Small-scale Organic Rankine Cycle System Research Articles

Thermodynamic Performance Characterization of a Small-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle with 5 kW Net Power Output

Abstract Indonesia’s current energy landscape predominantly depends on fossil fuels and non-renewable energy sources, thereby exacerbating the issue of global warming. On the other side, geothermal utilization in the country still needs to be expanded to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, particularly through organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems. As an example, Ulumbu Geothermal Power Plant in Flores Island currently uses a back pressure turbine, which releases expanded steam directly into the atmosphere at 98.7°C and 0.98 bar. This paper presents a thermodynamic analysis of a small-scale Organic Rankine Cycle with 5kW Net power output based on the waste heat data of the Ulumbu Geothermal Power Plant. The study includes selecting the working fluid based on Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and Global Warming Potential (GWP) values, thermal efficiency, refrigerant, and steam mass flow rate calculation. Among 20 refrigerants available in Indonesia, R245fa shows promise, offering a Rankine system efficiency of 10-11%, zero ODP, a GWP of 850, and the lowest refrigerant mass flow rate. These parameters inform useful initial parameters for designing a small-scale ORC system producing 5 kW of net power, promoting cleaner and sustainable energy solutions for communities.

Numerical analysis-based performance assessment of the small-scale organic Rankine cycle turbine design for residential applications

The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is one of the most common ways to use energy resources to utilise waste heat. Integrating ORC with other systems, such as cooling or heating applications, is also helpful for residential uses. In the ORC system, the turbines are the most critical component determining the system's efficiency. This study conducted a computational fluid dynamics study on a regenerative flow turbine that can be used in small-scale organic Rankine cycle systems. For the higher temperature applications, the analyses were performed using n-pentane working fluid for 1500 and 3000 rpm turbine speeds, inlet temperature between 475–550 K, outlet pressure between 0.9–1.2 MPa, and mass flow rates between 0.5–1.0 kg/s. As a result of the analysis, the isentropic efficiency varies between 4.97 % and 12.52 %. It was concluded that the output power obtained from the turbine varies between 0.53 kW and 2.96 kW. The analyses were also performed for lower temperature (363 and 393 K), pressure (0.05 MPa and 0.3 MPa) and mass flows (0.1 to 0.25 kg/s) applications. In this case, the isentropic efficiency of the turbine varies between 6.23 % and 14.52 %, whereas the power generation varies between 0.068 and 0.521 kW.

Multi-condition operating characteristics and optimization of a small-scale ORC system

The multi-condition operating characteristics of an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) are crucial to the development of the practical unit. This work developed a steady-state model of a small-scale ORC prototype built and tested in the lab. The influence of heat source/sink parameters, component design, and operation strategies are analyzed. It is found that the optimal output power and thermal efficiency correspond to the similar expander rotating speed but diverse working fluid mass flow rate. The higher mass flow rate is beneficial to the output power whereas deteriorates the thermal efficiency. Heat source temperature and flow rates mainly affect the unit output power while the ambient temperature and humidity influence both the output power and thermal efficiency. The condenser fouling resistance leads to a significant reduction of expander output power and system thermal efficiency. However, the effect of the evaporator fouling resistance could be neglected due to its sufficient redundant area. The long-term climate conditions and operating strategies profoundly impact the unit's off-design performance. The annual constant output power operation can be achieved by adjusting the working fluid mass flow rate. The thermal efficiency of the unit is damaged while pursuing the output power stability in winter and spring.

