TY - JOUR
T1 - Design, modelling and optimisation of a small-scale Solar Organic Rankine Cycle system for rural power generation
AU - Patiño, L F
AU - Azimov, U
AU - Tavera-Ruiz, C P
AU - Castellanos, J M
AU - Gauthier-Maradei, P
AU - Castro, L
N1 - Funding information: The authors are especially grateful to the Industry-Academia Partnership Program (IAPP) of the Royal Academy of Engineering for the funding and support (Grant No. IAPP18-19\269). As well as to the Faculty of Engineering and Environment of the University of Northumbria in the UK and the School of Chemical Engineering of the Universidad Industrial de Santander in Colombia.
Claudia Tavera-Ruiz thanks the postdoctoral program of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Colombia for the funding.
PY - 2021/8/27
Y1 - 2021/8/27
N2 - This research study develops the design and model of a Solar Organic Rankine Cycle (SORC) coupled to a bio-digester for small-scale generation in rural areas, in Betulia, Colombia. Moreover, the model is optimised employing a Genetic Algorithm with the software Matlab and the thermodynamic library CoolProp. The objective variables were the mass flow rate of the working fluid, the pressure and temperature of the expander inlet, the solar collectors’ type and the temperature of the water circuit for the bio-digester. The results indicate an overall efficiency between 8.42 and 9.45% with a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCE) between 3.85 and 5.63 £/W. Additionally, the power output is directly related to the mass flow rate of the working fluid. Likewise, increasing the scale of the SORC decreases the LCE. Finally, the results suggest that a superheated fluid reduces the efficiency and the LCE and can deliver more heat to the bio-digester. It is advisable the utilisation of a scroll expander and a counter-flow plate exchanger with a Direct Vapour Generation configuration. The model is a flexible tool capable of integrating more equations and components, with the evaluation of different fitness functions.
AB - This research study develops the design and model of a Solar Organic Rankine Cycle (SORC) coupled to a bio-digester for small-scale generation in rural areas, in Betulia, Colombia. Moreover, the model is optimised employing a Genetic Algorithm with the software Matlab and the thermodynamic library CoolProp. The objective variables were the mass flow rate of the working fluid, the pressure and temperature of the expander inlet, the solar collectors’ type and the temperature of the water circuit for the bio-digester. The results indicate an overall efficiency between 8.42 and 9.45% with a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCE) between 3.85 and 5.63 £/W. Additionally, the power output is directly related to the mass flow rate of the working fluid. Likewise, increasing the scale of the SORC decreases the LCE. Finally, the results suggest that a superheated fluid reduces the efficiency and the LCE and can deliver more heat to the bio-digester. It is advisable the utilisation of a scroll expander and a counter-flow plate exchanger with a Direct Vapour Generation configuration. The model is a flexible tool capable of integrating more equations and components, with the evaluation of different fitness functions.
U2 - 10.1088/1755-1315/897/1/012003
DO - 10.1088/1755-1315/897/1/012003
M3 - Article
SN - 1755-1307
VL - 897
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
JF - IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
IS - 1
M1 - 012003
T2 - 4th International Conference on Renewable Energy and Environment Engineering
Y2 - 27 August 2021 through 30 August 2021
ER -