Effects of void fraction and heat transfer correlations in a charge-sensitive ORC model – a comparison with experimental data

In order to properly evaluate the off-design performance of an ORC unit, it is important to use simulation tools that minimize the number of assumptions regarding the system state. To avoid imposing the condenser subcooling (or any other equivalent state variable), the ORC model should account for the mass repartition of working fluid through the unit in function of the operating conditions. Among the various components constituting ORC power systems, the proper modelling of the mass of working fluid enclosed in the heat exchangers is of primary importance. The goal of this work is to develop such a reliable charge-sensitive ORC model. To this end, a 2kWe recuperative ORC system is used as case study and experimental measurements are used as reference dataset. The ORC system features two brazed plate heat exchangers and one fin coil condenser. For these three heat exchangers, a large set of empirical correlations is investigated in order to evaluate both the fluids void fractions and their convective heat transfer coefficients. By comparing the models predictions with the experimental data, the study highlights the limitations of existing correlations and investigates three different correction methods to improve them. Ultimately, the analysis compares nine models of brazed plate heat exchangers, two models of condenser, three correction methods for improving the heat transfer correlations and four void fraction methods. Accounting for every combination possible, 288 different models of the ORC are compared for predicting both the heat exchangers thermal performance and the total mass enclosed in the ORC unit. Out of this study, the best modelling approach is identified and details of its charge inventory predictions are presented.