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The performance of a heat exchanger is directly related to the energy conversion efficiency of the thermal storage system, and its optimal design is an important method to improve the performance of the heat exchanger. This paper uses the distributed parameter method to analyze the effect of the structural parameters and operating parameters of a heat exchanger on the entransy dissipation rate, the entransy dissipation number, the entransy dissipation heat resistance, entropy production rate, and entropy production number in a molten salt–supercritical CO2 concentric tube heat exchanger. The results show that the entransy dissipation rate and entropy production rate have the same trend, with the structural parameters and operating parameters, as well as the changes in the entransy dissipation number and entransy dissipation thermal resistance, jointly affected by the entransy dissipation rate and the heat exchange. Based on the above indicators, single-objective and multi-objective optimization calculations were carried out. The results show that taking the minimum entropy dissipation number, entransy dissipation heat resistance, and improved entropy production number as the objective functions, and using the heat transfer effectiveness as the evaluation index, the optimization effect is better. The ε value is increased by 41.2%, 39.5%, and 40.3% compared with the reference individual. In the multi-objective optimization, taking the minimum number of entransy dissipation and entropy production as the objective function, and using the efficiency of heat transfer and the pressure drop of the working fluid as the evaluation indicators, the optimization effect is better. Compared with the reference individual, the ε value increased by 23.5%, and Δ P h and Δ P c decreased by 51.9% and 32.5%, respectively. This study provides a reference for the optimization of supercritical CO2 heat exchangers by utilizing parameters such as entransy and entropy, which reflect the irreversible loss of the heat transfer process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single-screw expander (SSE) is a type of volumetric expander that can be applied to low-grade heat and waste heat recovery utilizing the organic Rankine cycle system. In this paper, a new thermodynamic modeling of SSEs considering the friction power consumption is carried out to examine the performance. The mathematical model was verified by experimental results, and the calculation results have a good agreement with the experimental results. The clearance height has great influence on the expander performance. The influence of clearance height on the leakage flow rate, friction power consumption, volumetric and isentropic efficiency were investigated. Results show that path L 8 , L 7 and L 2+4 are the three main leakage paths, and path L 8 , L 7 and L 9 are the three main friction power consumption. Compared with the meshing clearance height, the fitting clearance has a more significant effect on the performance of SSEs. Setting a higher fitting clearance and meshing clearance is an effective measure to reduce friction power consumption and prevent gaterotor wear, respectively. It would be favorable if the fitting and meshing clearance height is no less than 0.04 mm and 0.02 mm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a mathematical model of torque for Single screw expanders (SSEs). Instantaneous torque and torque ratio were analyzed and discussed. The periodic variation of instantaneous torque is the same for different inlet pressure levels. The torque ratio, with its value close to 1, is independent of the inlet pressure of SSE. An experimental system was established to measure the torque, power and shaft efficiency of the self-developed SSE prototype, and results were used to validate the model. Comparison shows that the difference between calculated and experimental torque values is small (6.58 N.m to 7.55 N.m). The calculated and experimental output power is similar, with a difference of 2.07 kW to 2.37 kW. Therefore, the proposed model can be used to estimate the torque and output power of SSEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is a popular and promising technology that has been widely studied and adopted in renewable and sustainable energy utilization and low-grade waste heat recovery. The use of zeotropic mixtures in ORC has been attracting more and more attention because of the possibility to match the temperature profile of the heat source by non-isothermal phase change, which reduces the irreversibility in the evaporator and the condenser. The selection of working fluid and expander is strongly interconnected. As a novel expander, a single screw expander was selected and used in this paper for efficient utilization of the wet zeotropic mixtures listed in REFPROP 9.1 in a low-temperature subcritical ORC system. Five indicators, namely net work, thermal efficiency, heat exchange load of condenser, temperature glide in evaporator, and temperature glide in condenser, were used to analyze the performance of an ORC system with wet and isentropic zeotropic mixtures as working fluids. The calculation and analysis results indicate that R441A with an expander outlet temperature of 320 K may be the suitable zeotropic mixture used for both open and close type heat source. R436B may be selected with an expander outlet temperature of 315 K. R432A may be selected with an expander outlet temperature from 295 K to 310 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is a popular technology used in waste heat recovery and medium-low-temperature heat utilization. Working fluid plays a very important role in ORC. The selection of working fluid can greatly affect the efficiency, the operation condition, the impact on the environment, and the economic feasibility of ORC. The expander is a key device in ORC. As a novel expander, single-screw expanders have been becoming a research focus in the above two areas because of their many good characteristics. One of the advantages of single-screw configurations is that they can conduct a vapor–liquid two-phase expansion. Therefore, in order to give full play to this advantage, a working fluid selection for ORC using a single-screw expander was conducted in this paper. Three indicators, namely, net work output, thermal efficiency, and heat exchange load of condenser, were used to analyze the performance of an ORC system. Through calculation and analysis, it can be seen that an ORC system that uses a single-screw expander and undergoes a vapor–liquid two-phase expansion is able to obtain a higher thermal efficiency, higher net work output, and a smaller heat exchange load of the condenser. Regardless of whether isentropic efficiency of the expander is considered or not, cis-butene may be the best candidate for working in subcritical cycles. HFO working fluids are more suitable for working in transcritical cycles, and HFO-1234ze(E) may be the best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]