Energy recovery from diesel engine exhaust gases for performance enhancement and air conditioning

The utilisation of exhaust waste heat is now well known and the forms the basis of many combined cooling and power installations. The exhaust gases from such installations represent a significant amount of thermal energy that traditionally has been used for combined heat and power applications. This paper explores the theoretical performance of four different configurations of a turbocharger diesel engine and absorption refrigeration unit combination when operating in a high ambient day temperature of 35 °C. The simulation is performed using “SPICE”, a well known programme commonly used for engine performance predictions. The paper examines the interfacing of the turbocharged diesel engine with an absorption refrigeration unit and estimates the performance enhancement. The influence of the cycle configuration and performance parameters on the performance of the engine operating as a power supply with an auxiliary air conditioning plant is examined. It is demonstrated that a pre- and inter-cooled turbocharger engine configuration cycle offers considerable benefits in terms of SFC, efficiency and output for the diesel cycle performance.