Optimizing Energy Conversion Using Organic Rankine Cycles and Supercritical Rankine Cycles

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huijuan Chen ◽  
D. Yogi Goswami ◽  
Muhammad M. Rahman ◽  
Elias K. Stefanakos
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Cooling Water ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Exergy Efficiency ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Condensation Process ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Energy Conversion Systems

The optimization of energy conversion systems is of great significance in the utilization of low-grade heat. This paper presents an analysis of 6 working fluids in 12 thermodynamic cycles to optimize the energy conversion systems. The optimal exergy efficiency of the system is dependent on the type of the thermodynamic cycle, the choice of appropriate working fluid, and the working conditions. A zeotropic mixture of R134a and R245fa shows advantages in energy conversion process, as well as its heat exchange with the heat source and heat sink. The exergy efficiency of a 0.5R134a/0.5R245fa-based supercritical Rankine cycle system is 0.643–0.689 for a turbine inlet temperature of 415–445K, which is about 30% improvement over the exergy efficiency of 0.491–0.521 for a pure R32-based organic Rankine cycle under the same temperature limits. Furthermore, the 0.5R134a/0.5R245fa mixture saves more than 60% of the cooling water during the condensation process than the pure R32, R134a and R245fa.

scholarly journals Integrated Vapor Compression Chiller with Bottoming Organic Rankine Cycle and Onsite Low-Grade Renewable Energy

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 6401
Author(s):  
Muhammad Tauseef Nasir ◽  
Michael Chukwuemeka Ekwonu ◽  
Javad Abolfazali Esfahani ◽  
Kyung Chun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Heat Source ◽  
Energy Input ◽  
Cooling Water ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Low Grade

The present study offers a scheme to improve the performance of existing large-scale chillers. The system involves raising the temperature of the chiller’s cooling water stream using renewable energy sources by incorporating an organic Rankine cycle (ORC). The thermal analysis was conducted by raising the temperature of one-third of the approximately 200 ton chiller’s cooling water. The investigation was considered for ORC evaporator inlet temperature of 90~120 °C by the step of 10 °C. Various working fluids for the different ORC evaporator inlet temperatures were examined. Sensitivity analyses conducted on the degree of superheating, degree of subcooling, condenser saturation temperature, pinch point temperature differences of the ORC evaporator and condenser, and the mass flowrates of the heating and cooling streams were also reported. Genetic algorithm was employed to carry out the optimization. The best options for the ORC working fluid at the heating source ORC evaporator inlet temperatures of 90 °C was found to be DME, presenting an improvement of 48.72% in comparison with the rated coefficient of performance (COP) value of the VCC, with a renewable energy input requirement of 710 kW. At the heat source temperatures of 100 °C and 110 °C, butene, which presented an improvement in the COP equal to 48.76% and 68.85%, respectively, with the corresponding renewable energy requirements of 789.6 kW and 852 kW, was found to be the ideal candidate. Meanwhile, at the heat source inlet temperature of 120 °C, R1233zd (E), representing an improvement of 140.88% with the renewable energy input of around 1061 kW, was determined to be the most favorable ORC working fluid candidate.

scholarly journals Conversion of Low-Grade Heat from Multiple Streams in Methanol to Olefin (MTO) Process Based on Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danchen Wei ◽  
Cheng Liu ◽  
Zhongfeng Geng
Keyword(s):  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Exergy Efficiency ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Maximum Output ◽  
Methanol To Olefin ◽  
Thermodynamic Performance ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Mto Process

The organic rankine cycle (ORC) has been widely used to convert low-grade thermal energy to electricity. The selection of the cycle configuration, working fluid, and operating parameters is crucial for the economic profitability of the ORC system. In the methanol to olefin (MTO) process, multi-stream low-temperature waste heat has not been effectively utilized. The previous study mostly focused on the optimization of a single stream system and rarely considered the comprehensive optimization of multi-stream ORC systems which have multi-temperature heat sources. This paper proposes five kinds of system design schemes, and determines the optimal output work and the highest exergy efficiency through the selection of working fluid and optimization of system parameters. In addition, the influence of mixed working fluid on the thermodynamic performance of the system was also investigated. It is found that there is an optimal evaporation temperature due to the restriction of pinch temperature. At the optimal temperature the ORC system obtains the maximum net output power of 4.95 MW. The optimization results show that the working fluid R227EA selected from seven candidate working fluids shows the optimal thermodynamic performance in all the five design schemes, and obtains the maximum output work and exergy efficiency.

