Preliminary experimental investigation of a natural gas-fired ORC-based micro-CHP system for residential buildings

Abstract The continual increases in energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions, call for efficient use of energy resources. Decentralized combined heat and power (CHP) technology provides an alternative for the world to meet and solve energy-related problems including energy shortages, energy supply security, emission control and conservation of energy. This paper presents the preliminary results of an experimental investigation of a natural gas-fired micro-CHP system for residential buildings based on an organic Rankine cycle (ORC). Isopentane was used as the ORC working fluid in consideration of several criteria including its environmentally-friendly characteristics. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the developed system at different heat source temperatures of nominally 85, 80, 75, 70, and 65 °C. The maximum electrical power output of 77.4 W was generated at heating water entry temperature of 84.1 °C, corresponding to net cycle electrical efficiency of 1.66%. Further work will be done with a view to increasing the cycle electrical efficiency by using more efficient components, in particular the expander and generator.

[1]  Naijun Zhou,et al.  Fluid selection and parametric optimization of organic Rankine cycle using low temperature waste heat , 2012 .

[2]  Rambod Rayegan,et al.  A procedure to select working fluids for Solar Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs) , 2011 .

[3]  Saffa Riffat,et al.  Preliminary experimental investigations of a biomass-fired micro-scale CHP with organic Rankine cycle , 2010 .

[4]  Hua Wang,et al.  Optimization of Low-Temperature Exhaust Gas Waste Heat Fueled Organic Rankine Cycle , 2012 .

[5]  Saffa Riffat,et al.  Expanders for micro-CHP systems with organic Rankine cycle , 2011 .

[6]  S. D. Probert,et al.  Choosing Rankine-cycle or tri-lateral-cycle engines for generating power from low-grade heat sources? , 1986 .

[7]  Per Lundqvist,et al.  Theory and method for analysis of low temperature driven power cycles , 2012 .

[8]  Guoquan Qiu,et al.  Selection of working fluids for micro-CHP systems with ORC , 2012 .

[9]  N. Lai,et al.  Working fluids for high-temperature organic Rankine cycles , 2007 .

[10]  Ibrahim Dincer,et al.  Exergo-environmental analysis of an integrated organic Rankine cycle for trigeneration , 2012 .

[11]  J. P. Holman,et al.  Experimental methods for engineers , 1971 .

[12]  Noboru Yamada,et al.  Study on thermal efficiency of low- to medium-temperature organic Rankine cycles using HFO−1234yf , 2012 .

[13]  Janusz Wojtkowiak,et al.  Simple Formulas for Thermophysical Properties of Liquid Water for Heat Transfer Calculations (from 0°C to 150°C) , 1998 .

[14]  S. D. Probert,et al.  Multi-Vane expanders as prime movers for low-grade energy organic Rankine-cycle engines , 1984 .

[15]  Bertrand F. Tchanche,et al.  Fluid selection for a low-temperature solar organic Rankine cycle , 2009 .

[16]  Shao Yingjuan,et al.  A biomass-fired micro-scale CHP system with organic Rankine cycle (ORC) – Thermodynamic modelling studies , 2011 .

[17]  W. Worek,et al.  Optimum design criteria for an Organic Rankine cycle using low-temperature geothermal heat sources , 2007 .

[18]  Pedro J. Mago,et al.  Analysis and optimization of the use of CHP–ORC systems for small commercial buildings , 2010 .

[19]  Igor Bulatov,et al.  MicroCHP: Overview of selected technologies, products and field test results , 2008 .

[20]  E. Stefanakos,et al.  A REVIEW OF THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES AND WORKING FLUIDS FOR THE CONVERSION OF LOW-GRADE HEAT , 2010 .

[21]  Patrick Linke,et al.  On the systematic design and selection of optimal working fluids for Organic Rankine Cycles , 2010 .

[22]  George Papadakis,et al.  Low­grade heat conversion into power using organic Rankine cycles - A review of various applications , 2011 .

[23]  Jie Ji,et al.  Evaluation of external heat loss from a small-scale expander used in organic Rankine cycle , 2011 .

[24]  Xueyuan Peng,et al.  Experimental investigation on the internal working process of a CO2 rotary vane expander , 2009 .

[25]  Ruzhu Wang,et al.  COMBINED COOLING, HEATING AND POWER: A REVIEW , 2006 .

[26]  Olav Bolland,et al.  Working fluids for low-temperature heat source , 2010 .

[27]  T. Hung.  Waste heat recovery of organic Rankine cycle using dry fluids , 2001 .

[28]  Hugh D. Young,et al.  Statistical Treatment of Experimental Data. , 1963 .

[29]  S. D. Probert,et al.  Selecting a working fluid for a Rankine-cycle engine , 1985 .

[30]  Dariusz Mikielewicz,et al.  A thermodynamic criterion for selection of working fluid for subcritical and supercritical domestic micro CHP , 2010 .

[31]  Vincent Lemort,et al.  Testing and modeling a scroll expander integrated into an Organic Rankine Cycle , 2009 .

[32]  Lourdes García-Rodríguez,et al.  Analysis and optimization of the low-temperature solar organic Rankine cycle (ORC) , 2010 .

[33]  Tzu-Chen Hung,et al.  A study of organic working fluids on system efficiency of an ORC using low-grade energy sources , 2010 .

[34]  Farid Chejne,et al.  Comparative study of working fluids for a Rankine cycle operating at low temperature , 2012 .

[35]  S. Riffat,et al.  Experimental investigation of a biomass-fired ORC-based micro-CHP for domestic applications , 2012 .

[36]  Johann Fischer,et al.  Comparison of trilateral cycles and organic Rankine cycles , 2011 .