Analysis of Energetic, Design and Operational Criteria When Choosing an Adequate Working Fluid for Small ORC Systems

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Faca˜o ◽  
Armando C. Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stability ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Heat Source ◽  
Specific Volume ◽  
Saturated Vapor ◽  
Saturation Pressure ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Turbine Inlet ◽  
Cycle Efficiency

Small cogeneration (CHP) systems may lead to a significant reduction of primary energy consumption and harmful emissions. Low temperature Rankine cycles, that can be assisted by solar energy, are a possible solution for producing combined electricity and useful heat. These cycles usually use an organic working fluid. This study presents an analysis of the energetic, design and operational features, that have to be taken into account when choosing an adequate working fluid for these Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC). When using renewable energies as a heat source, like solar or geothermal, the cycles may operate at temperatures between 120°C and 230°C. A system producing 5 kW of electricity was considered as a basis of comparison. Several fluids were analysed: n-dodecane, water, toluene, cyclohexane, n-pentane, HFE7100, R123, isobutane and R245fa. The organic dry fluids, with a positive slope of the saturated vapor curve in a T-s diagram, are in principle desirable for low temperature applications, simplifying turbine design. The degree to which the fluids are drying, is generally related to their molecular weight or molecular complexity. Practical issues, like thermal stability, toxicity, flammability and cost are considered. The thermodynamic cycle efficiency is also important. The saturated vapor specific volume gives an indication of condenser size, which is related to system initial cost. A super-atmospheric (>100 kPa) saturation pressure eliminates infiltration gases, which is important for operational reasons, because infiltration reduces system efficiency. The degree of superheating was optimized for maximum cycle efficiency, with a quadratic approximation method. This optimization makes it possible to decide if it is better to have saturated vapor or superheated vapor at turbine inlet, for a fixed turbine inlet temperature. For a heat source temperature of 120°C, only toluene and isobutane present a small advantage in superheating. It is difficult to find the best fluid, which has simultaneously: high cycle efficiency, low vapor specific volume at turbine outlet, super-atmospheric saturation pressure, good thermal stability, small environmental impact, small toxicity and no flame propagation. From the point of view of cycle efficiency, n-dodecane presents the best performance. However, this fluid presents the highest saturated vapor specific volume (resulting in a larger condenser) and the smallest condenser saturation pressure (resulting in infiltration of gases). The best candidates for the cycle regarding all the aspects are: toluene, cyclohexane and n-pentane. Comparing the three fluids, toluene presents the highest efficiency, the highest impact in environment and the biggest vapor specific volume. N-pentane presents the smallest cycle efficiency and smallest vapor specific volume, but is the unique fluid with super-atmospheric saturation pressure. Cyclohexane is the fluid with lowest impact in environment.

Performance Investigation of Solar Organic Rankine Cycle Systems With and Without Regeneration and With Zeotropic Working Fluid Mixtures for Use in Micro-Cogeneration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wahiba Yaïci ◽  
Evgueniy Entchev ◽  
Pouyan Talebizadeh Sardari
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Heat Source ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Industrial Wastes ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Condensation Temperature ◽  
Thermodynamic Performance ◽  
Cycle Efficiency

Abstract Globally there are several viable sources of renewable, low-temperature heat (below 130°C) particularly solar energy, geothermal energy, and energy generated from industrial wastes. Increased exploitation of these low-temperature options has the definite potential of reducing fossil fuel consumption with its attendant very harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers have universally identified the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) as a practicable and promising system to generate electrical power from renewable sources based on its beneficial use of volatile organic fluids as working fluids (WFs). In recent times, researchers have also shown a preference for/an inclination towards deployment of zeotropic mixtures as ORC WFs because of their capacity to improve thermodynamic performance of ORC systems, a feat enabled by better matches of the temperature profiles of the WF and the heat source/sink. This paper demonstrates both the technical feasibility and the notable advantages of using zeotropic mixtures as WFs through a simulation study of an ORC system. The study examines the thermodynamic performance of ORC systems using zeotropic WF mixtures to generate electricity driven by low-temperature solar heat source for building applications. A thermodynamic model is developed with an ORC system both with and excluding a regenerator. Five zeotropic mixtures with varying compositions of R245fa/propane, R245fa/hexane, R245fa/heptane, pentane/hexane and isopentane/hexane are evaluated and compared to identify the best combinations of WF mixtures that can yield high efficiency in their system cycles. The study also investigates the effects of the volumetric flow ratio, and evaporation and condensation temperature glides on the ORC’s thermodynamic performance. Following a detailed analysis of each mixture, R245fa/propane is selected for parametric study to examine the effects of operating parameters on the system’s efficiency and sustainability index. For zeotropic mixtures, results showed that there is an optimal composition range within which binary mixtures are inclined to perform more efficiently than the component pure fluids. In addition, a significant increase in cycle efficiency can be achieved with a regenerative ORC, with cycle efficiency ranging between 3.1–9.8% and 8.6–17.4% for ORC both without and with regeneration, respectively. Results also showed that exploiting zeotropic mixtures could enlarge the limitation experienced in selecting WFs for low-temperature solar organic Rankine cycles.

