Methane-Fueled Gas Turbine with Hydrogen Blending and Integrated Steam Rankine Cycle, Absorption Refrigeration Cycle, PEM Electrolyzer, and a CO2 Separation Unit

Abstract

This research introduces and optimizes a novel multi-generation power system integrating a steam Rankine cycle (SRC), a gas turbine (GT), an absorption refrigeration cycle (ARC), a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, and a CO2 separation unit. This system is designed to improve energy efficiency while simultaneously capturing CO2 and producing hydrogen through electrolysis. Two configurations—with and without ARC—are evaluated using a genetic algorithm-based multi-objective optimization framework, which considers exergetic efficiency, CO2 emission reduction, and total cost rate. The findings demonstrate that the proposed system improves exergetic efficiency by up to 71% and reduces CO2 emissions by up to 3.9% compared to a standalone GT system. Furthermore, the system without ARC achieves higher hydrogen production, while the system with ARC provides valuable cooling. These findings demonstrate the feasibility and environmental advantages of integrated power, CO2 capture, and H2 blending systems for sustainable energy generation.