Experimental Characterization of Commercial Scroll Expander for Micro-Scale Solar Organic Rankine Cycle Application: Part 2

Federico Fagioli (), Maria Manieri (), Gianmarco Agostini, Michele Salvestroni, Francesco Taddei, Filippo Cottone and Maurizio De Lucia
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Federico Fagioli: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Firenze, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy
Maria Manieri: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Firenze, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy
Gianmarco Agostini: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Firenze, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy
Michele Salvestroni: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Firenze, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy
Francesco Taddei: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Firenze, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy
Filippo Cottone: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Firenze, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy
Maurizio De Lucia: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Firenze, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-24

Abstract: Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power plants represent one of the most suitable technologies for the recovery and conversion of low-grade thermal energy. Coupling a micro-scale ORC system with parabolic trough collectors (PTCs) as a thermal energy source can effectively meet the electrical and thermal demands of a domestic user. This study presents the development process of the micro-ORC system, detailing both the results of the numerical model and the implementation of the test prototype. Particular attention is given to the instrumentation and sensors installed on the test bench, the monitoring and data acquisition software, and the error propagation analysis applied to the experimental data. In order to develop a micro-scale ORC plant, a commercial hermetic scroll compressor was tested as an expander with HFC-245fa working fluid. The test campaign required the construction of a dedicated experimental setup, equipped with comprehensive monitoring and control systems. While the first part of this research focused on evaluating the use of a scroll compressor as an expander, the second part aims to thoroughly describe the design of the test bench and the numerical model employed, the boundary conditions adopted, and the optimization strategies implemented to enhance system performance. This paper also describes in detail the measurement methodology and the associated error analysis to ensure comparability between experimental and numerical data. The numerical model was experimentally validated by incorporating the actual measured efficiency of the pump system, estimated at 12%. The comparison revealed a deviation between the experimental and simulated absorbed power of the pump—expressed as a function of the evaporation pressure—of less than 10% in the majority of the tested operating conditions. This confirms the reliability of the model and supports its use in future optimization studies.

Keywords: micro-scale ORC plant; experimental study; test bench design; residential application; PTC to power; distributed generation (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: 2025
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