Optimum performance of an irreversible solar-driven cogeneration heat pump system

By employing the energetic optimization technique, the optimal performance of a focusing collector-driven, irreversible Carnot cogeneration heat pump system which consists of an irreversible Carnot heat engine, an irreversible Carnot Vapor compression heat pump and an irreversible Carnot absorption heat pump, is investigated. The optimum temperature and minimum operating parameter of the solar collector are obtained. A minimum value for the total solar insolation needed to overcome internal irreversibilities for start-up of the system is defined, and the effect of the collector design parameters on this value is investigated. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.