Optimization of a combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system with a gas turbine prime mover: A case study in the dairy industry

Abstract A proposed system consists of a combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system driven by a gas turbine prime mover and an auxiliary boiler (CCHP-Boiler) system in a dairy factory. The CCHP-Boiler system optimized based on three different objective functions. In the 1st method, the system is considered as the combined CCHP-Boiler system. However, in the 2nd and 3rd methods, the optimization process has been carried out to the combined CCHP-Boiler system which has power transfer with the central power plant (CPP). The first objective function in the 1st method is the exergy efficiency of the CCHP-Boiler system. The second objective function is the annual total cost of the CCHP-Boiler system. In the 2nd and 3rd methods, the comprehensive objective function (CO), is the single-objective function. The results indicate that the base design requires a higher pressure ratio of air compressor (RP), which is equal to 14.79, and consequently, the existence of APH and LPG2 is recommended. But, optimization with all the methods for the CCHP-Boiler system leads to low RP values, which is approximately equal to 6. Meanwhile, it can be concluded that the existence of air pre-heater (APH) is not necessary and it should be removed.