Advanced exergy, economic, and environmental evaluation of an Organic Rankine Cycle driven dual evaporators vapour-compression refrigeration system using organic fluids

Abstract

The current research combines a dual evaporator vapour-compression refrigeration system with an organic Rankine cycle. The integrated system is a renewable energy-based technology that can provide refrigeration at different refrigeration temperatures and capacities. The system's performance is compared using five different organic working fluids: butane, pentane, isopentane, hexane, and R245fa, to recommend the most suitable fluid for the system. Coefficient of performance (COP), exergy efficiency (ηex), total cost (Ctot), and payback period (PB) are taken as the performance parameters. Moreover, the system's exergy performance is analysed using advanced exergy analysis (AEA), and sensitivity analysis to determine the optimal operating condition for system components. The result indicates that butane is the optimal fluid for improving energy, exergy, economical, and environmental performance. The system has a COP of 0.377, an exergy efficiency of 10.91%, a total cost of $33,091, and a payback period of 5.8 years. Boiler, compressor, condenser, and EPG make up 31% of the total exergy destruction that can be avoided by adequately selecting their operating condition. The optimal condition for boiler temperature, condenser temperature, the pinch-point temperature difference in condenser and boiler, and compressor efficiency is 120 °C, 40 °C, 3 °C, 10 °C, and 0.7, respectively.