A Wind Energy-Based Cogeneration System for Energy and Fresh Water Production

Abstract

In this Chapter, a wind-based multigeneration system is designed, developed and analyzed. The proposed system is evaluated through energy and exergy approaches. For the potential implementation of the system, a case study is conducted by considering the needs and wind data of the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. The excess power occurring during the energy off-peak time of the region is utilized to compress and store air into underwater balloons. If the wind speed is not sufficient enough to provide enough energy, the energy stored in compressed air is extracted via gas turbines. Thermal waste energy occurring during the air compression process is stored and introduced to compressed air before the expansion process to increase the carried energy further while decreasing the losses throughout the integrated system. The thermal energy is also partially utilized in a thermal water desalination unit to produce fresh water from seawater for the region. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated through various parametric studies. The study results show that the proposed system is capable of providing 51.36 MW of net electric power while operating with overall energy and exergy efficiencies of 39.49% and 37.62%, respectively. Furthermore, the system offers 9818 tons of fresh water for the region on a monthly basis.