Combined Cooling Heating and Power System with Integration of Middle-and-low Temperature Solar Thermal Energy and Methanol Decomposition

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, a novel distributed energy system, which contains the process of mid-and-low temperature solar energy thermochemical hybridization with methanol is proposed. Through the solar energy receiver/reactor, solar thermal energy collected by a parabolic trough concentrator, at 250°C -300°C, drives the decomposition reaction of methanol into solar fuels of syngas, thus converts to chemical energy. The chemical energy of syngas releases in the combustion chamber of a micro gas turbine to drive the combined cooling heating and power systems. Extra produced solar fuel reserves a gas tank. Energy analysis and exergy analysis of the system are implemented, and the design and off-design performance of the system and the character of chemical energy storage under variable solar radiation are discussed. As a result, the primary energy ratio of the system is 76.40%, and the net solar-to-electricity rate reaches 22.56% much higher than the exited large-scale solar thermal power plant. As the solar thermochemical energy storage contained in the system, the generating efficiency becomes insensitive to the solar radiation, and thus the efficient and stable utilization of solar thermal energy is achieved at all work condition