Experimental validation of a 0.3 kW ORC for the future purposes in the study of low-grade thermal to power conversion

Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is a promising development direction for energy conservation and environmental protection, as it can effectively convert low-temperature waste heat into mechanical work. This article focuses on the experimental performance study of what is likely the world's smallest scroll expander used in a 0.3 kW micro-ORC system. The system uses R1233zd-E as the working fluid, and the expander is repurposed from a scroll compressor of an air conditioner, with a displacement of 11.1 mL/rev. In the first part of the experiments, the influence of the system pressure difference and the expander rotational speed on the system performance is investigated while keeping the expander inlet superheating fixed. The maximum system efficiency, expander efficiency, and power output were 5.46 %, 72.4 %, and 0.266 kW, respectively. In the second part of experiments, the effect of changing the heating source temperature on the system is explored while keeping the expander rotational speed and inlet pressure fixed. As the superheat increased, both the expander and cycle efficiency increased. In addition, this study combines the experimental results with previous data on small-scale ORC systems and discusses the similar trends, indirectly demonstrating that the 0.3 kW micro-ORC can achieve similar behavior as predicted in a large-scale ORC.

Experimental research and artificial neural network prediction of free piston expander-linear generator

For the purpose of better matching the performance of the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system concerning the vehicle engine waste heat recovery, this paper studies the output performance of free piston expander-linear generator (FPE-LG). A test bench of FPE-LG is established for small scale ORC system, and timing and displacement control strategy is proposed. Furthermore, the impact of the intake pressure and the torque on motion characteristics and output performance of FPE-LG are analyzed. According to evaluating different learning rates, number of hidden artificial neural networks and training functions, a prediction model of FPE-LG based on artificial neural network is established. Genetic algorithm is used to optimize the key operating parameters, to maximize the power output of FPE-LG. In consideration of the mean square error and determination coefficient, the artificial neural network model is verified and tested by experimental data. Finally, combining genetic algorithm with artificial neural network model, the maximum power output of FPE-LG is optimized and its performance is predicted. The results show that the maximum value of electric current, voltage and power output are 2.8 A, 14.75 V and 28.5 W, respectively. Based on artificial neural network, this method can provide useful guidance for performance prediction and coordinated optimization, with advantages of minimum deviation and high precision.

Experimental Investigation of a 560 Watt Organic Rankine Cycle System using R134a as Working Fluid and Plat Solar Collector as Heat Source

New and renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, and waste heat are energy sources that can be used as a source of energy for Organic Rankine cycle system because the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) requires heat at low temperatures to be used as energy source. The experimental of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems with solar energy as a heat source was conduct to investigate a small-scale ORC system with R134a as a working fluid by varying the heat source at temperature 75⁰C-95⁰C. The experiment resulted a maximum efficiency, power of system is 4.30%, and 185.9 Watt, where the temperature of heat source is 95⁰C, the pressure and temperature of steam inlet turbine is 1.38 MPa and 67.9oC respectively. Solar energy as the main energy source in the ORC system can reduce energy use up to 49.9% or 4080.8 kJ where the temperature of the water as the heat source in the evaporator is 51°C.

Evaluation and selection of dry and isentropic working fluids based on their pump performance in small-scale organic Rankine cycle

• A trapezoid model used to represent the power consumption of pump is established. • The perfection of Organic Rankine Cycle relative to the Carnot cycle is analyzed. • The deviation between the real and ideal gas behavior is obtained. • The optimal condensation temperature of each working fluids is determined. • Their suitable pump types are determined. The circulation pump is an important element limiting the development of small-scale Organic Rankine Cycle system which may have a negative efficiency when the power consumption of the pump is considered and if a suitable pump that corresponds to the working fluid is not properly selected. Based on the consideration mentioned above, in this paper, a trapezoid used to represent the power consumption of the pump and a triangle used to represent the degree of subcooling of the working fluid are defined. Using these two models, the perfection of Organic Rankine Cycle at the optimal condensation temperature relative to the Carnot cycle within the same temperature limitation is analyzed when 69 dry and isentropic working fluids are used in Organic Rankine Cycle. The deviation between the real and ideal gas behavior of each working fluid is also obtained. On this basis, the optimal condensation temperature of each dry and isentropic working fluid is determined. Moreover, the applicability of each organic working fluid in Organic Rankine Cycle is discussed from the viewpoint of pump performance. 36 working fluids are suitable and 33 ones not suitable for the application in small-scale Organic Rankine Cycle system. Suitable pump types corresponding to applicable organic working fluids are also analyzed and determined. The graphic method proposed in this paper and the findings about pump performance can provide reference for the operation of practical Organic Rankine Cycle.

