EnergyConversionandManagement45(2004)1433–1442www.elsevier.com/locate/enconmanEnergyefficiencyandeconomicfeasibilityofCCHPdrivenbystirlingengineX.Q.Kong,R.Z.Wang*,X.H.HuangInstituteofRefrigerationandCryogenics,ShanghaiJiaoTongUniversity,1954HuashanRoad,Shanghai200030,PRChinaReceived8May2003;accepted1September2003AbstractThispaperdealswiththeproblemofenergyefficiencyevaluationandeconomicfeasibilityanalysisofasmallscaletrigenerationsystemforcombinedcooling,heatingandpowergeneration(CCHP)withanavailableStirlingengine.Trigenerationsystemshavealargepotentialofenergysavingandeconomicalefficiency.ThedecisivevaluesforenergeticefficiencyevaluationofsuchsystemsaretheprimaryenergyrateandcomparativeprimaryenergysavingðDqÞ,whiletheeconomicfeasibilityanalysisofsuchsystemsrelatestheavoidedcost,thetotalannualsavingandpaybackperiod.TheinvestigationcalculatesandcomparestheenergysavingandeconomicefficiencyoftrigenerationsystemwithStirlingengineagainstcontemporaryconventionalindependentcooling,heatingandpower,showingthataCCHPsystemsavesfuelresourcesandhastheassuranceofeconomicbenefits.Ó2003ElsevierLtd.Allrightsreserved.Keywords:Combinedcooling,heatingandpower;Stirlingengine;Energyefficiency;Economicanalysis1.IntroductionTrigenerationistheconceptofderivingthreedifferentformsofenergyfromtheprimaryenergysource,namelycooling,heatingandpowergeneration.Alsoreferredtoascombinedcooling,heatingandpowergeneration(CCHP),thisoptionusesabsorptiontechnologytosupplyheatingandcoolingtoanapplicationincombinedheatingandpower(CHP)systems.ACHPsystemsimultaneouslyproducesandusesheatandpower,whichreducestheprimaryenergyconsumption,comparedtoindependentgenerationoftheheatandpower,duetothe*Correspondingauthor.Tel.:+86-21-6293-3250;fax:+86-21-6293-2601.E-mailaddress:rzwang@mail.sjtu.edu.cn(R.Z.Wang).0196-8904/$-seefrontmatterÓ2003ElsevierLtd.Allrightsreserved.doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2003.09.0091434X.Q.Kongetal./EnergyConversionandManagement45(2004)1433–1442NomenclatureCOPcoefficie