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Optimisation of a high-efficiency solar-driven organic Rankine cycle for applications in the built environment

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  • Ramos, Alba
  • Chatzopoulou, Maria Anna
  • Freeman, James
  • Markides, Christos N.

Abstract

Energy security, pollution and sustainability are major challenges presently facing the international community, in response to which increasing quantities of renewable energy are to be generated in the urban environment. Consequently, recent years have seen a strong increase in the uptake of solar technologies in the building sector. In this work, the potential of a solar combined heat and power (CHP) system based on an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) engine is investigated in a domestic setting. Unlike previous studies that focus on the optimisation of the ORC subsystem, this study performs a complete system optimisation considering both the design parameters of the solar collector array and the ORC engine simultaneously. Firstly, we present thermodynamic models of different collectors, including flat-plate and evacuated-tube designs, coupled to a non-recuperative sub-critical ORC architecture that delivers power and hot water by using thermal energy rejected from the engine. Optimisation of the complete system is first conducted, aimed at identifying operating conditions for which the power output is maximised. Then, hourly dynamic simulations of the optimised system configurations are performed to complete the system sizing. Results are presented of: (i) dynamic 3-D simulations of the solar collectors together with a thermal energy storage tank, and (ii) of an optimisation analysis to identify the most suitable working fluids for the ORC engine, in which the configuration and operational constraints of the collector array are considered. The best performing working fluids (R245fa and R1233zd) are then chosen for a whole-system annual simulation in a southern European climate. The system configuration combining an evacuated-tube collector array and an ORC engine is found to be best-suited for electricity prioritisation, delivering an electrical output of 3,605 kWh/year from a 60 m2 collector array. In addition, the system supplies 13,175 kWh/year in the form of domestic hot water, which is equivalent to more than 6 times the average annual household demand. A brief cost analysis and comparison with photovoltaic (PV) systems is also performed, where despite the lower PV investment cost per kWel, the levelised energy costs of the different systems are found to be similar if the economic value of the thermal output is taken into account. Finally, a discussion of the modelled solar-CHP systems results shows how these could be used for real applications and extended to other locations.

Suggested Citation

  • Ramos, Alba & Chatzopoulou, Maria Anna & Freeman, James & Markides, Christos N., 2018. "Optimisation of a high-efficiency solar-driven organic Rankine cycle for applications in the built environment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 755-765.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:228:y:2018:i:c:p:755-765
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.06.059
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    Cited by:

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    4. Tiwari, Deepak & Sherwani, Ahmad Faizan & Atheaya, Deepali & Kumar, Anil & Kumar, Nishant, 2020. "Thermodynamic analysis of Organic Rankine cycle driven by reversed absorber hybrid photovoltaic thermal compound parabolic concentrator system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P1), pages 2118-2127.
    5. Kutlu, Cagri & Li, Jing & Su, Yuehong & Wang, Yubo & Pei, Gang & Riffat, Saffa, 2020. "Investigation of an innovative PV/T-ORC system using amorphous silicon cells and evacuated flat plate solar collectors," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
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    7. Song, Jian & Wang, Yaxiong & Wang, Kai & Wang, Jiangfeng & Markides, Christos N., 2021. "Combined supercritical CO2 (SCO2) cycle and organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system for hybrid solar and geothermal power generation: Thermoeconomic assessment of various configurations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 1020-1035.
    8. Chatzopoulou, Maria Anna & Lecompte, Steven & Paepe, Michel De & Markides, Christos N., 2019. "Off-design optimisation of organic Rankine cycle (ORC) engines with different heat exchangers and volumetric expanders in waste heat recovery applications," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C), pages 1-1.
    9. Chatzopoulou, Maria Anna & Simpson, Michael & Sapin, Paul & Markides, Christos N., 2019. "Off-design optimisation of organic Rankine cycle (ORC) engines with piston expanders for medium-scale combined heat and power applications," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(C), pages 1211-1236.
    10. Huang, Guangdai & Shu, Gequn & Tian, Hua & Shi, Lingfeng & Zhuge, Weilin & Zhang, Jing & Atik, Mohammad Atikur Rahman, 2020. "Development and experimental study of a supercritical CO2 axial turbine applied for engine waste heat recovery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    11. Xiaoli Yu & Zhi Li & Yiji Lu & Rui Huang & Anthony Paul Roskilly, 2018. "Investigation of an Innovative Cascade Cycle Combining a Trilateral Cycle and an Organic Rankine Cycle (TLC-ORC) for Industry or Transport Application," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-22, November.
    12. Pantaleo, Antonio M. & Camporeale, Sergio M. & Sorrentino, Arianna & Miliozzi, Adio & Shah, Nilay & Markides, Christos N., 2020. "Hybrid solar-biomass combined Brayton/organic Rankine-cycle plants integrated with thermal storage: Techno-economic feasibility in selected Mediterranean areas," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P3), pages 2913-2931.
    13. Emadi, Mohammad Ali & Chitgar, Nazanin & Oyewunmi, Oyeniyi A. & Markides, Christos N., 2020. "Working-fluid selection and thermoeconomic optimisation of a combined cycle cogeneration dual-loop organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) waste-heat recovery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    14. Stefan Arens & Sunke Schlüters & Benedikt Hanke & Karsten von Maydell & Carsten Agert, 2020. "Sustainable Residential Energy Supply: A Literature Review-Based Morphological Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-28, January.
    15. Loni, Reyhaneh & Mahian, Omid & Markides, Christos N. & Bellos, Evangelos & le Roux, Willem G. & Kasaeian, Ailbakhsh & Najafi, Gholamhassan & Rajaee, Fatemeh, 2021. "A review of solar-driven organic Rankine cycles: Recent challenges and future outlook," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    16. Guarracino, Ilaria & Freeman, James & Ramos, Alba & Kalogirou, Soteris A. & Ekins-Daukes, Nicholas J. & Markides, Christos N., 2019. "Systematic testing of hybrid PV-thermal (PVT) solar collectors in steady-state and dynamic outdoor conditions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C), pages 1014-1030.
    17. Kisha, Wigdan & Riley, Paul & McKechnie, Jon & Hann, David, 2021. "Asymmetrically heated multi-stage travelling-wave thermoacoustic electricity generator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
    18. Wang, Kai & Herrando, María & Pantaleo, Antonio M. & Markides, Christos N., 2019. "Technoeconomic assessments of hybrid photovoltaic-thermal vs. conventional solar-energy systems: Case studies in heat and power provision to sports centres," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    19. Arteconi, Alessia & Del Zotto, Luca & Tascioni, Roberto & Cioccolanti, Luca, 2019. "Modelling system integration of a micro solar Organic Rankine Cycle plant into a residential building," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C), pages 1-1.
    20. Herrando, María & Ramos, Alba & Zabalza, Ignacio & Markides, Christos N., 2019. "A comprehensive assessment of alternative absorber-exchanger designs for hybrid PVT-water collectors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 1583-1602.

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