Energy, exergy, economic, and environmental analysis of a high-temperature heat pump steam system

Industrial steam is widely recognized as a valuable form of heat currency, possessing considerable social and economic significance. As the industry shifts to low carbon emissions, there is an urgent need to reduce CO2 emissions from industrial steam generation. The analysis of a high-temperature heat pump steam system (HTHPSS), which recovers industrial waste heat to produce high-temperature steam at 170 degrees C, includes evaluations of its energy, exergy, economic, and environmental (4E) to determine whether it can replace a coal-fired boiler. The economic analysis considered the recovery value of waste heat and the effect of CO2 trading prices. Optimization calculations were performed to investigate changes in the waste heat temperature and condenser outlet temperature. The study also offers recommendations for operational conditions and optimization strategies for the HTHPSS. The results indicate a positive correlation between the system coefficient of performance (COP) and the waste heat utilization rate with waste heat temperature and condenser outlet temperature. The maximum COP value is 2.73. The total exergy efficiency initially increases and then decreases as waste heat temperature increases. It also decreases as the condenser outlet temperature increases, reaching a peak value of 43.26 %. The waste heat temperature needs to be at least 59 degrees C to generate a net profit, with a corresponding payback period (PBP) of 4.40 years. The minimum PBP is 0.03 years, independent of waste heat temperature. The annual emission reduction increases as waste heat temperature increases and decreases as condenser outlet temperature increases. These results indicate that a HTHPSS could replace a coal-fired boiler and offer guidance for design optimization.