scholarly journals Thermodynamic, Economic and Sustainability Analysis of Solar Organic Rankine Cycle System with Zeotropic Working Fluid Mixtures for Micro-Cogeneration in Buildings

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (21) ◽  
pp. 7925
Author(s):  
Wahiba Yaïci ◽  
Evgueniy Entchev ◽  
Pouyan Talebizadehsardari ◽  
Michela Longo
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Heat Source ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Optimum Operating ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Condensation Temperature ◽  
Fluid Mixtures ◽  
Thermodynamic Performance ◽  
Cycle Efficiency

Globally there are several viable sources of renewable, low-temperature heat (below 130 °C), particularly solar energy, geothermal energy, and energy generated from industrial wastes. Increased exploitation of these low-temperature options has the definite potential of reducing fossil fuel consumption with its attendant very harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers have universally identified the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) as a practicable and suitable system to generate electrical power from renewable sources based on its beneficial usage of volatile organic fluids as working fluids (WFs). In recent times, researchers have also shown a preference towards deployment of zeotropic mixtures as ORC WFs because of their capacity to improve thermodynamic performance of ORC systems, a feat enabled through the greater matching of the temperature profiles of the WF and the heat source/sink. This paper demonstrates the thermodynamic, economic and sustainability feasibility, and the notable advantages of using zeotropic mixtures as WFs through a simulation study of an ORC system. The study examines first the thermodynamic performance of ORC systems using zeotropic mixtures to generate electricity powered by a low-temperature solar heat source for building applications. A thermodynamic model is developed with a solar-driven ORC system both with and excluding a regenerator. Twelve zeotropic mixtures with varying compositions are evaluated and compared to identify the best combinations of mixtures that can yield high performance and high efficiency in their system cycles. The study also examines the effects of the volume flow ratio, and evaporation and condensation temperature glides on the ORC’s thermodynamic performance. Following a detailed analysis of each mixture, R245fa/propane and butane/propane are selected for parametric study to investigate the influence of operating parameters on the system’s efficiency and sustainability index. For zeotropic mixtures, results disclosed that there is an optimal composition range within which binary mixtures are inclined to perform more efficiently than the component pure fluids. In addition, a substantial enhancement in cycle efficiency can be obtained by a regenerative ORC, with cycle efficiency ranging between 3.1–9.8% and 8.6–17.4% for ORC both without and with regeneration, respectively. Results also revealed that exploiting zeotropic mixtures could enlarge the limitation experienced in selecting WFs for low-temperature solar ORCs. Moreover, a detailed economic with a sensitivity analysis of the solar ORC system was performed to evaluate the cost of the electricity and other economic criteria. The outcome of this investigation should be useful in the thermo-economic feasibility assessments of solar-driven ORC systems using working fluid mixtures to find the optimum operating range for maximum performance and minimum cost.

Gas Properties as a Limit to Gas Turbine Performance

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Wilcock ◽  
J. B. Young ◽  
J. H. Horlock
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Turbine Inlet Temperature ◽  
Turbine Inlet ◽  
Cycle Efficiency ◽  
Gas Properties

Although increasing the turbine inlet temperature has traditionally proved the surest way to increase cycle efficiency, recent work suggests that the performance of future gas turbines may be limited by increased cooling flows and losses. Another limiting scenario concerns the effect on cycle performance of real gas properties at high temperatures. Cycle calculations of uncooled gas turbines show that when gas properties are modelled accurately, the variation of cycle efficiency with turbine inlet temperature at constant pressure ratio exhibits a maximum at temperatures well below the stoichiometric limit. Furthermore, the temperature at the maximum decreases with increasing compressor and turbine polytropic efficiency. This behaviour is examined in the context of a two-component model of the working fluid. The dominant influences come from the change of composition of the combustion products with varying air/fuel ratio (particularly the contribution from the water vapour) together with the temperature variation of the specific heat capacity of air. There are implications for future industrial development programmes, particularly in the context of advanced mixed gas-steam cycles.

