ENERGY-EXERGY ANALYSIS VERSUS ENERGY, EXERGY AND THERMOECONOMIC ANALYSIS – A CASE OF STUDY

On board of ships, cascade refrigeration systems are used when both frozen and refrigerated products are transported. In such a situation, two different levels of temperature are ensured in the same time. There are needed two conventional refrigeration systems which are coupled by a cascade heat exchanger. Thermodynamic analysis of these systems are important when aiming efficient design and performance optimization. The main objective of this paper is to present different analysis means such as energy, exergy or thermoeconomic (exergoeconomic). Also, there are analysed the challenges to be faced by engineers when developing a thermoeconomic analysis of cascade vapour compression refrigeration systems. Thermoeconomics analysis is a “sensitive issue” due to the interdisciplinary approach, being combined concepts of economics and thermodynamics to evaluate cost formation process of these thermal systems.