Abstract :
[en] The present paper focuses on the economic optimization of a small scale ORC in waste
heat recovery application with specific investment cost as objective function. First, a pre-design model
of the ORC was built and simulations run with different working fluids to evaluate their technical
performance. In a second step, components and system cost models were built and simulations carried
out to evaluate the cost effectiveness of systems associated with different fluids. The working fluids
considered are R245fa, R123, R113, n-Pentane and n-Butane. Results indicate that for the same fluid,
the point of high performance and that f cost-effectiveness do not match. The operating point for
maximum power doesn’t correspond to that of the minimum specific investment cost. For n-Pentane,
the maximum net power of 1.98 kW is obtained for an evaporator pressure of 5.14 bar and the specific
investment cost is 5450 €/kW. For this same fluid, a minimum specific investment cost of 4440 €/kW is
obtained for an evaporator pressure of 8.5 bar and the corresponding power output is 1.745 kW. The
mismatch aforementioned is due to the thermodynamic properties such as liquid/vapour densities,
which significantly influence system performance and components sizes. Seeking for profitable
environmental solutions, economic optimization as a necessary step in the optimization of any
thermodynamic system is highly advised.
Event name :
23rd International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
10