Thermodynamic sensitivity analysis of a novel trigeneration thermodynamic cycle with two-phase expanders and two-phase compressors

A novel Combined Cooling, Heating and Power (CCHP) cycle, operating with two-phase devices for the compression and expansion processes and a single-component wet working fluid, is proposed. A detailed sensitivity analysis of the novel CCHP cycle has been investigated in order to evaluate, in terms of energy performance indicators, its potentiality to serve typical trigenerative tertiary and industrial end-users with different fixed operating temperatures. In general, the novel CCHP cycle is characterized by higher energy performance indicators than a separated energy production system. The comparison between the novel CCHP cycle and several commercialized CCHP systems has been performed in the case studies related to tertiary and industrial end-users. The novel CCHP cycle shows a trigenerative capability in wide ranges of the end-users demands without surplus or deficit of the electric or thermal powers. Furthermore, the maximum allowable capital cost of the whole novel CCHP plant (BEPCC), that will assure the profitability of the investment, is calculated in the tertiary and industrial end-users case studies. For the tertiary end-user, the capital costs of the commercialized CCHP are between the minimum and maximum BEPCC values. On the contrary, for the industrial end-user, they are lower than the minimum and maximum BEPCC values.