Lab-scale Organic Rankine cycle for low temperature geothermal energy source

Yuyuan Xu (2014219)
Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering

Background
Due to the increasing demand of energy consumption and the target for using renewable energy, Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) has become the attractive option as it is suitable for low-grade renewable energy heat source, such as geothermal energy. For approaching energy balance in heat changer, Brazed heat exchanger XB 06H-1 was chosen as evaporator type, so UA was determined. UA=127.731 W/K

Objective
The purpose of the project is to model and design a lab-scale Organic Rankine Cycle system for utilising geothermal energy and to anaylise how the temperature heat source affect the efficiency of ORC systems.

Method
The thermodynamic properties of the working fluid and the ORC performance are evaluated with Excel spreadsheet which linked to the REFPROP 9.0.
Figure 3.Flow chart of ORC cycle
7.5 9.4

9.2 7.45

Efficiency of Carnot carnot (%)

Wexp W pump Qevap

Theoretical thermal efficiency of ORC (%)

8.8

7.4

8.6

8.4

7.35

8.2

carnot

TH Tc = TH

7.3

7.8

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of ORC system under consideration

7.25 45 50 55 60 65 70 Heat source temperature difference T ()

7.6 45 50 55 60 65 70 Heat source temperature difference T ()

P1=P4 P2=P3 S1=S2,is S3=S4,is Wpump = h2 - h1 Qevap = h3 - h2 Wexp = h3 - h4 Qcond = h4- h1

Figure 4. Heat source temperature difference and theoretical thermal efficiency

Figure 5. Heat source temperature difference and Carnot efficiency

Table 1. Variations of irreversibility rate and second law efficiency with increasing heat source temperature
65
Irreversibi lity rate 0.11580 (kW) Second law efficiency 2nd (%)

Heat source temperature Th() 70 75 80 85

90

total = Qevap

Figure 2. T-S diagram of ORC for R245fa

0.12397 0.13188 0.13953 0.14695 0.15412

2nd =
W exp W exp +I total

Working fluid: 245fa Given heat source temperature and heat sink temperature Constant parameters in the proposed ORC system: pump, exp, mc, mh, Wexp

39.5611 38.1944 36.9820 35.8990 34.9258 34.0464

Conclusion
The maximum thermal efficiency of ORC is T=70. A larger temperature difference result in higher thermal efficiency of ORC and Carnot efficiency carnot. In addition, there is a contrary relationship between second law efficiency and the irreversibility rate in ORC cycle.
Heat exchanger (Danfoss, 2010) Expander (Air Squared Mfg, 2012)

Reference
Danfoss. Datasheet for Brazed heat exchanger XB. (2010) Air Squared Mfg. Datasheet forE15H22N4.25 1KW Scroll Expander. (2012)

University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401