IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v160y2018icp72-86.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An integrated approach based on Life Cycle Assessment and Thermoeconomics: Application to a water-cooled chiller for an air conditioning plant

Author

Listed:
  • Catrini, P.
  • Cellura, M.
  • Guarino, F.
  • Panno, D.
  • Piacentino, A.

Abstract

A large number of methods for energy systems analysis were developed in the last decades, aimed at acquiring an in-depth understanding of plant performances and enabling analysts to identify optimal design and operating conditions. In this work an integrated approach based on Life Cycle Assessment and Thermoeconomics is proposed as a method for assessing the exergo-environmental profile of energy systems. The procedure combines the capabilities of these two techniques, to account simultaneously for aspects related to thermodynamics of energy conversion processes and to the overall impacts along the plant life cycle related to other phases, i.e. from raw material extraction to the disposal of facilities. The capabilities of the method are illustrated by applying it to a water-cooled vapor compression chiller. After developing an accurate analysis of plant design and bill of materials of the chiller, the exergo-environmental profile was obtained. Then, the method was used as a decision support tool by considering a number of scenarios concerning possible design alternatives, context conditions and levels of maintenance. Results showed that the exergo-environmental performance of the chiller is highly sensitive to the electricity generation mix, which influences the trade-offs between the energo-environmental impacts related with plant operation and construction.

