Co-generation of Hydrogen and Freshwater: A Comprehensive 4E Assessment and Optimization of an Integrated Steam Methane Reforming and Reverse Osmosis Plant
نویسندگان
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Se.C., Islamic Azad University, Semnan, I.R. IRAN
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Se.C., Islamic Azad University, Semnan, I.R. IRAN
3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Se.C., Islamic Azad University, Semnan, I.R. IRAN
4 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Se.C., Islamic Azad University, Semnan, I.R. IRAN
5 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Se.C., Islamic Azad University, Semnan, I.R. IRAN
doi
10.30492/ijcce.2026.2067843.7230چکیده
This study presents a novel framework for the co-production of hydrogen and freshwater by integrating a Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) plant with a Reverse Osmosis (RO) unit, using SMR waste heat to drive desalination. This work uniquely combines a comprehensive 4E (energy, exergy, exergoeconomic, environmental) analysis with surrogate-based multi-objective optimization to assess and enhance system viability. Key findings reveal that the combustion chamber and reformer are the primary sources of thermodynamic inefficiency, accounting for a combined 81.5% of exergy destruction. Despite this, the integrated system proves economically competitive, with a levelized cost of hydrogen of $2.97/kg, and environmentally advantageous, achieving a 14.5% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to separate production facilities. The optimization successfully identified an operating point that enhances energy and exergy efficiencies to 34.35% and 23.74%, respectively, demonstrating a clear pathway for significant performance improvement. This research validates the proposed SMR-RO plant as a thermodynamically efficient and economically viable approach for sustainable resource co-production.
