Integrated Geothermal Energy Systems for Small-Scale Combined Heat and Power Production: Energy and Economic Investigation
In recent years, an increasing interest in geothermal energy has been registered in both the scientific community and industry. The present work aims to analyse the energy performance and the economic viability of an innovative high-efficiency geothermal-driven integrated system for a combined heat...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/19/6639 |
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| author | Pietropaolo Morrone Angelo Algieri |
| author_facet | Pietropaolo Morrone Angelo Algieri |
| author_sort | Pietropaolo Morrone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent years, an increasing interest in geothermal energy has been registered in both the scientific community and industry. The present work aims to analyse the energy performance and the economic viability of an innovative high-efficiency geothermal-driven integrated system for a combined heat and power (CHP) application. The system consists of a heat exchanger (HEX) and a transcritical organic Rankine cycle (ORC) that work in parallel to exploit a high-temperature geothermal source (230 °C) and satisfy the energy demand of a commercial centre located in Southern Italy. The ORC and HEX sub-units can operate at partial load to increase the system flexibility and to properly react to continuous changes in energy request. A lumped model was developed to find the proper operating conditions and to evaluate the energy production on an hourly basis over the whole year. In particular, a multi-variable optimisation was implemented to find the most suitable configuration and a 101.4 kW<sub>el</sub> ORC was selected while the HEX nominal power was 249.5 kW<sub>th</sub>. The economic viability of the integrated system was evaluated in terms of net present value and payback period and different operating strategies were compared: thermal-driven, electric-driven, and a mixed strategy. The latter turned out to be the best solution according to both energy and economic criteria, with electric and thermal self-consumptions larger than 90%, with no heat dumping and a payback time close to five years. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:07:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-233fe0f56cf44cabadb5e1017b9c0f2d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:07:21Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-233fe0f56cf44cabadb5e1017b9c0f2d2023-11-20T14:46:11ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172020-09-011019663910.3390/app10196639Integrated Geothermal Energy Systems for Small-Scale Combined Heat and Power Production: Energy and Economic InvestigationPietropaolo Morrone0Angelo Algieri1Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), ItalyDepartment of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), ItalyIn recent years, an increasing interest in geothermal energy has been registered in both the scientific community and industry. The present work aims to analyse the energy performance and the economic viability of an innovative high-efficiency geothermal-driven integrated system for a combined heat and power (CHP) application. The system consists of a heat exchanger (HEX) and a transcritical organic Rankine cycle (ORC) that work in parallel to exploit a high-temperature geothermal source (230 °C) and satisfy the energy demand of a commercial centre located in Southern Italy. The ORC and HEX sub-units can operate at partial load to increase the system flexibility and to properly react to continuous changes in energy request. A lumped model was developed to find the proper operating conditions and to evaluate the energy production on an hourly basis over the whole year. In particular, a multi-variable optimisation was implemented to find the most suitable configuration and a 101.4 kW<sub>el</sub> ORC was selected while the HEX nominal power was 249.5 kW<sub>th</sub>. The economic viability of the integrated system was evaluated in terms of net present value and payback period and different operating strategies were compared: thermal-driven, electric-driven, and a mixed strategy. The latter turned out to be the best solution according to both energy and economic criteria, with electric and thermal self-consumptions larger than 90%, with no heat dumping and a payback time close to five years.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/19/6639CHPeconomic viabilityefficiencyemissionsgeothermalheat exchanger |
| spellingShingle | Pietropaolo Morrone Angelo Algieri Integrated Geothermal Energy Systems for Small-Scale Combined Heat and Power Production: Energy and Economic Investigation Applied Sciences CHP economic viability efficiency emissions geothermal heat exchanger |
| title | Integrated Geothermal Energy Systems for Small-Scale Combined Heat and Power Production: Energy and Economic Investigation |
| title_full | Integrated Geothermal Energy Systems for Small-Scale Combined Heat and Power Production: Energy and Economic Investigation |
| title_fullStr | Integrated Geothermal Energy Systems for Small-Scale Combined Heat and Power Production: Energy and Economic Investigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrated Geothermal Energy Systems for Small-Scale Combined Heat and Power Production: Energy and Economic Investigation |
| title_short | Integrated Geothermal Energy Systems for Small-Scale Combined Heat and Power Production: Energy and Economic Investigation |
| title_sort | integrated geothermal energy systems for small scale combined heat and power production energy and economic investigation |
| topic | CHP economic viability efficiency emissions geothermal heat exchanger |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/19/6639 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pietropaolomorrone integratedgeothermalenergysystemsforsmallscalecombinedheatandpowerproductionenergyandeconomicinvestigation AT angeloalgieri integratedgeothermalenergysystemsforsmallscalecombinedheatandpowerproductionenergyandeconomicinvestigation |