Suggested Citation

  • Catrini, P. & Cellura, M. & Guarino, F. & Panno, D. & Piacentino, A., 2018. "An integrated approach based on Life Cycle Assessment and Thermoeconomics: Application to a water-cooled chiller for an air conditioning plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 72-86.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:160:y:2018:i:c:p:72-86
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2018.06.223
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544218312878
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2018.06.223?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Compton, M. & Rezaie, B., 2017. "Enviro-exergy sustainability analysis of boiler evolution in district energy system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 257-265.
    2. Norgaard, Richard B., 1985. "Environmental economics: An evolutionary critique and a plea for pluralism," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 382-394, December.
    3. Szargut, J. & Stanek, W., 2007. "Thermo-ecological optimization of a solar collector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 584-590.
    4. Kostowski, Wojciech J. & Usón, Sergio & Stanek, Wojciech & Bargiel, Paweł, 2014. "Thermoecological cost of electricity production in the natural gas pressure reduction process," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 10-18.
    5. Rensonnet, Thibaut & Uche, Javier & Serra, Luis, 2007. "Simulation and thermoeconomic analysis of different configurations of gas turbine (GT)-based dual-purpose power and desalination plants (DPPDP) and hybrid plants (HP)," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1012-1023.
    6. Stanek, Wojciech & Gazda, Wiesław & Kostowski, Wojciech, 2015. "Thermo-ecological assessment of CCHP (combined cold-heat-and-power) plant supported with renewable energy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 92(P3), pages 279-289.
    7. Rivero, R. & Garfias, M., 2006. "Standard chemical exergy of elements updated," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(15), pages 3310-3326.
    8. Dai, Jing & Chen, Bin & Sciubba, Enrico, 2014. "Extended exergy based ecological accounting for the transportation sector in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 229-237.
    9. Rocco, M.V. & Colombo, E. & Sciubba, E., 2014. "Advances in exergy analysis: a novel assessment of the Extended Exergy Accounting method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1405-1420.
    10. Rocco, Matteo V. & Di Lucchio, Alberto & Colombo, Emanuela, 2017. "Exergy Life Cycle Assessment of electricity production from Waste-to-Energy technology: A Hybrid Input-Output approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 832-844.
    11. Piacentino, Antonio & Barbaro, Chiara, 2013. "A comprehensive tool for efficient design and operation of polygeneration-based energy μgrids serving a cluster of buildings. Part II: Analysis of the applicative potential," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 1222-1238.
    12. Usón, Sergio & Kostowski, Wojciech J. & Stanek, Wojciech & Gazda, Wiesław, 2015. "Thermoecological cost of electricity, heat and cold generated in a trigeneration module fuelled with selected fossil and renewable fuels," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 92(P3), pages 308-319.
    13. Matthias Finkbeiner & Erwin M. Schau & Annekatrin Lehmann & Marzia Traverso, 2010. "Towards Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(10), pages 1-14, October.
    14. Parvez, A.M. & Mujtaba, I.M. & Wu, T., 2016. "Energy, exergy and environmental analyses of conventional, steam and CO2-enhanced rice straw gasification," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 579-588.
    15. Valero, A. & Lozano, M.A. & Serra, L. & Torres, C., 1994. "Application of the exergetic cost theory to the CGAM problem," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 365-381.
    16. Lazzaretto, Andrea & Tsatsaronis, George, 2006. "SPECO: A systematic and general methodology for calculating efficiencies and costs in thermal systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(8), pages 1257-1289.
    17. Meyer, Lutz & Tsatsaronis, George & Buchgeister, Jens & Schebek, Liselotte, 2009. "Exergoenvironmental analysis for evaluation of the environmental impact of energy conversion systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 75-89.
    18. Lozano, M.A. & Valero, A., 1993. "Theory of the exergetic cost," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 18(9), pages 939-960.
    19. Ansari, Kambiz & Sayyaadi, Hoseyn & Amidpour, Majid, 2010. "Thermoeconomic optimization of a hybrid pressurized water reactor (PWR) power plant coupled to a multi effect distillation desalination system with thermo-vapor compressor (MED-TVC)," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 1981-1996.
    20. Lamnatou, Chr. & Chemisana, D., 2017. "Concentrating solar systems: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and environmental issues," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 916-932.
    21. Verda, Vittorio & Caccin, Marco & Kona, Albana, 2016. "Thermoeconomic cost assessment in future district heating networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 117(P2), pages 485-491.
    22. Piacentino, Antonio & Barbaro, Chiara & Cardona, Fabio & Gallea, Roberto & Cardona, Ennio, 2013. "A comprehensive tool for efficient design and operation of polygeneration-based energy μgrids serving a cluster of buildings. Part I: Description of the method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 1204-1221.
    23. Stanek, Wojciech & Gazda, Wiesław, 2014. "Exergo-ecological evaluation of adsorption chiller system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 42-48.
    24. Torres, C. & Valero, A. & Rangel, V. & Zaleta, A., 2008. "On the cost formation process of the residues," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 144-152.
    25. Calise, F. & Dentice d'Accadia, M. & Piacentino, A., 2015. "Exergetic and exergoeconomic analysis of a renewable polygeneration system and viability study for small isolated communities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 92(P3), pages 290-307.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chima Cyril Hampo & Hamdan Haji Ya & Mohd Amin Abd Majid & Ainul Akmar Mokhtar & Ambagaha Hewage Dona Kalpani Rasangika & Musa Muhammed, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment of a Vapor Compression Cooling System Integrated within a District Cooling Plant," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-27, October.
    2. Chima Cyril Hampo & Ainul Bt Akmar & Mohd Amin Abd Majid, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment of an Electric Chiller Integrated with a Large District Cooling Plant," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pietro Catrini & Tancredi Testasecca & Alessandro Buscemi & Antonio Piacentino, 2022. "Exergoeconomics as a Cost-Accounting Method in Thermal Grids with the Presence of Renewable Energy Producers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-27, March.
    2. Rocco, Matteo V. & Di Lucchio, Alberto & Colombo, Emanuela, 2017. "Exergy Life Cycle Assessment of electricity production from Waste-to-Energy technology: A Hybrid Input-Output approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 832-844.
    3. Cassetti, G. & Rocco, M.V. & Colombo, E., 2014. "Exergy based methods for economic and risk design optimization of energy systems: Application to a gas turbine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 269-279.
    4. César Torres & Antonio Valero, 2021. "The Exergy Cost Theory Revisited," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-42, March.
    5. Lombardi, Lidia & Mendecka, Barbara & Carnevale, Ennio & Stanek, Wojciech, 2018. "Environmental impacts of electricity production of micro wind turbines with vertical axis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 128(PB), pages 553-564.
    6. Barbara Mendecka & Lidia Lombardi & Paweł Gładysz & Wojciech Stanek, 2018. "Exergo-Ecological Assessment of Waste to Energy Plants Supported by Solar Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Valero, Antonio & Usón, Sergio & Torres, César & Valero, Alicia & Agudelo, Andrés & Costa, Jorge, 2013. "Thermoeconomic tools for the analysis of eco-industrial parks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 62-72.
    8. Adrian Bejan & George Tsatsaronis, 2021. "Purpose in Thermodynamics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-25, January.
    9. Ligang Wang & Zhiping Yang & Shivom Sharma & Alberto Mian & Tzu-En Lin & George Tsatsaronis & François Maréchal & Yongping Yang, 2018. "A Review of Evaluation, Optimization and Synthesis of Energy Systems: Methodology and Application to Thermal Power Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-53, December.
    10. Kanbur, Baris Burak & Xiang, Liming & Dubey, Swapnil & Choo, Fook Hoong & Duan, Fei, 2017. "Cold utilization systems of LNG: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1171-1188.
    11. Rosseto de Faria, Pedro & Aiolfi Barone, Marcelo & Guedes dos Santos, Rodrigo & Santos, José Joaquim C.S., 2023. "The environment as a thermoeconomic diagram device for the systematic and automatic waste and environmental cost internalization in thermal systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    12. Picallo-Perez, Ana & Catrini, Pietro & Piacentino, Antonio & Sala, José-Mª, 2019. "A novel thermoeconomic analysis under dynamic operating conditions for space heating and cooling systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 819-837.
    13. Lee, Young Duk & Ahn, Kook Young & Morosuk, Tatiana & Tsatsaronis, George, 2018. "Exergetic and exergoeconomic evaluation of an SOFC-Engine hybrid power generation system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 810-822.
    14. Silva, J.A.M. & Flórez-Orrego, D. & Oliveira, S., 2014. "An exergy based approach to determine production cost and CO2 allocation for petroleum derived fuels," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 490-495.
    15. Usón, Sergio & Kostowski, Wojciech J. & Stanek, Wojciech & Gazda, Wiesław, 2015. "Thermoecological cost of electricity, heat and cold generated in a trigeneration module fuelled with selected fossil and renewable fuels," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 92(P3), pages 308-319.
    16. Piacentino, Antonio & Cardona, Fabio, 2010. "Scope-Oriented Thermoeconomic analysis of energy systems. Part I: Looking for a non-postulated cost accounting for the dissipative devices of a vapour compression chiller. Is it feasible?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(3), pages 943-956, March.
    17. Abusoglu, Aysegul & Kanoglu, Mehmet, 2009. "Exergoeconomic analysis and optimization of combined heat and power production: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 13(9), pages 2295-2308, December.
    18. Seyyedi, Seyyed Masoud & Ajam, Hossein & Farahat, Said, 2010. "A new criterion for the allocation of residues cost in exergoeconomic analysis of energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 3474-3482.
    19. Aghbashlo, Mortaza & Khounani, Zahra & Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha, Homa & Gupta, Vijai Kumar & Amiri, Hamid & Lam, Su Shiung & Morosuk, Tatiana & Tabatabaei, Meisam, 2021. "Exergoenvironmental analysis of bioenergy systems: A comprehensive review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    20. Silva, J.A.M. & Oliveira, S., 2014. "An exergy-based approach to determine production cost and CO2 allocation in refineries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 607-616.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:160:y:2018:i:c:p:72-86. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.