Opcon Powerbox is a product developed by Opcon together with the underlying company SRM (Svenska Rotor Maskiner) where surplus heat from the industry is used through an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)–process to produce electricity. An ORC-process is a thermodynamic circle process in which a refrigerant is used as the working fluid. The refrigerant makes it possible for the circle process to operate at lower temperatures than the conventional Rankine process. In this master’s thesis a data analysis software for the Opcon Powerbox has been developed in which measurement data is retrieved and handled from the Opcon Powerbox. The software performs calculations and analysis on the data with which the system can be evaluated. This thesis has been carried out with SRM.

This study is an attempt at achieving Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) using a solar Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) based on exergetic and economic measures. The working fluid, working conditions of the cycle, cycle configuration, and solar collector type are considered the optimization parameters for the solar ORC system. In the first section, a procedure is developed to compare ORC working fluids based on their molecular components, temperature-entropy diagram and fluid effects on the thermal efficiency, net power generated, vapor expansion ratio, and exergy efficiency of the Rankine cycle. Fluids with the best cycle performance are recognized in two different temperature levels within two different categories of fluids: refrigerants and non-refrigerants. Important factors that could lead to irreversibility reduction of the solar ORC are also investigated in this study. In the next section, the system requirements needed to maintain the electricity demand of a geothermal air-conditioned commercial building located in Pensacola of Florida is considered as the criteria to select the optimal components and optimal working condition of the system. The solar collector loop, building, and geothermal air conditioning system are modeled using TRNSYS. Available electricity bills of the building and the 3-week monitoring data on the performance of the geothermal system are employed to calibrate the simulation. The simulation is repeated for Miami and Houston in order to evaluate the effect of the different solar radiations on the system requirements. The final section discusses the exergoeconomic analysis of the ORC system with the optimum performance. Exergoeconomics rests on the philosophy that exergy is the only rational basis for assigning monetary costs to a system’s interactions with its surroundings and to the sources of thermodynamic inefficiencies within it. Exergoeconomic analysis of the optimal ORC system shows that the ratio Rex of the annual exergy loss to the capital cost can be considered a key parameter in optimizing a solar ORC system from the thermodynamic and economic point of view. It also shows that there is a systematic correlation between the exergy loss and capital cost for the investigated solar ORC system.

In this thesis, an experimental research is conducted on scroll-based Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) focusing on the expansion process. An important feature of the ORC is the ability to utilize low or moderate temperature heat sources derived from renewable energy such as concentrated solar radiation, biomass/biofuels combustion streams, geothermal heat and waste heat recovery. The ORC is more appropriate than steam Rankine cycle to generate power from low capacity heat sources (5-500 kW thermal). For example, expansion of superheated steam from 280oC/1000 kPa to a pressure corresponding to 35oC saturation requires a volume ratio as high as 86, whereas for the same operating conditions toluene shows an expansion ratio of 6 which can be achieved in a single stage turbine or expander. The objective of this work is to experimentally study the performance of a selected refrigeration scroll compressor operating in reverse as expander in an ORC. To this purpose, three experimental systems are designed, built and used for conducting a comprehensive experimental programme aimed at determining the features of the expansion process. In preliminary tests the working fluid utilized is dry air while the main experiments are done with the organic fluid R134a. Experimental data of the scroll expander are collected under different operating conditions. Power generation in various conditions is analyzed in order to determine the optimum performance parameters for the scroll expander. In addition, thermodynamic analysis of the system is conducted through energy and exergy efficiencies to study the system performance. Based on the experimental measurements, the optimum parameters for an ORC cycle operating with the Bitzer-based expander-generator unit are determined. The cycle energy and exergy efficiencies are found 5% and 30% respectively from a heat source of 120oC. / UOIT

This thesis presents numerical modelling and analysis of a solar Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) for electricity generation. A regression based approach is used for the working fluid property calculations. Models of the unit&rsquo / s sub-components (pump, evaporator, expander and condenser) are also established. Steady and transient models are developed and analyzed because the unit is considered to work with stable (i.e. solar + boiler) or variable (i.e. solar only) heat input. The unit&rsquo / s heat exchangers (evaporator and condenser) have been identified as critical for the applicable method of analysis (steady or transient). The considered heat resource into the ORC is in the form of solar heated water, which varies between 80-95 0C at a range of mass flow rates between 2-12 kg/s. Simulation results of steady state operation using the developed model shows a maximum power output of around 40 kW. In the defined operation range / refrigerant mass flow rate, hot water mass flow rate and hot water temperature in the system are identified as critical parameters to optimize the power production and the cycle efficiency. The potential benefit of controlling these critical parameters is demonstrated for reliable ORC operation and optimum power production. It is also seen that simulation of the unit&rsquo / s dynamics using the transient model is imperative when variable heat input is involved, due to the fact that maximum energy recovery is the aim with any given level of heat input.

