) Rankine cycle, (4) double-effect absorption cooling system, and (5) hydrogen production and liquefaction process. The integrated system for multigeneration purposes is examined in two operating modes: (1) solar and (2) storage system. A thermodynamic analysis based on the energy and exergy efficiency and the exergy destruction rate for the whole system and its components is presented for two operating modes. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the integrated system were calculated as 51.32% and 46.75%, respectively, for the solar mode, whereas these efficiencies were 47.44% and 45.43%, respectively, for the storage system mode.