Dynamic performances of trigeneration systems using different prime movers for high-rise building application: A comparative study

Trigeneration is a strategic deployment to achieve the energy saving target in response to climate change mitigation. Appropriate choice of prime movers is paramount to make trigeneration feasible. It is common for trigeneration to be considered in district-wide application; however, there is little study on the effectiveness of various available prime movers in building-scale use. As such, diesel engine (DE), gas engine (GE), gas turbine with recuperator, and combined gas turbine cycle (CGTC) were involved as prime mover options for trigeneration in this study. Through year-round dynamic simulation, the energy and environmental performances of different trigeneration systems were thoroughly evaluated for a high-rise hotel building in subtropical climate. It was found that the DE-primed trigeneration would have the highest primary energy saving, while the CGTC-primed trigeneration would be the largest in carbon emissions cut. However, the GE-primed trigeneration system was deemed to be the best choice with both energy merit and system simplicity. It was also found that the part-load performance of prime mover and the required fuel type were closely associated to the annual energy and environmental performances.