Approximate Relations for Optimum Turbine Operating Parameters in Allam Cycle

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yousef Haseli
Keyword(s):  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Air Separation ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Operating Parameters ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Turbine Inlet Temperature ◽  
Power Cycle ◽  
Turbine Inlet ◽  
Cycle Efficiency

Abstract The Allam power cycle is a novel method for clean power generation which employs the concept of oxyfuel combustion with carbon dioxide as the main working fluid. To date, only a few studies have appeared in the literature in that the performance of the Allam cycle has been assessed using a commercial software. The objective of this article is to explore relations between the cycle performance and the main operating parameters of the Allam cycle through a simplified thermodynamic analysis and mathematical modeling. The cycle efficiency is maximized with respect to turbine parameters. Expressions are derived for estimation of optimum turbine inlet temperature and pressure as well as optimum turbine exhaust pressure. Main simplifications include no portion of the recycled CO2 is used for turbine blades cooling and single stage CO2 compressor without intercooling. The cryogenic air separation process developed by Allam is employed which produces supercritical oxygen at combustion pressure. Typical numerical results are presented using the new expressions for optimum turbine parameters. The highest cycle efficiency is found to be 66.4% at a turbine inlet temperature/inlet pressure/exhaust pressure of 1306 K/300 bar/39.4 bar and a CO2 compressor exit pressure of 60 bar. The newly derived relationships among the key process parameters allow a better understanding of the operation of Allam cycle.

Performance of N2O4 Gas Cycles for Solar Power Applications

1979 ◽  
Vol 193 (1) ◽  
pp. 313-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Angelino
Keyword(s):  
Waste Heat ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Turbine Inlet Temperature ◽  
Power Cycles ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Power Stations ◽  
Turbine Inlet ◽  
Compressor Inlet ◽  
Cycle Efficiency

The use of N2O4 as the working fluid in gas turbine power cycles is recognized as a potential instrument for improving cycle efficiency at moderate top temperatures while maintaining the technical advantages connected with the waste heat rejection at a comparatively high average temperature. Solar central receiver power stations, whose economic effectiveness is very sensitive to cycle efficiency and which must often reject their waste heat into the atmosphere, could usefully adopt this fluid. The thermodynamic reasons which explain the peculiar behaviour of N2O4 as the Brayton cycle working fluid are discussed. With respect to inert gas cycles, N2O4 permits, for a given efficiency, a reduction in turbine inlet temperature by 200-250°C. At a given turbine inlet temperature, the dissociating character of N2O4 allows overall efficiencies similar to those of steam cycles (at least for moderate plant capacities and provided N2O4 and steam cycles reject their waste heat at comparable temperatures). The relatively long relaxation time of the second step of the N2O4 dissociation can represent a problem mainly for the regenerator. A cycle is presented where regeneration at a pressure higher than the compressor inlet pressure can alleviate this problem.

Theoretical and experimental investigation of an organic Rankine cycle for a waste heat recovery system

2009 ◽  
Vol 223 (5) ◽  
pp. 523-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Gu ◽  
Y Weng ◽  
Y Wang ◽  
B Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Heat Source ◽  
Entropy Generation ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Entropy Generation Rate ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Total Entropy ◽  
Waste Heat Recovery System ◽  
Cycle Efficiency

This article describes and evaluates an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) for a waste heat recovery system by both theoretical and experimental studies. Theoretical analysis of several working fluids shows that cycle efficiency is very sensitive to evaporating pressure, but insensitive to expander inlet temperature. Second law analysis was carried out using R600a as a working fluid and a flow of hot air as a heat source, which is not isothermal, along the evaporator. The result discloses that the evaporator's internal and external entropy generation is the main source of total entropy generation. The effect of the heat source temperature, evaporating pressure, and evaporator size on the entropy generation rate is also presented. The obtained useful power is directly linked to the total entropy generation rate according to the Gouy—Stodola theorem. The ORC testing system was established and operated using R600a as a working fluid and hot water as a heat source. The maximum cycle efficiency of the testing system is 5.2 per cent, and the testing result also proves that cycle efficiency is insensitive to heat source temperature, but sensitive to evaporating pressure. The entropy result also shows that internal and external entropy of the evaporator is the main source of total entropy generation.

scholarly journals Utilisation of bleed steam heat to increase the upper heat source temperature in low-temperature ORC

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dariusz Mikielewicz ◽  
Jarosław Mikielewicz
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Heat Source ◽  
Silicone Oil ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Preliminary Heating ◽  
Source Temperature ◽  
Heat Source Temperature ◽  
Steam Heat

