Three power and fresh water cogeneration systems that combine a GT (gas turbine) power plant and a RO (reverse osmosis) desalination system were compared based on the exergy viewpoint. In the first system, the GT and RO systems were coupled mechanically to form a base system. In the second and third systems, a VCR (vapor-compression refrigeration) cycle and a single-effect AC(Water-LiBr) (water/lithium bromide absorption chiller) were used, respectively, to cool the compressor inlet air and preheat the RO intake seawater via waste heat recovery in the VCR condenser and AC(Water-LiBr) absorber. A parametric analysis-based exergy was conducted to evaluate the effects of the key thermodynamic parameters including the compressor inlet air temperature and the fuel-mass flow rate on the system exergy efficiency. Parameter optimization was achieved using a GA (genetic algorithm) to reach the maximum exergy efficiency, where the thermodynamic improvement potentials of the systems were identified. The optimum values of performance for the three cogeneration systems were compared under the same conditions. The results showed that the cogeneration system with the AC is the best system among the three systems, since it can increase exergy and energy efficiencies as well as net power generation by 3.79%, 4.21%, and 38%, respectively, compared to the base system. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.