Investigation on the use of a novel regenerative flow turbine in a micro-scale Organic Rankine Cycle unit

Reliable and low-cost expanders are fundamental for the competitiveness of small-scale Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) plants using low-temperature heat sources. Regenerative flow turbines (RFTs) can be considered a low-cost and viable alternative expander, yet their performance needs to be fully investigated. Therefore, the use of an RFT in a micro-scale ORC test bench is investigated in this work through a modelling study. Specifically, three-dimensional CFD simulations are carried out to assess the performance of the considered expander with varying operating conditions and a numerical model of a non-regenerative, small-scale ORC system is developed to investigate its potential in waste heat recovery (WHR) applications.Using R245fa as the working fluid, the CFD analysis shows that the expander achieves a maximum total-to-static isentropic efficiency of about 44% in the investigated operating range. The small-scale ORC system has a net output power in the range 100–600 W and a net cycle efficiency of 1–2.3%. Moreover, a comparison with two scroll expanders having different built-in volume ratios shows that the RFT operates with higher isentropic efficiencies in low mass flow rates and pressure ratios thus highlighting its suitability for low-temperature WHR applications, especially when considerable fluctuations of the heat source are expected.

Toward the Integrated Design of Organic Rankine Cycle Power Plants: A Method for the Simultaneous Optimization of Working Fluid, Thermodynamic Cycle, and Turbine

Abstract The conventional design of organic Rankine cycle (ORC) power systems starts with the selection of the working fluid and the subsequent optimization of the corresponding thermodynamic cycle. More recently, systematic methods have been proposed integrating the selection of the working fluid into the optimization of the thermodynamic cycle. However, in both cases, the turbine is designed subsequently. This procedure can lead to a suboptimal design, especially in the case of mini- and small-scale ORC systems, since the preselected combination of working fluid and operating conditions may lead to infeasible turbine designs. The resulting iterative design procedure may end in conservative solutions after multiple trial-and-error attempts due to the strong interdependence of the many design variables and constraints involved. In this work, we therefore present a new design and optimization method integrating working fluid selection, thermodynamic cycle design, and preliminary turbine design. To this purpose, our recent 1-stage continuous-molecular targeting (CoMT)-computer-aided molecular design (CAMD) method for the integrated design of the ORC process and working fluid is expanded by a turbine meanline design procedure. Thereby, the search space of the optimization is bounded to regions where the design of the turbine is feasible. The resulting method has been tested for the design of a small-scale high-temperature ORC unit adopting a radial-inflow turbo-expander. The results confirm the potential of the proposed method over the conventional iterative design practice for the design of small-scale ORC turbogenerators.

Thermoeconomic optimisation of small-scale organic Rankine cycle systems based on screw vs. piston expander maps in waste heat recovery applications

The high cost of organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems is a key barrier to their implementation in waste-heat recovery (WHR) applications. In particular, the choice of the expansion device has a significant influence on this cost, strongly affecting the economic viability of an installation. In this work, numerical simulations and optimisation strategies are used to compare the performance and profitability of small-scale ORC systems using reciprocating-piston or single/two-stage screw expanders when recovering heat from the exhaust gases of a 185-kW internal combustion engine operating in baseload mode. The study goes beyond previous work by directly comparing these small-scale expanders for a broad range of working fluids, and by exploring the sensitivity of project viability to key parameters such as electricity price and onsite heat demand. For the piston expander, a lumped-mass model and optimisation based on artificial neural networks are used to generate performance maps, while performance and cost correlations from the literature are used for the screw expanders. The thermodynamic analysis shows that two-stage screw expanders typically deliver more power than either single-stage screw or piston expanders due to their higher conversion efficiency at the required pressure ratios. The best fluids for the proposed application are acetone and ethanol, as these provide a compromise between the exergy losses in the condenser and in the evaporator. The maximum net power output is found to be 17.7 kW, from an ORC engine operating with acetone and a two-stage screw expander. On the other hand, the thermoeconomic optimisation shows that reciprocating-piston expanders show a potential for lower specific costs, and since piston-expander technology is not mature, especially at these scales, this finding motivates further consideration of this component. A minimum specific investment cost of 1630 €/kW is observed for an ORC engine with a piston expander, again with acetone as the working fluid. This system, optimised for minimum cost, gives the shortest payback time of 4 years at an avoided electricity cost of 0.13 €/kWh. Finally, financial appraisals show a high sensitivity of the investment profitability to the value of produced electricity and to the heat-demand intensity.