Utilisation of bleed steam heat to increase the upper heat source temperature in low-temperature ORC In the paper presented is a novel concept to utilize the heat from the turbine bleed to improve the quality of working fluid vapour in the bottoming organic Rankine cycle (ORC). That is a completely novel solution in the literature, which contributes to the increase of ORC efficiency and the overall efficiency of the combined system of the power plant and ORC plant. Calculations have been accomplished for the case when available is a flow rate of low enthalpy hot water at a temperature of 90 °C, which is used for preliminary heating of the working fluid. That hot water is obtained as a result of conversion of exhaust gases in the power plant to the energy of hot water. Then the working fluid is further heated by the bleed steam to reach 120 °C. Such vapour is subsequently directed to the turbine. In the paper 5 possible working fluids were examined, namely R134a, MM, MDM, toluene and ethanol. Only under conditions of 120 °C/40 °C the silicone oil MM showed the best performance, in all other cases the ethanol proved to be best performing fluid of all. Results are compared with the "stand alone" ORC module showing its superiority.

The Heat Transfer Performance of Porous Gas Turbine Blades

1968 ◽  
Vol 72 (696) ◽  
pp. 1087-1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. Bayley ◽  
A. B. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Turbine Inlet ◽  
Compression And Expansion

It is well known that the performance of the practical gas turbine cycle, in which compression and expansion are non-isentropic, is critically dependent upon the maximum temperature of the working fluid. In engines in which shaft-power is produced the thermal efficiency and the specific power output rise steadily as the turbine inlet temperature is increased. In jet engines, in which the gas turbine has so far found its greatest success, similar advantages of high temperature operation accrue, more particularly as aircraft speeds increase to utilise the higher resultant jet velocities. Even in high by-pass ratio engines, designed specifically to reduce jet efflux velocities for application to lower speed aircraft, overall engine performance responds very favourably to increased turbine inlet temperatures, in which, moreover, these more severe operating conditions apply continuously during flight, and not only at maximum power as with more conventional cycles.

scholarly journals Parametric Optimization and Thermodynamic Performance Comparison of Organic Trans-Critical Cycle, Steam Flash Cycle, and Steam Dual-Pressure Cycle for Waste Heat Recovery

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liya Ren ◽  
Huaixin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Heat Source ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Initial Temperature ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Thermodynamic Performance ◽  
Pressure Cycle ◽  
Net Power Output

Compared with the basic organic and steam Rankine cycles, the organic trans-critical cycle (OTC), steam flash cycle (SFC) and steam dual-pressure cycle (SDC) can be regarded as the improved cycle configurations for the waste heat power recovery since they can achieve better temperature matching between the heat source and working fluid in the heat addition process. This study investigates and compares the thermodynamic performance of the OTC, SFC, and SDC based on the waste heat source from the cement kiln with an initial temperature of 320 °C and mass flow rate of 86.2 kg/s. The effects of the main parameters on the cycle performance are analyzed and the parameter optimization is performed with net power output as the objective function. Results indicate that the maximum net power output of SDC is slightly higher than that of SFC and the OTC using n-pentane provides a 19.74% increase in net power output over the SDC since it can achieve the higher use of waste heat and higher turbine efficiency. However, the turbine inlet temperature of the OTC is limited by the thermal stability of the organic working fluid, hence the SDC outputs more power than that of the OTC when the initial temperature of the exhaust gas exceeds 415 °C.

A Totally Heat-Driven Refrigeration System Using Low-Temperature Heat Sources for Low-Temperature Applications

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (02) ◽  
pp. 1950012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeynab Seyfouri ◽  
Mehran Ameri ◽  
Mozaffar Ali Mehrabian
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Heat Source ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Exergy Efficiency ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Refrigeration Cycle ◽  
Water Mixture ◽  
Refrigeration System ◽  
Power Requirement ◽  
Temperature Heat

In the present study, a totally heat-driven refrigeration system is proposed and thermodynamically analyzed. This system uses a low-temperature heat source such as geothermal energy or solar energy to produce cooling at freezing temperatures. The proposed system comprises a Rankine cycle (RC) and a hybrid GAX (HGAX) refrigeration cycle, in which the RC provides the power requirement of the HGAX cycle. An ammonia–water mixture is used in both RC and HGAX cycles as the working fluid. A comparative study is conducted in which the proposed system is compared with two other systems using GAX cycle and/or a single stage cycle, as the refrigeration cycle. The study shows that the proposed system is preferred to produce cooling at temperatures from 2∘C to [Formula: see text]C. A detailed parametric analysis of the proposed system is carried out. The results of the analysis show that the system can produce cooling at [Formula: see text]C using a low-temperature heat source at 133.5∘C with the exergy efficiency of about 20% without any input power. By increasing the heat source temperature to 160∘C, an exergy efficiency of 25% can be achieved.

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