Thermal integration process for waste heat recovery of SOFC to produce cooling/H2/power/freshwater; cost/thermal/environmental optimization scenarios

High-temperature fuel cells (HT-FCs) indeed hold significant promise for enhancing energy systems' efficiency and environmental sustainability. Consequently, there is growing interest in exploring and developing innovative strategies to optimize the integration of heat recovery processes with HT-FC technology. The current research presents an innovative and environmentally friendly poly-generation unit that integrates advanced subprocesses to generate essential products. These final products include electricity, refrigeration, pure water, and hydrogen. This study signifies a significant step towards sustainable and efficient energy production while meeting diverse needs for different utilities. The design unit incorporates a novel modified dual ejector-based organic flash cycle, reverse osmosis water purification, and a water electrolyzer for hydrogen extraction, all integrated with a high-temperature solid oxide fuel cell. Energy, exergy, economic, and environmental (4E) analysis is conducted to thoroughly evaluate the proposed plan. Furthermore, a comprehensive parametric analysis and sensitivity study are performed to pinpoint the key design parameters of the poly-generation unit. To attain the optimal operational status of the poly-generation unit, a three-objective NSGA-II optimization technique is employed to fine-tune the system's performance within the exergy-cost-environmental framework. This approach aims to strike a balance between maximizing efficiency, minimizing costs, and reducing environmental impact for sustainable operations. In addition, a net present value analysis spanning a 20-year timeframe was conducted to assess the profitability of the devised unit. Based on the findings, it is evident that the sensitivity index of the fuel cell operating temperature carries substantial importance, registering a notable value of 0.60. Additionally, the optimization outcomes reveal the system's enhanced performance metrics: an exergetic efficiency of 41.11 %, a unit cost of 58.96 $/GJ, and a carbon dioxide emission reduction rate of 418 kg/MWh. Also, the unit's payback period is shortened from 11.33 years to 8.817 years. Moreover, it improved the unit's sustainability index and net present value, raising them from 1.544 to 4.98 M$ to 1.66 and 7.38 M$.