scholarly journals Selecting working fluids in an organic Rankine cycle for power generation from low temperature heat sources

DYNA ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (188) ◽  
pp. 173-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fredy Vélez
Author(s):  
Andrea Meroni ◽  
Jesper Graa Andreasen ◽  
Leonardo Pierobon ◽  
Fredrik Haglind

Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) power systems represent attractive solutions for power conversion from low temperature heat sources, and the use of these power systems is gaining increasing attention in the marine industry. This paper proposes the combined optimal design of cycle and expander for an organic Rankine cycle unit utilizing waste heat from low temperature heat sources. The study addresses a case where the minimum temperature of the heat source is constrained and a case where no constraint is imposed. The former case is the waste heat recovery from jacket cooling water of a marine diesel engine onboard a large ship, and the latter is representative of a low-temperature geothermal, solar or waste heat recovery application. Multi-component working fluids are investigated, as they allow improving the match between the temperature profiles in the heat exchangers and, consequently, reducing the irreversibility in the ORC system. This work considers mixtures of R245fa/pentane and propane/isobutane. The use of multi-component working fluids typically results in increased heat transfer areas and different expander designs compared to pure fluids. In order to properly account for turbine performance and design constraints in the cycle calculation, the thermodynamic cycle and the turbine are optimized simultaneously in the molar composition range of each mixture. Such novel optimization approach enables one to identify to which extent the cycle or the turbine behaviour influences the selection of the optimal solution. It also enables one to find the composition for which an optimal compromise between cycle and turbine performance is achieved. The optimal ORC unit employs pure R245fa and provides approximately 200 kW when the minimum hot fluid temperature is constrained. Conversely, the mixture R245fa/pentane (0.5/0.5) is selected and provides approximately 444 kW when the hot fluid temperature is not constrained to a lower value. In both cases, a compact and efficient turbine can be manufactured.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gábor Györke ◽  
Axel Groniewsky ◽  
Attila Imre

One of the most crucial challenges of sustainable development is the use of low-temperature heat sources (60–200 °C), such as thermal solar, geothermal, biomass, or waste heat, for electricity production. Since conventional water-based thermodynamic cycles are not suitable in this temperature range or at least operate with very low efficiency, other working fluids need to be applied. Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) uses organic working fluids, which results in higher thermal efficiency for low-temperature heat sources. Traditionally, new working fluids are found using a trial-and-error procedure through experience among chemically similar materials. This approach, however, carries a high risk of excluding the ideal working fluid. Therefore, a new method and a simple rule of thumb—based on a correlation related to molar isochoric specific heat capacity of saturated vapor states—were developed. With the application of this thumb rule, novel isentropic and dry working fluids can be found applicable for given low-temperature heat sources. Additionally, the importance of molar quantities—usually ignored by energy engineers—was demonstrated.


Author(s):  
Bin Zheng ◽  
Yiwu Weng

This paper presents a combined power and ejector refrigeration cycle for low temperature heat sources. The proposed cycle combines the organic Rankine cycle and the ejector refrigeration cycle. It can be used as an independent cycle powered by the low temperature sources, such as solar energy, geothermal energy, or as a bottom cycle of the conventional power plant for the recovery of low temperature waste heat. A program was developed to calculate the performance of the combined cycle. Several substances were selected as the working fluids including R113, R123, R245fa, R141b and R600. Simulation results show that R141b has the highest cycle efficiency, followed by R123, R113, R600 and then R245fa. While the working fluids are calculated by per unit, R600 can produce more power and refrigeration outputs due to the large latent heat. Simulations at different generating temperatures, evaporating temperatures and condensing temperatures were also discussed.


Author(s):  
Zemin Bo ◽  
Zhenkun Sang ◽  
Qianqian Zhang ◽  
Yiwu Weng

The radial turbine is a key component of the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power generation system. In order to improve the performance of ORC system for low temperature heat sources, a 150kW radial turbine using R600a has been designed and analyzed. First, the aerodynamic calculation of the radial turbine was conducted and one-dimensional aerodynamic parameters were obtained. Then three-dimensional CFD numerical analysis has been conducted to optimize the geometric design of the radial turbine. The results show the distribution of the flow field around the blades at different height and streamline distribution from leading edge to the trailing edge. At last, the effect of rotation speed on the performance of radial turbine was analyzed. The results can provide basic data for the design of radial turbine of ORC power generation system for low temperature heat sources.


Author(s):  
Arthur Batista Martins Lott ◽  
Arthur Pacheco Luz ◽  
João Arthur Daconti Silva ◽  
Cristiana Maia ◽  
Sergio Hanriot

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-84
Author(s):  
Yan-Na Liu ◽  
Song Xiao

AbstractIn this paper, the thermodynamic investigation on the use of geothermal water (130 °C as maximum) for power generation through a basic Rankine has been presented together with obtained main results. Six typical organic working fluids (i.e., R245fa, R141b, R290, R600, R152a, and 134a) were studied with modifying the input pressure and temperature to the turbine. The results show that there are no significant changes taking place in the efficiency for these working fluids with overheating the inlet fluid to the turbine, i.e., efficiency is a weak function of temperature. However, with the increasing of pressure ratio in the turbine, the efficiency rises more sharply. The technical viability is shown of implementing this type of process for recovering low temperature heat resource.


2019 ◽  
Vol 142 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Tareq Chowdhury ◽  
Esmail M. A. Mokheimer

Abstract Even though the renewable technologies are getting a gradually increasing share of the energy industry, the momentum of its growth is far away from outweighing the dominance of fossil fuel. Due to the concern for ozone depletion, global warming, and many more environmental hazards caused by fossil fuels, it is essential to substitute the conventional energy sources with renewables. Since this replacement cannot be done overnight, the conventional energy technologies should be integrated with renewables to minimize the pace of adverse effects on fossil fuel–based industries in the meantime. This way, the industries can be more efficient by utilizing waste heat, which accounts for 50% of the total energy generated now. This review paper outlines the role of solar energy in the generation of power and cooling systems that are capable of utilizing low-temperature heat sources below 400 °C. The review is primarily concentrated on line-focused concentrated solar power (CSP)-assisted solar technologies to be integrated with organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and absorption cooling systems. Photovoltaic and similar multigeneration systems are also discussed in brief.


Author(s):  
Jahar Sarkar ◽  
Souvik Bhattacharyya

This study presents the potential of ammonia as a working fluid in transcritical Rankine cycle for power generation using both high and low temperature heat sources. Higher heat capacity value and superior heat transfer properties of ammonia compared to water are the motivating factors behind its use as a working fluid. A thermodynamic analysis for the ammonia based transcritical Rankine cycle and its comparison with the water based Rankine cycle is presented. Analyses with several cycle modifications are also presented to study the thermal efficiency augmentation. It is observed that an optimum high side pressure exists for near critical operation. In case of low temperature heat sources such as solar energy or waste heat, where water based systems are not suitable, ammonia based Rankine cycle is applicable with attractive thermal efficiency, although cycle modification is not possible. The results with high temperature heat source such as boiler or nuclear reactor, where the turbine outlet is in superheated zone, show that simple ammonia systems yield lower efficiency than water, although a recompression cycle with regenerative heat exchangers exhibits higher efficiency than water. Significant thermal efficiency improvement can be achieved by increasing the high side cycle pressure. Recompression Rankine cycle can be a potential alternative with proper design measures taken to avoid toxicity and flammability.


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