Performances and compactness of a cooling system powered with PEMFC thermal effluent

• Published in: Energy conversion and management Vol. 150; pp. 415 - 424
• Main Authors: Marion, Michaël, Louahlia, Hasna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 15.10.2017; Elsevier Science Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: Compactness; Computational fluid dynamics; Computer simulation; Cooling; Cooling systems; Ejection; Ejectors cycle; Electric power plants; Energetic efficiency; Engineering Sciences; ORC cycle; Other; Refrigeration; Sensitivity; Sensitivity analysis; Solar energy; Studies; Temperature; Thermodynamic models; Turbines; ORC cycle; Ejectors cycle; Refrigeration; Energetic efficiency; Compactness
• ISSN: 0196-8904; 1879-2227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2017.07.066

•We develop a thermodynamic model for simulating an ORC+Refrigeration cycle.•We integrate in the model the real fluid properties and used PEMFC low grade heat.•We measure the expender isentropic efficiency.•We calculates the performance and the system compactness for 12 fluids. The thermodynamic study of a small scale cooling system combining an ORC cycle and a refrigeration cycle is carried out. The system includes the same components as those used for ejection cycles except that a combination of a vane compressor and a vane expander replaces the usual ejector. Real fluids properties, efficiencies of the pump, the compressor and the expender and pressure drops are considered. The isentropic efficiency of the expander was measured experimentally and the data were used in the thermodynamic model to simulate the complete system in steady state. The system is designed for operating with a 2kW heating source at 65°C corresponding to the heat rejected by a domestic PEMFC-type cell and a parametric study assess its performance, compactness and sensitivity when operating at off design. The evaporating temperature varies from −9.5°C to +10.5°C and the condensing temperature varies from 20.1 to 40.1°C. Over the 12 fluids tested here, R1270 appears to be the most promising fluid, providing high performance, good compactness, low environmental nuisance and low off design sensitivity.