Evaluation of the Interconnection of a Biomethane Microturbine in an Absorption Refrigeration System

Juan Sebastián Fernández Herazo; Rafael Antonio  Ramírez Restrepo; Andrés Rodríguez  Toscano; Catalina Vallecía  Burgos

doi:10.37934/cfdl.17.3.124147

Authors

Juan Sebastián Fernández Herazo Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad del Atlántico
Rafael Antonio Ramírez Restrepo Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad del Atlántico, Barranquilla, Colombia
Andrés Rodríguez Toscano Energy Department, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla, Colombia
Catalina Vallecía Burgos Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad del Atlántico, Barranquilla, Colombia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37934/cfdl.17.3.124147

Keywords:

Biomethane microturbine, absorption refrigeration system, CFD analysis, energy generation, environmental impact, exergy balances, LiBr-H2O system

Abstract

This article evaluates the performance and environmental impact of a combined system of natural gas microturbine and absorption refrigeration system. The objective of the study is to evaluate the interconnection of a biomethane microturbine in an absorption refrigeration system. The study applies energy and exergy balances to each component of the system, using EES software for the simulation. The microturbine is a Capstone C600s model with a nominal power of 600 kW, and the absorption chiller is a single-stage LiBr-H₂O system with a cooling capacity of 680.7 kW. The results show that the microturbine achieves a thermal efficiency of 34%, an exergetic efficiency of 86%, and a net power output of 585.4 kW. At the same time the absorption chiller has a coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.7 and 680.7 kW with generator water temperature inlet of 100 °C. On the other hand, this study identifies the most efficient points of interconnection between the two systems. The combined system reduces the CO₂ equivalent emissions by 700 to 900 tons/year compared to conventional systems. The behaviour of the interconnection heat exchanger is also evaluated using Computed Fluid Dynamics. The investigation concludes that the interconnection of a natural gas microturbine and an absorption refrigeration system is a promising alternative that can optimize both technical and economic aspects of energy generation and utilization, while mitigating environmental problems.

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Author Biography

Juan Sebastián Fernández Herazo, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad del Atlántico

jsfernandez@mail.uniatlantico.edu.co

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