scholarly journals Performance analysis of organic Rankine cycles using different working fluids

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qidi Zhu ◽  
Zhiqiang Sun ◽  
Jiemin Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Exergy Efficiency ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Outlet Temperature ◽  
Relative Distribution ◽  
Performance Parameters ◽  
Critical Temperatures ◽  
Organic Fluids

Low-grade heat from renewable or waste energy sources can be effectively recovered to generate power by an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) in which the working fluid has an important impact on its performance. The thermodynamic processes of ORCs using different types of organic fluids were analyzed in this paper. The relationships between the ORC?s performance parameters (including evaporation pressure, condensing pressure, outlet temperature of hot fluid, net power, thermal efficiency, exergy efficiency, total cycle irreversible loss, and total heat-recovery efficiency) and the critical temperatures of organic fluids were established based on the property of the hot fluid through the evaporator in a specific working condition, and then were verified at varied evaporation temperatures and inlet temperatures of the hot fluid. Here we find that the performance parameters vary monotonically with the critical temperatures of organic fluids. The values of the performance parameters of the ORC using wet fluids are distributed more dispersedly with the critical temperatures, compared with those of using dry/isentropic fluids. The inlet temperature of the hot fluid affects the relative distribution of the exergy efficiency, whereas the evaporation temperature only has an impact on the performance parameters using wet fluid.

1-D Model Analysis of Tesla Turbine for Small Scale Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) System

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Song ◽  
Chun-wei Gu
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Expansion Ratio ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
D Model

Energy shortage and environmental deterioration are two crucial issues that the developing world has to face. In order to solve these problems, conversion of low grade energy is attracting broad attention. Among all of the existing technologies, Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) has been proven to be one of the most effective methods for the utilization of low grade heat sources. Turbine is a key component in ORC system and it plays an important role in system performance. Traditional turbine expanders, the axial flow turbine and the radial inflow turbine are typically selected in large scale ORC systems. However, in small and micro scale systems, traditional turbine expanders are not suitable due to large flow loss and high rotation speed. In this case, Tesla turbine allows a low-cost and reliable design for the organic expander that could be an attractive option for small scale ORC systems. A 1-D model of Tesla turbine is presented in this paper, which mainly focuses on the flow characteristics and the momentum transfer. This study improves the 1-D model, taking the nozzle limit expansion ratio into consideration, which is related to the installation angle of the nozzle and the specific heat ratio of the working fluid. The improved model is used to analyze Tesla turbine performance and predict turbine efficiency. Thermodynamic analysis is conducted for a small scale ORC system. The simulation results reveal that the ORC system can generate a considerable net power output. Therefore, Tesla turbine can be regarded as a potential choice to be applied in small scale ORC systems.

Converting Low-Grade Heat Into Power Using a Supercritical Rankine Cycle With Zeotropic Mixture Working Fluid

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huijuan Chen ◽  
D. Yogi Goswami ◽  
Muhammad M. Rahman ◽  
Elias K. Stefanakos
Keyword(s):  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Phase Region ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Condensation Process ◽  
Heating Process ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Working Fluids ◽  
Zeotropic Mixture ◽  
Low Grade Heat

A supercritical Rankine cycle using zeotropic mixture working fluids for the conversion of low-grade heat into power is proposed and analyzed in this paper. A supercritical Rankine cycle does not go through two-phase region during the heating process. By adopting zeotropic mixtures as the working fluids, the condensation process happens non-isothermally. Both of the features create a potential in reducing the irreversibility and improving the system efficiency. A comparative study between an organic Rankine cycle and the proposed supercritical Rankine cycle shows that the proposed cycle improves the cycle thermal efficiency, exergy efficiency of the heating and the condensation processes, and the system overall efficiency.

Biomass combined cycles based on externally fired gas turbines and organic Rankine expanders

2011 ◽  
Vol 225 (8) ◽  
pp. 1066-1075 ◽  
Author(s):  
C M Invernizzi ◽  
P Iora ◽  
R Sandrini
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Maximum Efficiency ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
System A ◽  
Combined Cycles

This article investigates the possibility to enhance the performance of a biomass organic Rankine cycle (ORC) plant by adding an externally fired gas turbine (EFGT), yielding a combined EFGT + ORC system. A typical ORC configuration is first modelled and validated on data available from an existing unit 1.5 MW reference plant. Then, different working fluids belonging to the methyl-substituted benzene series and linear methylpolysiloxanes have been evaluated for the ORC section on the basis of both thermodynamics considerations and design issues of the regenerator and the turbine. Results of the simulations of the combined cycle (CC) referred to a furnace size of about unit 9 MW, assuming a maximum GT inlet temperature of 800 °C, show a maximum efficiency of 23 per cent, obtained in the case where toluene is adopted as a working fluid for the bottoming section. This value is about 4 points per cent higher than the efficiency of the corresponding simple ORC. Finally, to conclude, some preliminary considerations are given regarding the techno-economic feasibility of the combined configuration, suggesting the need of a further investigation on the possible technological solution for the furnace which represents the main uncertainty in the resulting costs of the CC.