Numerical Investigation on the Performance of a Regenerative Flow Turbine for Small-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle Systems

In this study, the performance characteristics of a regenerative flow turbine (RFT) prototype have been investigated by means of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study. The prototype has been initially designed to be used in gas pipelines replacing expansion valves but, because of the intrinsic characteristics of this kind of expander, its use can be extended to other applications like the expansion process in small-scale organic Rankine cycle (ORC) plants. In the first part of this work, the numerical results of the CFD analysis have been validated with the experimental data reported in literature for the same turbine prototype. After the validation of the model, a detailed study has been carried out in order to evaluate specific features of the turbine, focusing the attention on the typical operating conditions of small-scale low-temperature ORC systems. Results have shown that the considered RFT prototype operates with higher isentropic efficiencies (about 32% at 6000 rpm) at lower mass flow rates, while the power output is penalized compared to other operating points. The numerical analysis has also pointed out the high impact of the losses in the leakage flow in the gap between the blade tips and the stripper walls. Therefore, the CFD analysis carried out has provided a thoughtful understanding of the performance of the expander at varying operating conditions and useful insights for the future redesign of this kind of machine for the application in small-scale ORCs.

Experimental study of an organic rankine cycle system using r134a as working fluid with helical evaporator and condenser

Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system is a modification of the conventional Rankine cycle to generate electricity from the utilization of low-grade temperature heat sources. Experiment on ORC systems was conducted to analyse the performance of a small scale ORC system with 1 kW capacity using R134a as working fluid. A helical type of evaporator and condenser were used as heat exchangers and a scroll type car compressor was used to generate power with variation in heat source temperatures of 75°C, 85°C, and 95°C. Turbine power is calculated theoretically based on the experimental data obtained due to the turbine was not able to rotate. This experiment results show the optimum efficiency and theoretical power of ORC is respectively 3.33% and 279.58 Watt with inlet pressure and temperature of turbine are respectively 1.25 MPa and 67.7°C.

Design and Analysis of a Single-Stage Transonic Centrifugal Turbine for organic Rankine cycle (ORC)

The recovery of low temperature heat sources is a hot topic in the world. The ORC system can effectively use the low temperature heat source. As its main output device, the performance of the turbine is very important. The single stage transonic turbine has the characteristics of small size and large output power. In this paper, the complete design process of a transonic centrifugal turbine with R245fa in low working temperature condition is introduced. At the design conditions, the shaft power and the wheel efficiency of the centrifugal turbine can reach 1.12 MW and 83.61%, respectively. In addition, a thermodynamic ORC cycle is presented and the off-design conditions of the turbine and its influence on the system are studied in detail. The results obtained in the present work show that the single-stage transonic centrifugal turbine can be regarded as a potential choice to be applied in small scale ORC systems.

Performance analysis of a single-piston free piston expander-linear generator with intake timing control strategy based on piston displacement

