Techno-economic investigations of a new cogeneration energy system for hydrogen, ammonia, and power generation

This study aims to develop, and examine a cogeneration system for electric power, hydrogen, and ammonia production. A modified Rankine cycle is configured to supply power. An electrolyze unit and an ammonia synthesis reactor are used to provide hydrogen and ammonia. The system is investigated from technical and economic aspects. The inquiry outcomes disclose that the reaction pressure and hydrogen to nitrogen molar ratio have mainly affected the ammonia production rate increment. The system energy and exergy efficiencies as well as the total unit cost of the product are at about 50.47 %, 51.41 %, and 638.3 $/GJ, respectively. The results show that the exergy destruction rate of the system is 89.797 MW. Moreover, 6.438 kg/h of hydrogen and 6.528 kg/s of ammonia are attainable. The sweeping sensitivity investigation on the economic aspect reveals that the reaction pressure, input hydrogen molar ratio, and hydrogen to nitrogen molar ratio have a positive effect on the sum unit cost of the product's decrement. Finally, the thermodynamic sensitivity examination outcomes affirm that altering reaction temperature leads to technical inefficiencies of the proposed cogeneration system.