Regulations for ICE-based transportation in the EU seek carbon dioxide emissions lower than 95 g CO2/km by 2020. In order to fulfill these limits, improvements in vehicle fuel consumption have to be achieved. One of the main losses of ICEs happens in the exhaust line. Internal combustion engines transform chemical energy into mechanical energy through combustion; however, only about 15-32% of this energy is effectively used to produce work, while most of the fuel energy is wasted through exhaust gases and coolant. Therefore, these sources can be exploited to improve the overall efficiency of the engine. Between these sources, exhaust gases show the largest potential of Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) due to its high level of exergy. Regarding WHR technologies, Rankine cycles are considered as the most promising candidates for improving Internal Combustion Engines. However, the implementation of this technology in modern passenger cars requires additional features to achieve a compact integration and controllability in the engine. While industrial applications typically operates in steady state operating points, there is a huge challenge taking into account its impact in the engine during typical daily driving profiles. This thesis contributes to the knowledge and characterization of an Organic Rankine Cycle coupled with an Internal Combustion Engine using ethanol as working fluid and a swash-plate expander as expansion machine. The main objective of this research work is to obtain and quantify the potential of Organic Rankine Cycles for the use of residual energy in automotive engines. To do this, an experimental ORC test bench was designed and built at CMT (Polytechnic University of Valencia), which can be coupled to different types of automotive combustion engines. Using these results, an estimation of the main variables of the cycle was obtained both in stationary and transient operating points. A potential of increasing ICE mechanical efficiency up to 3.7% could be reached at points of high load installing an ORC in a conventional turbocharged gasoline engine. Regarding transient conditions, a slightly simple and robust control based on adaptive PIDs, allows the control of the ORC in realistic driving profiles. High loads and hot conditions should be the starting ideal conditions to test and validate the control of the ORC in order to achieve high exhaust temperatures that justify the feasibility of the system. In order to deepen in the viability and characteristics of this particular application, some theoretical studies were done. A 1D model was developed using LMS Imagine.Lab Amesim platform. A potential improvement of 2.5% in fuel conversion efficiency was obtained at the high operating points as a direct consequence of the 23.5 g/kWh reduction in bsfc. To conclude, a thermo-economic study was developed taking into account the main elements of the installation costs and a minimum Specific Investment Cost value of 2030 €/kW was obtained. Moreover, an exergetic study showed that a total amount of 3.75 kW, 36.5% of exergy destruction rate, could be lowered in the forthcoming years, taking account the maximum efficiencies considering technical restrictions of the cycle components. / Las normativas anticontaminantes para el transporte propulsado por motores de combustión interna alternativos en la Unión Europea muestran límites de emisión menores a 95 g CO2/km para el año 2020. Con el fin de cumplir estos límites, deberán ser realizadas mejoras en el consumo de combustible en los vehículos. Una de las principales pérdidas en los Motores de Combustión Interna Alternativos (MCIA) ocurre en la línea de escape. Los MCIA transforman la energía química en energía mecánica a través de la combustión; sin embargo, únicamente el 15-32% de esta energía es eficazmente usada para producir trabajo, mientras que la mayor parte es desperdiciada a través de los gases de escape y el agua de refrigeración del motor. Por ello, estas fuentes de energía pueden ser utilizadas para mejorar la eficiencia global del vehículo. De estas fuentes, los gases de escape muestran un potencial mayor de recuperación de energía residual debido a su mayor contenido exergético. De todos los tipos de Sistemas de Recuperación de Energía Residual, los Ciclos Rankine son considerados como los candidatos más prometedores para mejorar la eficiencia de los MCIA. Sin embargo, la