A single-piston free piston expander-linear generator (FPE-LG) prototype for a small-scale Organic Rankine Cycle system is presented. The steady-state operation of the prototype is successfully achieved, which indicates the feasibility of single-piston FPE-LG with intake timing control strategy based on piston displacement. The effects of intake duration, intake pressure, theoretical stroke, and external load resistance (R) on operational performance and energy conversion efficiency are investigated. Results show that the piston is running at a relatively high velocity when it approaches the predetermined special displacement point (X1 or X2). The peak voltage, current, and power output increase linearly as the intake pressure and duration increase. The theoretical stroke exerts a minimal effect on peak velocity and peak voltage output but considerably affects the operating frequency. The peak power output and work-electric conversion efficiency (ηw-e) increase first and then decrease with increasing external load resistance. The peak output power and ηw-e reach the maximum value of 32.5 W and 30.8%, respectively, with an optimal R = 80 Ω. As the intake duration increases, the indicated efficiency increases gradually, whereas ηw-e shows an increasing and then decreasing trend. The optimal intake duration for reaching the maximum ηw-e is variable under different operation conditions.

CFD analysis of variable wall thickness scroll expander integrated into small scale ORC systems

Abstract The studies of constant wall thickness scroll expander have pointed out that geometries with large built-in volume ratios are necessary to achieve high performances in small-sized organic Rankine cycle (ORC) units. The variable wall thickness expander design offers the opportunity of increasing the geometric expansion ratio with the number of scroll turns remaining unchanged to avoid sealing and lubricating issues. In this paper, unsteady and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of scroll expander using variable wall thicknesses were therefore carried out to investigate the effects of the geometry on the internal flow behaviour. The scroll expander was integrated into an ORC unit fed by R123. The dynamic mesh technology of ANSYS Fluent was applied to generate the deforming mesh in the expander working chambers. The aerodynamic performance analysis yielded how over-expansion phenomena occurred at low pressure ratio while under-expansion phenomena were existing at high pressure ratio which are consistent with the thermodynamic theory of scroll expander. The higher pressure ratio was also contributing to higher temperature drops during the expansion process. Moreover, the occurrence of flank leakages through the radial clearances and its effects on the flow field were pointed out further proving the thermodynamic theory of scroll expander.

Performance analysis of low speed axial impulse turbine using two type nozzles for small-scale organic Rankine cycle

Expander is one of the core components in organic Rankine cycle (ORC). High rotating speed and limited working range are the key limitations on using turbine expander in small-scale ORC system. In this work, an axial turbine, consisting of 6 nozzles and 36 blades with mean diameter of 160 mm, is designed with partially admitted method to evaluate the feasibility of reducing rotating speed for small mass flow conditions and extending working range with R245fa used as working fluid. The results from 3D simulation show reasonable performance in design and off-design conditions. In design condition, the mass flow rate, turbine power output and turbine efficiency using Laval nozzle are 1.035 kg/s, 17.0 kW and 54.1%, higher than using convergent nozzle. However, the performance using convergent nozzle is better than using Laval nozzle when total mass flow is lower than 0.6 kg/s. Furthermore, reducing the number of nozzles can effectively increase power output of turbine and thermal efficiency of ORC for small mass flow conditions. With the designed turbine using 6 Laval nozzles and rotating at 10,000 RPM, the maximum net power output and thermal efficiency of bottoming ORC are 18.3 kW and 7.8%, respectively.

Machine Learning for the prediction of the dynamic behavior of a small scale ORC system

Dynamic modelling plays a crucial role in the analysis of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems for waste heat recovery, which deal with a highly unsteady heat source. The efficiency of small scale ORCs (i.e. below 100 kW power output) is low (<10%). Therefore, it is essential to keep the performance of the system as stable as possible. To do so, it is helpful to be able to predict the dynamic behavior of the system, in order to perform a maximization of its performance over the time.In this paper, Feedforward, Recurrent and Long Short Term Memory networks have been compared in the prediction of the dynamics of a 20 kW ORC system. Feedforward Neural Network is the simplest among the architectures developed for machine learning. Recurrent and Long Short Term Memory networks have been proved accurate in the prediction of the performance of dynamic systems. This study demonstrates that the three architectures are capable of predicting the dynamic behavior of the ORC system with a good degree of accuracy. The Long Short Term Memory architecture resulted as the highest performing, in that it correctly predicts the dynamics of the system, showing an error prediction lower than 5% and 10% respectively for what concern the prediction 10 and 60 seconds ahead.

