Energy 62 (2013) 73e81

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Energy
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Exergy analysis for maximizing power of organic Rankine cycle power

plant driven by open type energy source
Aleksandra Borsukiewicz-Gozdur*
West Pomeranian University of Technology, ORC Power Plants Research and Development Centre, al. Piastów 17, 70-310 Szczecin, Poland

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: An attempt is made in the present work to classify the energy sources that can drive the ORC (organic
Received 10 November 2012 Rankine cycle) power plants. Concepts of the open and sealed type of the energy sources are introduced
Received in revised form as well as the difference between the energy source capacity and the energy supplied to the power plant
31 January 2013
cycle is presented. By application of the exergy analysis it has been proved via examples of calculations
Accepted 31 March 2013
that, for the open type energy sources, an external loss of exergy occurs due to the lacking utilization of a
Available online 8 May 2013
still usable output product. The term product refers here to the power plant exit flow of the source heat
carrier. It is shown that, for each cycle working fluid, there is a specific evaporation temperature at which
Keywords:
Open source
the cumulative cycle energy losses drop to minimum and the power plant output reaches its maximum
ORC value. It is also proved that, in case of the ORC power plants driven by the open energy sources, there is
Maximisation of power output no justification to apply the internal heat regeneration in the power plant cycle. The internal heat
regeneration is, in fact, lowering the exergy loss in the condenser, but is also increasing losses due to
unused waste product. Neither the power plant output nor the power plant efficiency is improved.
Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
The UE energy policy, and its 3
20% energy programme in
particular, stimulates (or enforces) a diversification of the energy
sources, especially towards utilization of the renewable or waste
energy sources. Without doubts, electricity is the most convenient
final form of energy. To this end, for the renewable or waste energy
resources that are in most cases characterised by low or moderate
temperatures, the ORC (organic Rankine cycle) power plants appear
as the right solution. The principle of the ORC power plant opera-
tion [1e4] is analogous to that of the conventional steam power
plant, and the only difference lies in the power plant cycle working
fluid. Organic fluids are used in case of the ORC power plants, which
is caused by the operational and maintenance reasons. Application
of the properly selected cycle working fluid eliminates problems
with the power plant sections working at below atmospheric
pressure and reduces size of several power plant components, and
of the turbine in particular [5,6].
The energy sources that can be used to drive the power plant
have varying characteristics [7]. The most important parameters to
characterize the energy sources are: the energy capacity expressed
* Tel.: þ48 91 4494136; fax: þ48 91 449 4591.
E-mail address: aborsukiewicz@zut.edu.pl.
as heat quantity Qsource or heat flow Q_ source, type of the energy
carrier (water, combustion gases, air) and the initial temperature of
the energy carrier Ts1. In view of the analyses undertaken in the
present work the energy sources are, however, split into two
groups, Fig. 1.
In the first group there are energy sources with their energy
capacities Q_ source being equal to the energy flow Q_ supp that is
supplied to the power plant (with due regard for the energy losses
as result of the process irreversibility), which can be written in form
of the equation:
sealed sealed
Q_ source ¼ Q_ supp (1)
and which defines the “sealed type energy sources” due to the fixed
value of the heat flow supplied to the power plant to be assumed
already at the power plant design stage. Driving the power plant
with a given thermal oil boiler can be here a good example. With
the nominal power output of such boiler, and for the requested
thermal oil output temperature, the temperature of the thermal oil
being returned to the boiler MUST have a predetermined, fixed
value.
The power plant can be, however, driven by the heat source of
different characteristics, to be then called the “open type heat
source”. For such type of the heat source there are two parameters
to be differentiated:

0360-5442/$ e see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2013.03.096
74 A. Borsukiewicz-Gozdur / Energy 62 (2013) 73e81

The above argument is illustrated with examples of calculations

reported in the next sections of the present work. The usefulness of
the exergy analysis to select the optimum parameters of the ORC
power plant operation is then proved for the case when such power
plant is driven by the open type energy source.

