Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Due to increasing energetic, environmental and economic concerns, there is a strong need to develop sustainable energy solutions to address better design and analysis, efficiency, cost effectiveness, resources use, environment and energy security. This research aims to achieve these targets and develop novel integrated solar energy-based systems with novel heat storage options for multigeneration purposes. The heat storage sub-systems are utilized to offset the mismatch between demand and supply and provide more sustainable systems. The research consists of five main parts. The first part focuses on the conceptual development and design of novel integrated multigeneration systems using diverse energy sources and their hybridization with solar energy. The systems provides various valuable outputs, e.g., electricity, space heating, water heating, steam, water cooling, air conditioning, hydrogen, desalination (fresh water and salt) and synthetic fuels (ammonia, methanol, ethanol, etc.). Another important aspect is the novel heat storage options as to be incorporated into the integrated multigeneration systems to offset the mismatch between demand and supply where renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, are used. The second part deals with the modeling and analyses of processes that can be encountered in multigeneration systems, covering micro- and macro-level and multi-dimensional modeling; and thermodynamic (energetically and exergetically), fluid flow, chemical, thermochemical, catalytic and non-catalytic, electrochemical, photochemical, heat and mass transfer analyses (in both steady and unsteady forms depending on the process). The third part involves lab-scale experiments and proof of concept testing on various designs of proposed systems (such as heat engine systems) and their thermal components. Also, key processes of these multigeneration systems are studied in more detail through proof of concept testing. The fourth part deals with multi-objective optimization and performance assessment (through energy and exergy efficiencies) of the multigeneration systems developed and tested. This is done based on multi-objective criteria including minimization of exergy destructions, costs and environmental impact, and increasing efficiency and sustainability, etc. Economic, environmental, ecological and sustainability performances are studied through cost parameters, impact criteria and life cycle analyses. The last part deals with developing and studying the options to improve the systems and their components for better performance. Reducing system irreversibilities and losses, conducting thermal management, achieving heat recovery and increasing the number of useful outputs are three main tasks to accomplish. In this regard, parametric studies are conducted to develop these further for specific applications and finalize the systems.