Dynamic simulation of a micro-trigeneration system: energy and economic analyses

This work examines the operation of a residential building-integrated micro-trigeneration system during the whole year by means of a dynamic simulation software. The system under investigation was based on a 6.0 kWel natural gas-fuelled internal combustion engine-based cogeneration unit for heating purposes during the winter and domestic hot water production during the whole year; auxiliary thermal energy was supplied by a natural gas-fired boiler. The cogeneration device, coupled with a combined storage tank, fed a 7.5 kW electric air-cooled water chiller for cooling purposes during the summer. The plant served a multi-family house composed of three floors, located in Naples (south Italy) and compliant with the thermal transmittances suggested by the Italian Law. The primary energy consumption and operating costs of the proposed system were evaluated based on the simulation results according to the Italian scenario and compared with those associated to a conventional system composed of a natural gas-fired boiler coupled with the same air-cooled water electric chiller fed by the electric grid. The performed analyses allowed to assess the energy and economic suitability of the proposed scheme and its potential benefits in comparison to the reference plant based on separate energy production