Exergy Cost Decomposition and Comparison of Integrating Seawater Desalination Plant, Refrigeration Plant, Process Heat Plant in a Concentrated Solar Power Plant
Abstract
A thermoeconomic analysis of a solar polygeneration plant for the joint production of electricity, desalinated water, cooling and process heat is carried out in order to analyze in depth the process of exergy cost formation and comparing with standalone systems. The solar polygeneration plant consists of a concentrated solar power type parabolic trough with thermal energy storage and backup system, a multi-effect desalination module, a refrigeration absorption module, and a process heat module. Results show that the main components that contribute to the costs formation are: collector, evaporator, reheater, economizer, turbine, and superheater. Also, a solar polygeneration plant is more cost effective than stand-alone systems, which produces the lower unit exergy cost of electricity, water, cooling and heat.