Parametric design and off-design analysis of organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system

• A one-dimensional analysis method for ORC system is proposed.
• The system performance under both design and off-design conditions are analyzed.
• The working fluid selection is based on both design and off-design performance.
• The system parameter determination are based on both design and off-design performance.

A one-dimensional analysis method has been proposed for the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system in this paper. The method contains two main parts: a one-dimensional aerodynamic analysis model of the radial-inflow turbine and a performance prediction model of the heat exchanger. Based on the present method, an ORC system for the industrial waste heat recovery is designed and analyzed. The net power output of the ORC system is 534 kW, and the thermal efficiency reaches 13.5%. System performance under off-design conditions is simulated and considered. The results show that the inlet temperatures of the heat source and the cooling water have a significant influence on the system. With the increment of the heat source inlet temperature, the mass flow rate of the working fluid, the net power output and the heat utilization ratio of the ORC system increase. While, the system thermal efficiency decreases with increasing cooling water inlet temperature. In order to maintain the condensation pressure at a moderate value, the heat source inlet temperature considered in this analysis should be kept within the range of 443.15–468.15 K, while the optimal temperature range of the cooling water is between 283.15 K and 303.15 K.