Techno-economic analysis of a novel hybrid heat pump system to recover waste heat and condensate from the low-temperature boiler exhaust gas

This paper is based on the proposal of a new waste heat recovery (WHR) system, which can be utilized to heat the boiler return water, boiler supply air, and building heating air. The system is the combination of an indirect contact condensing unit (IDCCU), a mechanical compression heat pump, and two air preheaters. The system is modeled on the basis of mass and energy balance and then thermodynamically analyzed. Improved performance results were obtained in the form of an increase in the boiler's energy efficiency of about 10.47%, with 4.87% increase in exergy efficiency. The coefficient of performance (COP) of the heat pump was increased from 1.23 to 1.45 by the addition of an air heater in the conventional heat pump. The exergy destruction in each component is calculated. Sensitivity analysis was performed to check the influence of different operating parameters on the performance of the WHR system and boiler. It can be observed from the results that for a specific refrigerant temperature and a calculated amount of mass, flow rate can maximize the condensation efficiency of IDCCU by decreasing the flue gas temperature, while the use of the air heater can further reduce the flue gas temperature, and a stream of hot air can be utilized for space heating. A comparison is made with the other system on a performance basis. The results shows a clear difference in efficiencies and profit earned.