Hydrogen, Fuel Cell & Energy Storage

Hydrogen, Fuel Cell & Energy Storage

Thermodynamic and Thermoeconomic Analysis of the Use of Wind and Solar Energy to Supply the Energy Requirements of a Multigeneration System

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Arash Garmabi
Sajad Rezazadeh
Farzad Mohammadkhani
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia, Iran
10.22104/hfe.2025.7766.1374
Abstract
The current paper provides a thermodynamic, and thermoeconomic analysis of a new multigenerational energy system consisting of the solar thermal energy source and the wind source. This consists of a Brayton cycle driven by a solar tower, a Steam Rankine Cycle (SRC) with feedwater heater and makeup condensate pump, an Organic Rankine Cycle with ejector refrigeration (ORC-ERC), a thermoelectric generator (TEG), a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer and a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant so that electricity, hydrogen, freshwater, heating, cooling and domestic hot water are produced simultaneously. It has overall annual power output of 38.37 MW, thermal efficiency of 25.22\% and exergy efficiency of 50.7\%. The saltwater has a desalting rate of 0.008 kg/s and hydrogen at 19.37 kg/s. The greatest exergy losses can be found in the solar collector, compressors and the combustion chamber pointing out to the areas where improvements can be introduced. From Thermoeconomic point of view, gas turbine is deemed to be capital intensive and the solar collector and wind turbine are highly cost effective. Sensitivity studies show that raising the gas turbine inlet temperature and increment of the pressure ratio of the compressor will boost the performance considerably. All in all, the suggested pathway is not only a technically viable and financially beneficial model of clean, diversified energy production with affinities to locations that have plentiful resources of both solar and wind power.
Keywords
Multigeneration Energy System
Thermodynamic Analysis
Thermoeconomic Evaluation
Solar-Wind Hybrid Energy
Hydrogen and Freshwater Production
Subjects
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Hydrogen, Fuel Cell & Energy Storage
Volume 13, Issue 2
Spring 2026
Pages 167-186