This paper proposes a model to minimize life-cycle costs of meeting the energy demand (power, heating, cooling) of a commercial building by integrating cogeneration, solar and conventional energy sources. The possibility to export the onsite produced power under a given legislative framework is...

One promising avenue for the development of next generation CST (Concentrating Solar Thermal) technology focuses on the use of a direct-heated sCO2 (supercritical-CO2) CBC (closed Brayton cycle) as the generator power cycle. Initial investigations into such a CST plant, while promising, have...

Solar thermal systems have the potential to provide renewable industrial process heat and are especially suited for low pinch temperature processes such as those in the food, beverage, and textile sectors. When correctly integrated within an industrial process, they can provide significant...

There is wide public debate about which electricity generating technologies will best be suited to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Sometimes this debate ignores real-world practicalities and leads to over-optimistic conclusions. Here we define and apply a set of fit-for-service criteria...

The Organic Flash Cycle (OFC) is proposed as a vapor power cycle that could potentially improve the efficiency with which high and intermediate temperature finite thermal sources are utilized. The OFC's aim is to improve temperature matching and reduce exergy losses during heat addition. A...

A review of industrial energy usage for Australia was undertaken to identify potential sites for utilisation of solar thermal energy. The review identified 2498 individual sites by location, industry type, energy use and characteristic process temperature. This data is presented on maps in terms...

The effect of the relative hot-to-cold side volume-ratios on dynamic characteristics of a CBC (closed Brayton cycle) with sCO2 (supercritical carbon-dioxide) as the working-fluid is investigated in this study. The analysis of the CBC is conducted in the context of power generation in a...

The previously proposed Organic Flash Cycle (OFC) was shown to potentially improve power generation from finite thermal energy reservoirs. The OFC's primary advantage was improved temperature matching to the energy reservoir, thereby reducing exergy destruction and losses during energy transfer...

Computational optimization is used to determine the optimal design and time-varying operations of a carbon dioxide capture retrofit to a coal-fired power plant. The retrofit consists of an amine-based temperature-swing absorption system, to which process steam is supplied from an auxiliary unit....

Thermosolar technology is being inserted gradually in industrial activities. In order to reach high energy efficiency, thermosolar can be linked to heat pump technology, combining more efficient conventional and renewable energy support for processes. Their integration in complex processes can...