implementación de esta tecnología en los vehículos de pasajeros modernos requiere nuevas características para conseguir una integración compacta y una buena controlabilidad del motor. Mientras que las aplicaciones industriales normalmente operan en puntos de operación estacionarios, en el caso de los vehículos con MCIA existen importantes retos teniendo en cuenta su impacto en el modo de conducción cotidianos. Esta Tesis contribuye al conocimiento y caracterización de un Ciclo Rankine Orgánico acoplado con un Motor de Combustión Interna Alternativo utilizando etanol como fluido de trabajo y un expansor tipo Swash-plate como máquina expansora. El principal objetivo de este trabajo de investigación es obtener y cuantificar el potencial de los Ciclos Rankine Orgánicos (ORC) para la recuperación de la energía residual en motores de automoción. Para ello, una instalación experimental con un Ciclo Rankine Orgánico fue diseñada y construida en el Instituto Universitario "CMT - Motores Térmicos" (Universidad Politécnica de Valencia), que puede ser acoplada a diferentes tipos de motores de combustión interna alternativos. Usando esta instalación, una estimación de las principales variables del ciclo fue obtenida tanto en puntos estacionarios como en transitorios. Un potencial de mejora en torno a un 3.7 % puede ser alcanzada en puntos de alta carga instalando un ORC en un motor gasolina turboalimentado. Respecto a las condiciones transitorias, un control sencillo y robusto basado en PIDs adaptativos permite el control del ORC en perfiles de conducción reales. Las condiciones ideales para testear y validar el control del ORC son alta carga en el motor comenzando con el motor en caliente para conseguir altas temperaturas en el escape que justifiquen la viabilidad de estos ciclos. Para tratar de profundizar en la viabilidad y características de esta aplicación particular, diversos estudios teóricos fueron realizados. Un modelo 1D fue desarrollado usando el software LMS Imagine.Lab Amesim. Un potencial de mejora en torno a un 2.5% en el rendimiento efectivo del motor fue obtenido en condiciones transitorias en los puntos de alta carga como una consecuencia directa de la reducción de 23.5 g/kWh del consumo específico. Para concluir, un estudio termo-económico fue desarrollado teniendo en cuenta los costes de los principales elementos de la instalación y un valor mínimo de 2030 €/kW fue obtenido en el parámetro de Coste Específico de inversión. Además, el estudio exergético muestra que un total de 3.75 kW, 36.5 % de la tasa de destrucción total de exergía, podría ser reducida en los años futuros, teniendo en cuenta las máximas eficiencias considerando restricciones técnicas en los componentes del ciclo. / Les normatives anticontaminants per al transport propulsat per motors de combustió interna alternatius a la Unió Europea mostren límits d'emissió menors a 95 g·CO2/km per a l'any 2020. Per tal d'acomplir aquests límits, s'hauran de realitzar millores al consum de combustible dels vehicles. Una de les principals pèrdues als Motors de combustió interna alternatius (MCIA) ocorre a la línia d'escapament. Els MCIA transformen l'energia química en energia mecànica a través de la combustió; però, únicament el 15-32% d'aquesta energia és usada per produir treball, mentre que la major part és desaprofitada a través dels gasos d'escapament i l'aigua de refrigeració del motor. Per això, aquestes fonts d'energia poden ser utilitzades per millorar l'eficiència global del vehicle. Considerant aquestes dues fonts d'energia, els gasos d'escapament mostren un potencial major de recuperació d'energia residual debut al seu major contingut exergètic. De tots els tipus de Sistemes de Recuperació d'Energia Residual, els Cicles Rankine són considerats com els candidats més prometedors per millorar l'eficiència dels MCIA. No obstant, la implementació d'aquesta tecnologia en els vehicles de passatgers moderns requereix un desenvolupament addicional per aconseguir una integració compacta i una bona controlabilitat del motor. Mentre que les aplicacions industrials normalment operen en punts d'operació estacionaris, en el cas dels vehicles amb MCIA hi han importants reptes a solucionar tenint en compte el funcionament en condicions variables del motor i el seu impacte en la manera de conducció quotidiana del usuari. Aquesta Tesi contribueix al coneixement i caracterització d'un Cicle Rankine Orgànic (ORC) acoblat amb un motor de combustió interna alternatiu (MCIA) utilitzant etanol com a fluid de treball i un expansor tipus Swash-plate com a màquina expansora. El principal objectiu d'aquest treball de recerca és obtenir i quantificar el potencial dels ORCs per a la recuperació de l'energia residual en motors d'automoció. Per aconseguir-ho, una instal·lació experimental amb un ORC va ser dissenyada i construïda a l'Institut "CMT- Motores Térmicos" (Universitat Politècnica de València). Esta installació pot ser acoblada a diferents tipus de MCIAs. Mitjançant assajos experimentals en aquesta installació, una estimació de les principals variables del cicle va ser obtinguda tant en punts estacionaris com en punts transitoris. Un potencial de millora al voltant d'un 3.7% pot ser aconseguida en punts d'alta càrrega instal·lant un ORC acoblat a un motor gasolina turboalimentat. Pel que fa a les condicions transitòries, un control senzill i robust basat en PIDs adaptatius permet el control del ORC en perfils de conducció reals. Les condicions ideals per a testejar i validar el control de l'ORC són alta càrrega al motor començant amb el motor en calent per aconseguir altes temperatures d'escapament que justifiquen la viabilitat d'aquests cicles. Per tractar d'aprofundir en la viabilitat i característiques d'aquesta aplicació particular, diversos estudis teòrics van ser realitzats. Un model 1D va ser desenvolupat usant el programari LMS Imagine.Lab Amesim. Un potencial de millora al voltant d'un 2.5% en el rendiment efectiu del motor va ser obtingut en condicions transitòries en els punts d'alta càrrega com una conseqüència directa de la reducció de 23.5 g/kWh al consum específic. Per concloure, un estudi termo-econòmic va ser desenvolupat tenint en compte els costos dels principals elements de la installació i un valor mínim de 2030 €/kW va ser obtingut en el paràmetre del Cost Específic d'Inversió. A més, l'estudi exergètic mostra que un total de 3.75 kW, 36.5% de la taxa de destrucció total d'exergia, podria ser recuperat en un pròxim, considerant restriccions tècniques en els components del cicle i tenint en compte les màximes eficiències que es poden aconseguir. / Royo Pascual, L. (2017). Study of Organic Rankine Cycles for Waste Heat Recovery in Transportation Vehicles [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/84013 / TESIS

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In this dissertation, different configurations of solar powered organic Rankine cycles (ORC) are investigated. The configurations include: a basic ORC, a regenerative ORC (R-ORC), and a basic ORC with electric energy storage (EES) (ORC-EES). The basic ORC and the R-ORC are evaluated using different dry organic fluids based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics and electricity production. The performance of both ORC systems is based on the potential for primary energy consumption (PEC) and carbon dioxide emission (CDE) savings, the electricity production, and the available capital cost (ACC) for the system. The R-ORC and basic ORC are both evaluated in Jackson, MS and Tucson, AZ to determine the effect of hourly solar irradiation and ambient temperature on both systems. For the basic ORC a parametric analysis is performed to determine the effects of cycle pressure, temperature, solar collector area, and turbine efficiency on the system performance. Similarly, for the R-ORC, a parametric analysis investigating the effect of open feed organic fluid heater intermediate pressure and turbine efficiency on the R-ORC is performed. Finally an ORC connected to an EES device located in Tucson, AZ is studied. The ORC-EES supplies electricity to three different commercial buildings. The ORC-EES is modeled to be charging when irradiation is available and discharging when there is not enough irradiation to generate electricity from the ORC. The performance of the system is based on the amount of electricity supplied, the potential for PEC, CDE, and cost savings, and the ACC. The effect of solar collector area on the percentage of supplied electricity, EES device size, and cost savings is also studied. It was determined that all the evaluated ORC configurations have the potential to produce PEC, CDE, and cost savings, but their performance is affected by the organic working fluid, solar collector area, and the location where the system is installed.

No description available.