2. Exergy analysis

A scheme in Fig. 2 is now referenced to analyse, by using the

Fig. 1. Energy sources split in respect to the energy source capacity ratio as supplied to exergy losses in the individual power plant components, the ther-
the ORC power plant. modynamically imperfect operation of the ORC power plant. The
thermodynamic conversion cycle of the dry working fluid [8] is
shown on the beh diagram in Fig. 3.
 Available heat source capacity, defined by:
The exergy analysis can be made when each component of the
power plant installation is considered as an open system. The
open
Q_ source ¼ m
_ s $cp;s ðTs1  Tsmin Þ (2) principle of the exergy balance calculation for the steady state of
the open, non-reacting system is presented in Refs. [9,10], and the
general form of the exergy balance equation can be written as:
 Energy flow supplied to the power plant, defined by:
X
n X
n
_ j $bi;j ¼
m _ j $bo;j þ N þ DB_ Z þ dB_ I þ dB_ WP þ dB_ Q
m (7)
open
Q_ supp _ s $cp;s ðTs1  Ts3 Þ
¼ m (3) j¼0 j¼0

whereby:
For the open type heat source, the energy flow as determined by Eq.
(3) appears as the result depending on the energy carrier temper-
B_ j ¼ m
_ j $bj (8)
ature Ts3 at the power plant exit. In contrast, the heat source ca-
pacity, Eq. (2), depends on the minimum temperature Ts min up to
and the specific exergy values are calculated from:
which the heat carrier can be cooled down. In most cases:
 
open open bj ¼ hj  ha  Ta sj  sa (9)
Q_ source > Q_ supp (4)
The exergy flow balances, as well as the origin of losses for the
and it is only in some extreme cases when Ts3 ¼ Tsmin the energy individual components of the power plant installation will be now
flow supplied to the power plant reaches the available heat source presented.
capacity value.
An example of the open type heat source comes in case of the 2.1. Exergy flow change in the turbine
hot air stream delivered by the clinker brick cooler. The hot air
stream carries a certain value of energy considered here as the In the direct, comparative theoretical approach to the turbine
energy source capacity, only part of which can be used to drive the expansion process the latter is considered as an isentropic one and
power plant. Determination of this usable energy capacity part is, as the n1en2s line, represented in Fig. 4. In contrast, the actual
depends on skills of the power plant designer, and is set by the expansion process is illustrated by the n1en2 line. Now, in case of
outlet temperature of the air stream emitted to the environment. It conventional steam turbines there are three kinds of losses speci-
is here important to note that the latter temperature value does not fied for the turbogenerator: those resulting of the turbine internal
influence the original heat source temperature. efficiency (hi), those connected with the turbine mechanical effi-
The thermal efficiency for both types of the heat sources can be ciency (hm) and those resulting of the electric generator efficiency.
defined by: It is only the turbine internal efficiency that affects the state of the
cycle working fluid. It is assumed in the present work that the
N turbogenerator used in the ORC power plant consists of the turbine
hth ¼ _ el (5)
Q supp and electric generator that are both placed in a common sealed
casing [11] (to secure an absolute sealing of the whole working fluid
and is less useful for the open type heat sources. This is because the
energy flow supplied to the power plant varies according to the
power plant operating point (or to the cycle working fluid type).
The thermal efficiency definition given by Eq. (5) is useful in se-
lection of the power plant most efficient energy conversion, but not
necessarily in selection of the best utilization of the energy source
capacity. To compare effectiveness of different power plants driven
by various open type energy sources, the exergy efficiency appears
to be more useful:

