Chapter 12: Performance Analysis and Assessment of Compound Energy Systems Using Exergy Analysis Method Check Access

Exergy is a way to a sustainable development, while exergy analysis method is a very useful tool, which has recently gained a big importance in the design, analysis, simulation and performance evaluation of various energy systems. In this section, exergetic performance evaluation of two types of compound energy systems is made based on the actual operational data. The fist one is a solar assisted domestic hot water (DHW) tank integrated ground source heat pump (GSHP) system, while the second one is a high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) process coupled with a geothermal source. In the analysis, three balance (mass, energy and exergy) equations are applied to the two systems considered for modeling purposes. Exergy (second law) efficiency values for both systems are given, while exergy destructions in each of the system components are determined to assess their individual performances by presenting the potential for improvements. It may be concluded that the exergetic evaluation method presented here may be applied to other compound energy systems as a useful tool.