The waste heat recovery technologies have become very relevant since many industrial plants continuously reject large amounts of thermal energy during normal operation which contributes to the increase of the production costs and also impacts the environment. The simulation programs used in industrial engineering enable development and optimization of the operational processes in a cost-effective way. The company Chematur Engineering AB, which supplies chemical plants in many different fields of use on a worldwide basis, was interested in the investigation of the possibilities for effective waste heat recovery from the hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene, which is a sub-process in the toluene diisocyanate manufacture plant. The project objective was to implement waste heat recovery by application of the Organic Rankine Cycle and the Absorption Refrigeration Cycle technologies. Modeling and design of the Organic Rankine Cycle and the Absorption Refrigeration Cycle systems was performed by using Aspen Plus® simulation software where the waste heat carrier was represented by hot water, coming from the internal cooling system in the hydrogenation process. Among the working fluids investigated were ammonia, butane, isobutane, propane, R-123, R-134a, R-227ea, R-245fa, and ammonia-water and LiBr-water working pairs. The simulations have been performed for different plant capacities with different temperatures of the hydrogenation process. The results show that the application of the Organic Rankine Cycle technology is the most feasible solution where the use of ammonia, R-123, R-245fa and butane as the working fluids is beneficial with regards to power production and pay-off time, while R-245fa and butane are the most sustainable choices considering the environment.

Este trabalho apresenta uma revisão dos ciclos teóricos estudados por outros autores sobre o funcionamento de uma máquina a vapor funcionando como máquina de expansão e propõe um ciclo generalizado para o estudo. Esse ciclo generalizado é equacionado e seus pontos operacionais de otimização são determinados. Ao estudar os ciclos teóricos, verificou-se que a máquina a vapor pode atingir a eficiência isentrópica igual de 100%. Um estudo experimental foi conduzido em uma máquina a vapor, a fim de verificar os fenômenos que ocorrem e que influenciam na sua eficiência, fazendo o funcionamento real se afastar do ciclo teórico. Ao fazer o estudo experimental, verificou-se que a máquina a vapor real utilizada possui baixa eficiência, atingindo um máximo de 10% de eficiência isentrópica. Essa eficiência não é do ciclo e sim do conjunto todo, e é devido a diversos fatores, como, por exemplo, atritos, problemas de lubrificação, imperfeições físicas que provocam o vazamento do fluido de trabalho. Uma simulação computacional é realizada, visando prever o comportamento real da máquina a vapor e comparar com os dados obtidos experimentalmente. Verificando assim se a simulação consegue prever os fenômenos físicos e auxiliar no projeto de uma máquina a vapor. Após analisar os dados simulados, verificou-se que as válvulas possuem grande influência na eficiência isentrópica do ciclo da máquina a vapor. Válvulas de acionamento rápido preveem uma eficiência que pode chegar a 96%, enquanto as válvulas reais provocam uma eficiência de aproximadamente 60% para as mesmas condições de simulação. Uma das principais diferenças entre a simulação e os dados reais é a restrição ao fluxo provocada pelas válvulas, e que exigem coeficientes de descarga específicos para esse tipo de válvula. / This work reviews the theoretical cycles studied by other authors on the operation of a steam engine as an expansion machine and chooses a generalized cycle for the study. This generalized cycle is modeled and the points of optimization are determined. By studying the theoretical cycles, it was found that the steam engine can reach the isentropic efficiency equal to 100%. An experimental study carried out in a steam engine in order to verify the phenomena occurring that influence their effectiveness, moving the actual operation away from the theoretical cycle. By making the experimental study, it was found that the actual steam engine has a low efficiency, reaching a maximum 10% isentropic efficiency. This efficiency is not of the cycle, but of the whole set, and is due to several factors, such as friction problems, lubrication problems, physical imperfections causing leakage of the working fluid. A computer simulation was performed in order to predict the actual behavior of the steam engine and compare with the experimental data. After analyzing the simulated data, it was found that the valves have a great influence on the isentropic efficiency of the steam cycle. Valves operating instantly can reach 96% of isentropic efficiency, while real valves cause an efficiency of approximately 60% for the same simulation conditions. A major difference between the simulation and the actual data is the flow restriction caused by valves, which requires specific discharge coefficients for this type of valve.