A TOPSIS method to evaluate the technologies

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate nine types of electrical energy generation options with regard to seven criteria. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to perform the evaluation. The TOPSIS method was used to evaluate the best generation technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The options that were evaluated are the hydrogen combustion turbine, the hydrogen internal combustion engine, the hydrogen fuelled phosphoric acid fuel cell, the hydrogen fuelled solid oxide fuel cell, the natural gas fuelled phosphoric acid fuel cell, the natural gas fuelled solid oxide fuel cell, the natural gas turbine, the natural gas combined cycle and the natural gas internal combustion engine. The criteria used for the evaluation are CO₂ emissions, NOX emissions, efficiency, capital cost, operation and maintenance costs, service life and produced electricity cost.

Findings

The results drawn from the analysis in technology wise are as follows: natural gas fuelled solid oxide fuel cells>natural gas combined cycle>natural gas fuelled phosphoric acid fuel cells>natural gas internal combustion engine>hydrogen fuelled solid oxide fuel cells>hydrogen internal combustion engines>hydrogen combustion turbines>hydrogen fuelled phosphoric acid fuel cells> and natural gas turbine. It shows that the natural gas fuelled solid oxide fuel cells are the best technology available among all the available technology considering the seven criteria such as service life, electricity cost, O&M costs, capital cost, NOX emissions, CO₂ emissions and efficiency of the plant.

Research limitations/implications

The most dominant electricity generation technology proved to be the natural gas fuelled solid oxide fuel cells which ranked in the first place among nine alternatives. The research is helpful to evaluate the different alternatives.

Practical implications

The research is helpful to evaluate the different alternatives and can be extended in all the spares of technologies.

Originality/value

The research was the original one. Nine energy generation options were evaluated with regard to seven criteria. The energy generation options were the hydrogen combustion turbine, the hydrogen internal combustion engine, the hydrogen fuelled phosphoric acid fuel cell, the hydrogen fuelled solid oxide fuel cell, the natural gas fuelled phosphoric acid fuel cell, the natural gas fuelled solid oxide fuel cell, the natural gas turbine, the natural gas combined cycle and the natural gas internal combustion engine. The criteria used for the evaluation were efficiency, CO₂ emissions, NOX emissions, capital cost, O&M costs, electricity cost and service life.

Citation

Sarkar, A. (2014), "A TOPSIS method to evaluate the technologies", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 2-13. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-03-2013-0042