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• Modelling and experimental results of reciprocating expander were presented. • Variable valve timing was employed to control the expansion ratio of the expander. • The expander provide 2.5 kW power output and 70% isentropic efficiency. • Dynamic model predicts torque and pressure traces with reasonable accuracy. • Model predicts power and isentropic efficiency within ±10% and ±30% accuracy. This paper presents a reciprocating expander concept for organic Rankine cycle applications using a novel rotating variable timing admission valve system, enabling the adjustment of the expansion ratio in real time while the expander is running. An organic Rankine cycle experimental test rig with n-pentane as the working fluid and a single-cylinder reciprocating piston expander was developed. Experiments were conducted for evaporation temperatures ranging from 125 °C to 150 °C and condensation temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 40 °C. The performance of the reciprocating piston expander was investigated in terms of the torque of the expander, pressure inside the cylinder, isentropic efficiency of the expander, and net power produced by the expander. Based on the experimental data, a dynamic model of the system was formulated in the object-oriented language, Modelica. The model was validated using the experimental results and then used to predict the performance of the expander. Special attention was paid to the robust modelling of the valve actuation to avoid computational inefficiencies caused by singularities of state variables or their derivatives. The results indicate that the expander produces up to 2.5 kW of electricity from a low-temperature heat source while operating at pressure ratios ranging from 10 to 16.5 with an isentropic efficiency of approximately 70%. The relative differences between the model and the measurements of the isentropic efficiency and power output of the expander per revolution were ±10% and ±30%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity and power produced from waste heat is particularly relevant in shipping because fuel expenses constitute the majority of the cost of operating the ships; however, the cost-benefit aspect limits the widespread implementation of waste heat recovery power units on ships. This paper presents the thermodynamic analysis of a concept that aims at reducing the cost of an organic Rankine cycle unit by using one of the cylinders in a large diesel engine as expansion device. Numerical models were used to optimise the process parameters and thereby determine the power potential for this concept. The evaluation of 104 working fluids points to cyclopropane, R245fa and R1234ze(z) as the most promising. The results suggest that the power produced by the organic Rankine cycle cylinder is at least equivalent to that of the cylinders operating with the diesel process. This enables potential fuel savings and emissions reductions of about 8.3% in the studied scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Much attention is focused on increasing the energy efficiency to decrease fuel costs and CO2 emissions throughout industrial sectors. The ORC (organic Rankine cycle) is a relatively simple but efficient process that can be used for this purpose by converting low and medium temperature waste heat to power. In this study we propose four linear regression models to predict the maximum obtainable thermal efficiency for simple and recuperated ORCs. A previously derived methodology is able to determine the maximum thermal efficiency among many combinations of fluids and processes, given the boundary conditions of the process. Hundreds of optimised cases with varied design parameters are used as observations in four multiple regression analyses. We analyse the model assumptions, prediction abilities and extrapolations, and compare the results with recent studies in the literature. The models are in agreement with the literature, and they present an opportunity for accurate prediction of the potential of an ORC to convert heat sources with temperatures from 80 to 360 °C, without detailed knowledge or need for simulation of the process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Organic Rankine cycle power systems for low quality waste heat recovery applications can play a major role in achieving targets of increasing industrial processes efficiency and thus reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. Low capacity organic Rankine cycle systems are equipped with brazed plate heat exchangers which allows for efficient heat transfer with a compact design. Accurate heat transfer correlations characterizing these devices are required from the design phase to the development of model-based control strategies. In this paper, the experimental heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop during vaporization at typical temperatures for low quality waste heat recovery organic Rankine cycle systems are presented for the working fluids HFC-245fa and HFO-1233zd. The experiments were carried out at saturation temperatures of 100 °C, 115 °C and 130 °C and inlet and outlet qualities ranging between 0.1–0.4 and 0.5–1 respectively. The experimental heat transfer coefficients and frictional pressure drop were compared with well-known correlations and new ones are developed. The results indicated weak sensitivity of the heat transfer coefficients to the saturation temperature and were characterized by similar values for the two fluids. The frictional pressure drop showed a linear dependence with mean quality and increased as the saturation temperature decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal design of the evaporator is one of the key issues to improve the efficiency and economics of organic Rankine cycle units. The first step in studying the evaporator design is to understand the thermal-hydraulic performance of the working fluid in the evaporator of organic Rankine cycles. This paper is aimed at obtaining flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics in a plate heat exchanger under the working conditions prevailing in the evaporator of organic Rankine cycle units. Two hydrofluoroolefins R1234yf and R1234ze, and one hydrofluorocarbon R134a, were selected as the working fluids. The heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops of the three working fluids were measured with varying saturation temperatures, mass fluxes, heat fluxes and outlet vapour qualities, which range from 60 °C to 80 °C, 86 kg/m 2 s to 137 kg/m 2 s, 9.8 kW/m 2 to 36.8 kW/m 2 and 0.5 to 1, respectively. The working conditions covered relatively high saturation temperatures (corresponding reduced pressures of 0.35–0.74), which are prevailing in organic Rankine cycles yet absent in the open literature. The experimental data were compared with existing correlations, and new correlations were developed that are more suitable for evaporation in organic Rankine cycles. The experimental results indicate that heat transfer coefficients are strongly dependent upon the heat flux and saturation temperature. Moreover, the results suggest better thermal-hydraulic performance for R1234yf than the other two working fluids at the same saturation temperatures. With the new heat transfer and pressure drop correlations, agreements within ±25% were obtained for experimental data in similar experiments with high saturation temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]