Thermodynamic Performance Characteristics of Transcritical Organic Rankine Cycle Depending on Source Temperature and Working Fluid

Abstract

This study presents a comparative thermodynamic analysis of subcritical and transcritical organic Rankine cycles for the recovery of low-temperature heat sources considering nine substances as the working fluids. The effects of the turbine inlet pressure, source temperature, and working fluid on system performance were all investigated with respect to metrics such as the temperature distribution of the fluids and pinch point in the heat exchanger, mass flow rate, and net power production, as well as the thermal efficiency. Results show that as the turbine inlet pressure increases from the subcritical to the supercritical range, the mismatch between hot and cold streams in the heat exchanger decreases, and the net power production and thermal efficiency increase; however, the turbine size per unit power production decreases.