N
hex ¼ _ el (6)
Bsource

In that case, the power plant output power is referenced by the

source exergy (assuming that Tsmin ¼ Ta ) and the exergy loss of the
unused product is coming to sight. Fig. 2. Scheme of the ORC power plant with dry working fluid.
 A. Borsukiewicz-Gozdur / Energy 62 (2013) 73e81
Fig. 3. beh diagram of the thermodynamic conversion cycle for the ORC power plant
with dry working fluid.
cycle). In that solution, the electric generator is cooled with the
turbine outlet vapour. In view of that system configuration the
turbogenerator joint efficiency (ht) is applied. It is next adopted that
the exergy losses resulting of that turbogenerator efficiency are
accounted into the internal losses (i.e. to those affecting the ther-
modynamic state of the cycle working fluid).
If the turbine is enclosed within the balance shield then the
exergy flow balance reads:
B_ n1 ¼ B_ n2 þ NT;el þ dB_ I;T (10)
where dB_ I;T denotes the internal exergy loss flow for the turbine
expansion process.
Taking into consideration that the working fluid exergy change
is given by:
DB_ T ¼ B_ n1  B_ n2 (11)
then, with some transformations of the Eq. (10), the value of dB_ I;T
appears as:
dB_ I;T ¼ DB_ T  NT;el (12)
2.2. Exergy flow loss in the condenser
Heat of the expanded superheated working fluid vapour is
transferred, in the condenser, to the cooling medium that comes
with the ambient temperature. In that process, the working fluid
vapour is first cooled down (n2en200 ) and then condensed to the
liquid state n3, as it is presented in Fig. 5.
Fig. 4. Turbine expansion processes presented on the beh diagram.
75
Fig. 5. Working fluid condensation processes.
The exergy balance for the condenser can be written in form of:
B_ n2 ¼ B_ n3 þ DB_ Z;C þ dB_ I;C þ dB_ Q ;C (13)
In the above equation, as heat is being extracted to the environ-
ment, the exergy of the environment is neglected:
DB_ Z;C ¼ 0 (14)
The internal exergy flow loss comes to existence on account of
the process irreversibility due to the working fluid flow resistance.
This results in the condensation process occurring at the varying
condensation temperature, n2sen3p line in Fig. 5. It is adopted in
the present work that:
dB_ I;C ¼ 0 (15)
The simplification introduced by the Eq. (15), as well as by Eqs.
(21) and (24), comes from the circumstance that the working fluid
pressure losses due to internal friction (leading to the temperature
changes) depend on the heat exchanger geometry and on the
installation set-up, and are small for commonly used heat ex-
changers. The resulting exergy drop is of minor importance.
Eq. (13) leads then to the following equation that enables to
calculate the exergy flow loss as result of the heat transfer
irreversibility:
dB_ Q ;C ¼ B_ n2  B_ n3 (16)
2.3. Exergy flow loss in the cycle pump
In the direct, comparative theoretical approach to the working
fluid pumping process the latter is considered as an isentropic one
and is, as the n3en4s line, represented in Fig. 6. In contrast, the
actual pumping process is illustrated by the n3en4 line.
Fig. 6. Cycle pump pumping processes presented on the beh diagram.
76 A. Borsukiewicz-Gozdur / Energy 62 (2013) 73e81

The exergy flow balance equation for the cycle pump can be
written in form:

B_ n3 þ NP;el ¼ B_ n4 þ dB_ I;P (17)

whereby all pumping losses are adopted as the internal exergy

losses that affect the thermodynamic state of the cycle working
fluid.
  Fig. 8. Cycle fluid evaporation processes presented on the beh diagram.
dB_ I;P ¼ NP;el  B_ n4  B_ n3 (18)

The heat carrier exergy change DB_ Z;E in the evaporator can be
2.4. Exergy flow loss in the preheater written as:

In the direct, comparative theoretical approach to the working DB_ Z;E ¼ B_ s1  B_ s2 (25)
fluid preheating process the latter is considered as an isobaric one
and is, as the n4en5 line, represented in Fig. 7. In contrast, the and the exergy loss due to the heat transfer taking place at fixed
actual preheating process is illustrated by the n4en5f line. temperature is:
The exergy flow balance equation for the preheater can be    
written in form: dB_ Q ;E ¼ B_ s1  B_ s2  B_ n1  B_ n5 (26)

B_ n4 ¼ B_ n5 þ DB_ Z;PH þ dB_ I;PH þ dB_ Q ;PH (19)

and the change of the energy carrier exergy can be calculated from: 2.6. Exergy loss due to lacking utilization of the usable product

DB_ Z;PH ¼ B_ s2  B_ s3 (20) It should be noted that a certain value of the energy carrier flow
with the temperature of Ts3 still remains at the preheater outlet.
The internal exergy flow loss comes to existence on account of That energy carrier flow is characterized by a certain exergy value
the process irreversibility due to the working fluid flow resistance. B_ s3 and denotes an external exergy loss resulting from non-
This results in the preheating process occurring at the varying utilization of the waste product dB_ WP :
pressure, n4en5f line in Fig. 7. It is adopted in the present work that:
dB_ WP ¼ B_ s3 (27)
dB_ I;PH ¼ 0 (21)
The exergy flows and exergy flow losses for the individual
The working fluid exergy loss in the preheater can be then calcu- components of the power plant cycle can be presented graphically
lated from: in Fig. 9:
   
dB_ Q ;PH ¼ B_ s2  B_ s3  B_ n5  B_ n4 (22) 3. Assumptions

The following energy sources of low or moderate temperature

2.5. Exergy flow loss in the evaporator
are selected as examples of the open type energy sources that can
drive the ORC power plant:
The evaporator is a heat exchanger in which, on the working
fluid side, the working fluid phase change occurs e the evaporation.
 geothermal water (inlet temperature 90  C);
The exergy flow balance equation for the evaporator can be
 hot air originating from the clinker cooler (inlet temperature
written in form
270  C),
B_ n5 ¼ B_ n1 þ DB_ Z;E þ dB_ I;E þ dB_ Q ;E (23)

