Design and experimental study of ORC (organic Rankine cycle) and radial turbine using R245fa working fluid

In this study, an ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) capable of generating electric power using a low-temperature heat source was developed and an experimental study was conducted. A radial turbine directly connected to the high-speed synchronous generator was also designed and developed. R245fa was adopted as a working fluid, in consideration of the operation conditions of the cycle and its environmentally-friendly characteristics. Experiments were conducted to analyze the operational characteristics and performance of the developed ORC. The efficiencies of the cycle and the turbine, electric power of the developed ORC with respect to the operation conditions were investigated in a series of experiments. The factors which influence the performance of the developed ORC were analyzed and discussed.

► An ORC that generates electric power and uses R245fa as the working fluid was designed and developed.
► A radial turbine coupled with a high-speed generator was designed by considering the working fluid and the cycle conditions.
► The performance of the developed cycle was investigated experimentally.
► The maximum average cycle, turbine efficiencies, and electric power were found to be 5.22%, 78.7% and 32.7 kW, respectively.