Energy and Exergy-Based Screening of Various Refrigerants, Hydrocarbons and Siloxanes for the Optimization of Biomass Boiler–Organic Rankine Cycle (BB–ORC) Heat and Power Cogeneration Plants

Savvas L. Douvartzides, Aristidis Tsiolikas, Nikolaos D. Charisiou, Manolis Souliotis, Vayos Karayannis and Nikolaos Taousanidis
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Savvas L. Douvartzides: Laboratory of Internal Combustion Engines, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Aristidis Tsiolikas: Laboratory of Internal Combustion Engines, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Nikolaos D. Charisiou: Laboratory of Alternative Fuels and Environmental Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Manolis Souliotis: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Vayos Karayannis: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Nikolaos Taousanidis: Centre of Renewable and Alternative Energy Forms and Rational Use of Energy, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Greece

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-26

Abstract: The cogeneration of power and heat was investigated for Biomass Boiler–Organic Rankine Cycle (BB–ORC) plants with the characteristics of typical units, such as the 1 MW el Turboden ORC 10 CHP. The thermodynamic analysis of the ORC unit was undertaken considering forty-two (42) dry and isentropic candidate pure working fluids. Only subcritical Rankine cycles were considered, and the pinch point temperature differences for the evaporation and condensation heat exchangers were kept constant at 10 °C in all cases. The study provides an original and unique screening of almost all pure working fluids that are considered appropriate in the literature under the same operation and optimization conditions and compiles them into a single reference. In its conclusions, the study provides useful fluid selection and design guidelines, which may be easily followed depending on the optimization objective of the ORC designer or operator. In general, hydrocarbons are found to lie in the optimum middle range of the fluid spectrum, between the siloxanes that maximize the production of mechanical power and the refrigerants that maximize the production of heat. Specific hydrocarbon fluids, such as cyclopentane, heptane, hexane, benzene, and toluene, are found as rational options for maximum mechanical efficiency when operating with practically feasible condensation pressures between 10 and 200 kPa. At condensation pressures below 10 kPa, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, and nonane are also found to be feasible options. Finally, cyclopentane, hexane, and MM (hexamethyldisiloxane) are selected as the most appropriate options for cogeneration plants aiming simultaneously at high mechanical power and maximum temperature water production.

Keywords: biomass boiler; organic rankine cycle; thermodynamic analysis; dry and isentropic fluids; cogeneration of power and heat (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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