Thermoeconomic Simulation of Cascade and Integrated Absorption-Vapor Compression Refrigeration Systems
Refrigeration. Multiobjective optimization. Thermoeconomic analysis.
The present work is composed by a comparative thermoeconomic analysis
between two refrigeration systems: Vapor Compression Cascade Refrigeration
System (SRCCV) and Integrated Refrigeration System by Absorption and Vapor
Compression (SIRACV). The thermoeconomic analysis compares the systems
under energy, exergic, economic and environmental aspects. The development
of mathematical models for each of the systems is performed through the EES
(Engineering Equation Solver) program. The optimized functions are exergy
destruction and total cost rate (sum of cost rates for investment, operation,
maintenance and carbon credits) by minimizing these functions. The
optimization method used is the weighted sum of the objectives, which consists
in transforming the multiobjective problem into a mono-objective problem by
assigning weights for each objective, this can be achieved by assigning different
weights for each goal, then a new function that represents the linear relationship
between all the objectives is found. In present case the two objective functions
are exergy destruction and total cost rate. In multiobjective optimization, the
process of choosing among optimized solutions involves the definition of an
equilibrium point, also called the ideal point. In order to achieve a real solution
of the minimum values of the described functions simultaneously one must
determine which is the smallest distance from the ideal point to the curve that
defines the optimized solutions.