Search results for "NEWA"
showing 10 items of 2491 documents
Near zero energy islands in the Mediterranean: Supporting policies and local obstacles
2014
Abstract Based on a recent technical–economical analysis on the island of Pantelleria, a policy feasibility study for a complete upgrading of the energy system of this Mediterranean Island is carried out. Pantelleria, situated between Sicily and Africa, owns a large potential in terms of renewable energy resources, although there are some obstacles in turning it into a Near Zero Energy system. Starting from a deep energy system audit, the study proposes the project for a near zero energy island, through the efficient transformation of the different existing natural energy resources into electrical energy and heat: the solar, the wind-based and the geothermal systems. In this way, the island…
Thermodynamic-based cost allocation in low-temperature thermal grids in presence of distributed energy producers
2022
Thermal grids are well-established technologies that can cover the thermal demands of buildings in a more sustainable way. The lower operating temperature will allow not only for the integration of heat produced by thermal renewable energy sources but also for the storage of surplus electricity from the grid using power to heat technologies. To ensure a wider diffusion of this technology, it is important to propose a method for the cost allocation among producers connected to the grid. In this regard, this paper proposes Exergoeconomics as a possible solution. To show the capabilities of the method, some operating scenarios are compared for a cluster of five buildings in the tertiary sector…
Trigeneration and Polygeneration Configurations for Desalination and Other Beneficial Processes
2018
Abstract The integration of renewable energy sources (geothermal, biomass, and solar) and desalination systems into novel polygeneration plants is investigated. Two main arrangements are considered: geothermal (GP) and biomass (BP) polygeneration. Both systems include concentrating photovoltaic/thermal solar collectors, a multieffect distillation system for seawater desalination, a single-effect LiBr-H2O absorption chiller, storage tanks, heat exchangers, balance-of-plant devices; a biomass auxiliary heater and geothermal wells are also included, in BP and GP, respectively. The systems can provide electricity and hot water, used for space heating, cooling, domestic hot water production, and…
Potential applications using LNG cold energy in Sicily
2008
According to previsions, natural gas could be the main energy source worldwide, inducing relevant geopolitical changes. Most likely, such problems will be solved with the development of a gas transportation mode alternative to traditional pipelines: liquefied natural gas (LNG). The global LNG trade has increased rapidly during recent years. A significant amount of energy is consumed to produce low-temperature LNG, which has plenty of cryogenic exergy/ energy. Therefore, the effective utilization of the cryogenic energy associated with LNG vaporization is very important. Sicily, with more than five million inhabitants, is the second biggest region of Italy and in this region will be realized…
New exergy criterion in the “multi-criteria” context: a life cycle assessment of two plaster products
2003
This paper deals with the exergy analysis (EXA) of plaster materials and ranks the environmental burdens due to the production of such materials. The calculation of the exergy loss during the whole examined process represents a relevant index, looking at the technology improvement of a process, as a suitable tool in aid of the trade-off of alternative materials in the decision making. A life cycle inventory is performed for building plaster products and the matrix method is used. The authors extend the application of EXA to life cycle assessment, conducting an exergetic life cycle assessment, and propose an exergetic index in the framework of multi-criteria decision making. An exergy balanc…
On thermoeconomics of energy systems at variable load conditions: integrated optimization of plant design and operation
2007
Abstract Thermoeconomics has been assuming a growing role among the disciplines oriented to the analysis of energy systems, its different methodologies allowing solution of problems in the fields of cost accounting, plant design optimisation and diagnostic of malfunctions. However, the thermoeconomic methodologies as such are particularly appropriate to analyse large industrial systems at steady or quasi-steady operation, but they can be hardly applied to small to medium scale units operating in unsteady conditions to cover a variable energy demand. In this paper, the fundamentals of thermoeconomics for systems operated at variable load are discussed, examining the cost formation process an…
Thermoeconomic optimization of a renewable polygeneration system serving a small isolated community
2015
During the last years, special attention has been paid to renewable polygeneration technologies, able of simultaneously producing thermal, cooling, electrical energy and desalinated water from seawater. This paper focuses on an innovative polygeneration system driven by renewable energy sources, including the following technologies: hybrid photovoltaic/thermal collectors, concentrating parabolic trough (CPVT), a biomass heater, a single-stage absorption chiller and a multiple-effect distillation desalination system. The system is designed to cover the base load of an isolated small community. In previous papers, the dynamic simulation model about plant operation is discussed. In this paper,…
Exergetic and exergoeconomic analysis of a renewable polygeneration system and viability study for small isolated communities
2015
Abstract A great interest has recently arisen for the sustainable supply of energy and fresh water, due to the growing demand from developing countries. Facing this demand by traditional technologies implies evident risks related with the high cost of fossil fuels and their environmental impact. Then, alternative solutions based on the use of renewable sources and innovative technologies must be considered. In this paper a renewable polygeneration system is examined, which includes a solar field based on parabolic trough photovoltaic/thermal collectors, a biomass heater, an absorption chiller and a Multiple Effect Distillation desalination unit. Plant operation under dynamic conditions has …
A Review of the Water Desalination Technologies
2021
Desalination is commonly adopted nowadays to overcome the freshwater scarcity in some areas of the world if brackish water or salt water is available. Different kinds of technologies have been proposed in the last century. In this paper, the state of the mainstream solutions is reported, showing the current commercial technologies like reverse osmosis (RO), Multi-Stages Flash desalination (MSF) and Multi-Effect Distillation (MED), and the new frontiers of the research with the aim of exploiting renewable sources such as wind, solar and biomass energy. In these cases, seawater treatment plants are the same as traditional ones, with the only difference being that they use a renewable energy s…
Exergy analysis and thermoeconomic cost accounting of a Combined Heat and Power steam cycle integrated with a Multi Effect Distillation-Thermal Vapou…
2017
Abstract In this paper an exergy analysis and thermoeconomic cost accounting of a Combined Heat and Power steam cycle integrated with Multi Effect Distillation-Thermal Vapour Compression plant is performed; the goal of the study is to show how these methodologies provide a rational criterion to allocate production costs on electricity and freshwater in such a dual purpose system. After a brief overview on the methodology and a description of reference plant, exergy analysis is carried out to calculate exergy flows and exergy efficiencies at component level. A detailed description of the adopted thermoeconomic model is given. In a first scenario, cost accounting is performed assuming that th…