Modeling and Optimization of a Solar-Driven System Coupled with Liquid Dehumidification and Absorption Refrigeration Based on Advanced Exergy and Exergoeconomic Analyses

A novel solar-driven system coupled withliquid humidificationand absorption refrigeration is proposed, assessed, and optimized. A novel hybrid system coupled liquid dehumidificationwith absorptionrefrigeration driven by solar energy is proposed. Traditional andadvanced exergy and exergoeconomic analyses of the system are conductedto ascertain the degree of irreversibility and potential improvementfor each component. Based on the advanced exergy and exergoeconomicanalyses, the effects of air humidity, segment temperature, and refrigerationtemperature on the total exergy destruction and cost rates of thesystem are obtained. The total avoidable exergy destruction rate,avoidable exergy destruction cost rate, and avoidable investment costrate of the system are selected as objective functions and optimizedby using nondominated sort genetic algorithm-II. The results showthat the total exergy destruction rate and the total exergy destructioncost rate reach 262.39 kW and 8.563 $/h, respectively. The generatorand regenerator have higher cost rates of the irreversibility overallsystem, achieving the values 3.536 and 2.430 $/h, respectively. Theabsorber has the highest investment cost rate in the whole system.The endogenous parts of the exergy destruction and cost rates aremuch higher than the exogenous parts in the system. Multiobjectiveoptimization results show that optimal values for the total avoidableexergy destruction rate and the exergy destruction cost rate are 50.99kW and 1.60 $/h, which are 4.15 and 9.14% lower than those calculatedby single-objective optimization, respectively. This study providesa potential way to utilize solar energy for dehumidification and refrigeration.