Effects of Various Types of Binary Cycles on Thermal and Exergy Efficiency of Combined Flash-Binary Power Plants

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahshid Vatani ◽  
Masoud Ziabasharhagh ◽  
Shayan Amiri
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Internal Heat ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Exergy Efficiency ◽  
Maximum Efficiency ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Internal Heat Exchanger ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Geothermal Power

With the progress of technologies, engineers try to evaluate new and applicable ways to get high possible amount of energy from renewable resources, especially in geothermal power plants. One of the newest techniques is combining different types of geothermal cycles to decrease wastage of the energy. In the present article, thermodynamic optimization of different flash-binary geothermal power plants is studied to get maximum efficiency. The cycles studied in this paper are single and double flash-binary geothermal power plants of basic Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), regenerative ORC and ORC with an Internal Heat Exchanger (IHE). The main gain due to using various types of ORC cycles is to determine the best and efficient type of the Rankine cycle for combined flash-binary geothermal power plants. Furthermore, in binary cycles choosing the best and practical working fluid is an important factor. Hence three different types of working fluids have been used to find the best one that gives maximum thermal and exergy efficiency of combined flash-binary geothermal power plants. According to results, the maximum thermal and exergy efficiencies both achieved in ORC with an IHE and the effective working fluid is R123.

Exergy Analysis of Solar Photovoltaic/Thermal Organic Rankine Cycle

2013 ◽  
Vol 448-453 ◽  
pp. 1509-1513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guo Chang Zhao ◽  
Li Ping Song ◽  
Yong Wang ◽  
Xiao Chen Hou
Keyword(s):  
Exergy Analysis ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Exergy Efficiency ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Solar Photovoltaic ◽  
Generation System ◽  
Cycle System ◽  
Power Generation System

A solar thermal organic Rankine cycle (ORC) power generation system model established using R245fa as the working fluid and coupled with a solar photovoltaic generator is introduced. Thermal efficiency and exergy efficiency of the model both with and without a heat regenerator are calculated and compared. Results show the solar organic Rankine cycle system with a heat regenerator has higher thermal and exergy efficiency than the system without a heat regenerator, providing better performance in practice. This result provides a basis for further application and improvement of solar photovoltaic and the solar thermal organic Rankine cycle.

Novel Parabolic Trough Collectors Driving a Small-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle System

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Kohlenbach ◽  
S. McEvoy ◽  
W. Stein ◽  
A. Burton ◽  
K. Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steel Substrate ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Sheet Steel ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Glass Tube ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Parabolic Trough

This paper presents component performance results of a new parabolic trough collector array driving an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) power generation system. The system has been installed in the National Solar Energy Centre at CSIRO Energy Technology in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. It consists of four rows of 18 parabolic mirrors each in a 2×2 matrix with a total aperture area of approximately 132m2. The absorber tube is a laterally aligned, 40mm copper tube coated with a semi-selective paint and enclosed in a 50mm non-evacuated glass tube to reduce convection losses. The mirror modules, which are light-weight and robust, are made from thin low iron back silvered glass bonded to a sheet steel substrate. They are supported by a box truss on semi circular hoops running on rollers for single axis tracking. The mirror design has been chosen to allow low-cost manufacturing as well as simple commissioning and operation. The ORC unit is a FP6 unit sourced from Freepower Ltd. with a net power output of 6kWel at 180°C inlet temperature and a total heat input of 70 kWth. It uses a two-stage expansion process with hydrofluoroether as the working fluid. A wet cooling tower is used to dissipate the reject heat from the ORC. The two key components of the envisioned system are the trough reflector/receiver and the ORC unit. The optical performance of the mirror elements was investigated with regard to the flux mapping onto the receiver tube. The ORC unit has been tested separately using an electrical oil heater as the heat source. This paper presents results for irradiation capture and intensity over the receiver width of a single trough mirror module. The complete system including trough collectors and ORC has not been in transient operation yet, thus experimental steady-state results of the ORC unit are presented.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document