Thermodynamic and Exergoeconomic Analysis of a Supercritical CO2 Cycle Integrated with a Cascade Transcritical CO2 Cycle/LiBr-H2O Vapor Absorption Refrigeration Cycle for Combined Cooling and Power Generation

This investigation introduces a conceptual configuration for an innovative combined cooling and power (CCP) arrangement that harnesses waste thermal energy from a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power loop through integration with a cascading transcritical CO2 cycle coupled with a lithium bromide–water vapor absorption chiller (tCO2/LiBr-H2O VAR). A systematic comparative assessment of thermodynamic behavior and exergoeconomic characteristics was executed across three configurations: the newly proposed CCP scheme, a hybrid sCO2/tCO2 power system, and a conventional standalone sCO2 engine. Parametric sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate how various operating parameters influence overall system effectiveness, while particle swarm optimization (PSO) was employed to determine the optimal exergetic efficiency peaks and minimum unit product costs for each architecture. Findings demonstrate that the proposed CCP topology delivers exergy efficiency enhancements of 8.46% and 1.65% relative to the standalone sCO2 configuration and the combined sCO2/tCO2 arrangement, respectively. Correspondingly, reductions in total product unit costs reach 2.80% and 0.80% for the same comparisons. These outcomes confirm that employing a cascading tCO2/LiBr-H2O VAR subsystem as the bottoming cycle represents a compelling solution for cooling and power production.