Parametric evaluation of solar integrated combined partial cooling supercritical CO2 cycle and Organic Rankine Cycle using low global warming potential fluids

Abstract

In this study, the performance of the organic Rankine cycle combined with the partial cooling supercritical CO2 cycle as the bottoming cycle for recovering the low grade heat powered by a solar power tower was evaluated. Ecofriendly fluids were taken into consideration. To simulate the model under consideration, a computer programme was created in engineering equation solver software. The impacts of solar radiation, concentration ratio, solar incidence angle, CO2 turbine inlet temperature, heat exchanger effectiveness and main compressor inlet tempera-ture were investigated. Based on working fluid R1224yd(Z), it was determined that the com-bined cycle’s thermal efficiency, exergy efficiency, and power output improved from 35.16% to 55.43%, 37.73% to 59.42%, and 188 kW to 298.5 kW, respectively, as solar irradiation raised from 0.4 kW/m2 to 0.95 kW/m2. Lower the solar incidence angle and higher the concentration ratio can enhance the combined system’s performance. Amongst the working fluids that were taken into account, R1224yd(Z) was suggested as having superior performance.