The Impact of Operating Parameters on the Performance of a New ORC–VCC Combination for Cogeneration

Abstract

This manuscript presents a new combination based on a thermodynamic conversion, the idea is to combine the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) with the Vapor Compression Cycle (VCC). The novelty of the system appears essentially in: the development of new ORC–VCC combination architecture, the lowering of the ORC cycle temperature, the possibility of cold production by the ORC cycle upstream of the pumping phase, preheating of ORC cycle using VCC cycle fluid and new configurations based on the integration of heat recovery systems to improve overall system performance. In addition, each installation mode has several configurations depending on the recovery points that will be integrated later, besides its adaptation to any energy source, where we can use biomass, solar and heat rejects of industry at low temperatures (80‒160°C). This system can produce a cold with negative and positive temperatures. Although, thanks to its architecture, it is also characterized by many combination of selection fluid for the ORC and VCC cycles it is not necessarily to have the same working fluid as the classic systems. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the performance of a new system which combines Rankine-vapor compression cycle for the cogeneration of electricity and refrigeration. Coefficient of performance (COP) will be compared with other cooling systems and power system, such as the system turbo compressor Rankine. The fluids we used in the work are ammonia for the ORC and R600a for the VCC.