Achieving ultra-high coefficient of performance in a novel solar-assisted trigeneration system integrating absorption and Rankine cycles

Abstract

A novel solar-driven trigeneration system was developed and thermodynamically assessed integrating an absorption heat transformer (AHT) a Rankine cycle (RC) and an absorption cooling cycle (ACC) into a unified configuration. The innovation lay not only in the use of an AHT to power the RC—an uncommon integration in itself—but more significantly in the full thermodynamic loop architecture that employed a single working fluid pair (LiBr–H<inf>2</inf>O) shared by both absorption subsystemswhile also driving a steam-based Rankine subsystem. This tightly coupled single-loop design enabled internal thermal cascading and eliminated the need for separate working fluids auxiliary heating or intermediate heat exchangers— unlike conventional hybrid or cascade systems which (i) rely on multiple working fluid loops for power and cooling (ii) require fossil-fueled auxiliary heaters to drive RCs or (iii) incur high irreversibility losses due to fluid-to-fluid heat exchange between subsystems. Based on the simulation results a net electrical power output of 457.90 kW an overall exergetic efficiency of 74.40 % and a RC energy efficiency of 56.30 % were obtained. The cooling coefficient of performance (COP) reached 7.03 significantly outperforming conventional single-effect absorption systems. The system was fully powered by flat-plate solar collectors (FPSCs) without requiring any fossil-based auxiliary energy. A comprehensive validation was performed using component-level comparisons with experimental studies covering pressure drops internal irreversibility and the influence of working fluid properties on performance metrics. Additionally detailed thermo-economic assessments were carried out. The total investment cost was approximately US$8.54 million with a remarkably short payback period (PP) of 2.56 years and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 24.43 %. Levelized costs of electricity cooling and heating were calculated as US$0.20/kWh US$0.024/kWh and US$0.024/kWh respectively. Comparative analysis against literature benchmarks proven that the proposed system offered superior thermodynamic and economic performance especially in cooling and heating outputs. This study showed a new design paradigm for low-grade renewable energy utilization providing both a scalable solution for high efficiency multigeneration and a practical framework for future sustainable energy systems. © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.