An appraisal of proportional integral control strategies for small scale waste heat to power conversion units based on Organic Rankine Cycles

Despite the increasing number of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) installations at megawatt scale, the waste heat rejected by industrial processes can vary substantially from a few kWh to many megawatt hours. Hence, ORC units with a power output in the range of tens of kilowatts should be developed to tackle the heat recovery and business opportunities that can arise from this market segment. In the current research activity, a dynamic model of a small scale ORC system was developed using a commercial software platform. The unit is equipped with two plate heat exchangers, a centrifugal pump and a radial turbine designed and optimized using an in-house code and a commercial 1D modelling tool. The off-design behaviour of the ORC system has been characterized by varying the inlet conditions of heat source and sink, and the revolution speed of the turbomachines. Moreover, the response to transient thermal inputs at different time scales has also been investigated. Finally, four control strategies have been compared from the performance and energy efficiency perspectives. The results show that the turbine based regulation strategies achieve better control performance while pump based controls are able to regulate the system by maintaining the net power output closer to the design point.

Experimental investigation and optimal performance assessment of four volumetric expanders (scroll, screw, piston and roots) tested in a small-scale organic Rankine cycle system

The aim of this paper is to facilitate the selection of the expander for a small-scale organic Rankine cycle based on an experimental comparison of a piston, a screw, a scroll and a roots expander. First, based on a literature review, a comparison between these four technologies of volumetric expansion machines is performed. Afterward, four displacement expanders [2–4 kW] are tested on two similar small-scale ORC unit with fluid R245fa. The maximum effective isentropic efficiencies measured are 53% for the piston expander and the screw expander, 76% for the variable-speed scroll and 48% for the roots machine. However, these performances do not reflect the highest efficiencies achievable by each expander: the test-rig presents experimental limitations in terms of mass flow rate and pressure drop (among others) that restricts the achievable operating conditions. The calibration of semi-empirical models based on the measurements allows to overcome this issue and to predict the isentropic efficiency in optimal conditions despite the limitations of the test-rigs. Based on experimental results, extrapolated prediction of the semi-empirical model and practical considerations, some guidelines are drawn to help the reader to select properly a volumetric expander.

A small-scale solar Organic Rankine Cycle power plant in Thailand: Three types of non-concentrating solar collectors

Power generation from solar energy is one of many alternative ways to solve the current energy crisis and environmental problems affecting our world. In this study, a system that utilizes low-temperature heat (under 100 °C) from solar energy to generate electricity by a small-scale Organic Rankine Cycle system is proposed. The system is analyzed using three different capacities of the ORC system with R-245fa (20, 40 and 60 kWe) in combination with solar water heating system (SWHS), using four different models (SORC-I, SORC-II, SORC-III, and SORC-IV). Compound parabolic concentrator (CPC), evacuated-tube and flat-plate collectors were used to generate heat with optical efficiency (FR(τα)e) of 0.72, 0.57, 0.74, overall heat transfer coefficient (FRUL) of 0.97, 0.75, 3.62 W/m2-K, and collector area of 2.16, 2.37, 2.08 m2 per unit, respectively. The maximum power output, the CO2 emission, and the economic analysis in terms of levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) were evaluated by a mathematical model. The weather data from Bangkok, a representative city in the central part of Thailand, was used for simulations. The simulation results shown that, if the number of collectors is the same on all systems, the system can produce the highest power output when combined with the CPC collectors. In terms of the economic analysis, the 60 kWe ORC system has the lowest LCOE value of 0.20 USD/kWh if coupled with 950 units of evacuated-tube collectors without initial investment of the collectors into consideration. In this case, the system can produce the power output of 113.5 MWh/Year, and reduce CO2 emission of 62.2 Ton CO2 eq./Year. If investment cost is taken into account, a LCOE of 0.67 USD/kWh can be achieved by the same system but coupled with 900 units of the same collectors. In this case, the system power output is 110.0 MWh/Year, and CO2 emission are reduced by 60.3 Ton CO2 eq./Year.