Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Integrating waste heat recovery units into industrial energy infrastructure provides a sustainable solution by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and improving substantial plant efficiency. Recent studies have addressed this issue using Brayton, Rankine, organic Rankine, thermoelectric, and electrolysis-assisted waste heat recovery systems for power, heat, hydrogen, or other useful outputs. However, many configurations recover exhaust gas and jacket water heat separately, focus mainly on electricity, and provide limited source-to-sink matching for industrial steam, process heat, oxygen demand, cost, and environmental performance. This study proposes a source-to-sink matched multigeneration system for a 10 MW Wärtsilä 20V34SG gas engine, where each waste heat stream is directed to the most suitable conversion pathway to reduce irreversibility and improve usefulness. High-temperature exhaust gas is cascaded through a helium Brayton cycle, a steam Rankine cycle, and a thermoelectric generator, while jacket-water heat drives an organic Rankine cycle that supports PEM electrolysis for steam generation. Hydrogen is treated as an internal energy carrier rather than an exported product. A MATLAB-based framework evaluates the system through thermodynamic, exergo-economic, environmental, sustainability, parametric, and uncertainty analyses. Under baseline conditions, the system delivers 2527.3 kW power, 2231.3 kW heating, 0.30 ton/h steam, and 56.77 kg/h oxygen, with 7.15 kg/h hydrogen generation. Energy and exergy efficiencies reach 28.37% and 27.67%, while annual mean CO2 reduction is 25,461 ton (95% uncertainty interval: 21,655–29,690 ton/year). Collectively, these advancements contribute to cleaner production by improving resource and energy utilization efficiency, reducing environmental emissions and thermodynamic irreversibilities.
Keywords
hydrogen-assisted boiler, multigeneration system, sustainability, thermal energy, waste heat recovery
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
10-15-2026
Article Number
142192
E-ISSN
18736785
ISSN
03605442
Volume
362
Publication Title
Energy
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Engineering
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Rahman, M. M., Mohtasim, M. S., & Das, B. K. (2026). Integrated multigeneration system utilizing industrial gas engine waste heat for power, oxygen, hydrogen generation, and process heat supply: A thermodynamic, exergo-economic, and environmental analysis. Energy, 362, 142192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2026.142192