Solar energy-assisted CCHP cycles for dairy applications in rural sector with effect assessment of reheating on novel CO2 working fluid

Abstract This study investigates two configurations of novel solar energy-assisted combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) systems suitable for the dairy industry. The system uses carbon dioxide (CO2) as the working fluid. The cooling and heating outputs were used for the simultaneous chilling and pasteurization of milk. The electrical power produced in the turbine is used to run the compressor and cater to the miscellaneous electrical demands of the dairy farm, thereby achieving grid independence. A detailed thermodynamic analysis was performed on the two configurations (with and without reheating) to identify the impact of various independent parameters on system performance. In addition, an irreversibility analysis was performed on the components in both configurations to obtain an idea of the losses occurring in the system. It is observed that the addition of the reheater provides a better specific net power output by approximately 4% over a variation of 6000 kPa in the cycle maximum pressure.