Pumping work in the organic Rankine cycle

• Published in: Applied thermal engineering Vol. 51; no. 1-2; pp. 781 - 786
• Main Author: Borsukiewicz-Gozdur, Aleksandra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Critical temperature; Electric power generation; Electric power plants; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Engines and turbines; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid dynamics; Low-temperature sources; Mathematical analysis; ORC; Organic fluids; Properties and use of thermal fluids; Pumping; Pumping work; Simulation; Theoretical studies. Data and constants. Metering; Working fluids; Organic fluids; ORC; Pumping work; Low-temperature sources
• ISSN: 1359-4311
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2012.10.033

Calculation results for the pumping work in the ORC systems are presented. Analysis has been carried out for 18 different organic fluids that can be used as working media in the subcritical ORC power plants. An attempt was made to find correlations between various thermo-physical properties of working fluids, specific work and power of the cycle. The simulation results allow a statement that the working substances with relatively low critical temperature have a greater cycle pressure range for the specified cycle temperature range than those with higher critical temperatures. The greater cycle pressure range contributes to a higher pumping power demand. Due to the fact that the specific pumping work does not result in explicit statement on the suitability of some working fluid to a specified ORC power plant, a definition of the power decrease factor κ is introduced. ► Calculation results for the pumping work in the ORC systems are presented. ► 18 working fluids have been analyzed as working media in the subcritical ORC power plants. ► The power decrease factor κ was introduced. ► The working fluids with relatively low critical temperature have a greater cycle pressure range.