By analogy with the preheater, it is assumed also for this heat

exchanger that the evaporation process irreversibility due to the
working fluid flow resistance is negligible, comp. the n5en1f line in
Fig. 8, and the evaporation process proceeds according to the n5e
n1 line. This is equivalent to:

dB_ I;E ¼ 0 (24)

Fig. 7. Cycle fluid preheating processes presented on the beh diagram. Fig. 9. Exergy flows in the ORC power plant driven by the open type energy source.
 A. Borsukiewicz-Gozdur / Energy 62 (2013) 73e81 77

Table 1 4. Analysis of the exergy losses in the geothermal ORC power

Characteristic parameters of the selected energy sources. plant with R227ea as the cycle working fluid
Energy source Geothermal water Hot air

Inlet temperature 90  C 270  C

Values of the geothermal water inlet parameters are presented
Energy carrier mass flow 10 kg/s 10 kg/s in Table 2, whereby the heat source capacity is obtained from Eq. (2)
Ambient conditions to reference Ta ¼ 20  C, Ta ¼ 20  C, on assumption that the minimum temperature up to which the
the exergy calculations pa ¼ 1 bar pa ¼ 1 bar geothermal water may be cooled down in the power plant is
Working fluid R227ea Toluene
Condensation temperature 35  C 35  C Tsmin ¼ Tn4 þ TTD (31)
of working fluid

i.e. some 40  C (comp. preheater, Fig. 2).

Values of the heat flow Q_ supp supplied to the power plant cycle,
Table 2 values of the selected thermodynamic state parameters at the
Heat source capacity and geothermal water parameters at the power plant inlet. characteristic points of the cycle and the geothermal water tem-
Ts1  C hs1 kJ/kg bs1 kJ/kgK Q_ source kW for peratures Ts2 (at the evaporator outlet) and Ts3 (at the preheater
Ts min ¼ 40  C outlet) are all presented in Table 3 for varying evaporation tem-
90 377.06 30.28 2094.4 peratures of the working fluid.
Values of the working fluid specific exergy at the characteristic
points of the cycle, values of the geothermal water specific exergy at
the s2 and s3 points, as well as the working fluid mass flow m _ n are all
whereby all information concerning the selected energy sources
presented in Table 4 for varying temperatures of the working fluid.
and the assumed power plant is given in Table 1.
Calculation results for the thermal and exergy efficiencies, as
It is assumed for convenience of the calculations that the
well as the exergy flow losses for individual components of the
geothermal water parameters are equal to those of the fresh water.
power plant cycle are presented in Table 5 for varying temperatures
The turbogenerator efficiency is assumed at hT ¼ 0.8, the pump
of the working fluid.
efficiency at hP ¼ 0.7 and the minimum difference in temperatures
It results from the analysis of the quantities presented in
of the energy carrier and of the working fluid (pinch point) is at
Tables 3 and 5 that the highest thermal efficiency is achieved for the
TTD ¼ 5 K.
case when the working fluid is evaporated at the highest temper-
Individual exergy losses are determined from (12), (16), (18),
ature, Tn1 ¼ 74  C, out of the temperature range under consider-
(22), (26) and (27) by using the Refprop 9.0 data [12].
ation. The highest degree of the heat source capacity utilization is
Other required quantities are calculated from the following
achieved at the lowest evaporation temperature, Tn1 ¼ 54  C (the
relationships:
degree of the heat source capacity utilization can be even higher if
lower evaporation temperatures are taken into consideration).
e ORC power plant electric power output:
However, neither the highest thermal efficiency nor the highest
heat source capacity utilization corresponds to the highest power
Nel ¼ NT;el  NP;el (28) plant electrical output. The latter is achieved for the evaporation
temperature of 62  C at which the exergy losses reach their mini-
mum (the highest exergy efficiency). For a better illustration of the
e Turbogenerator electric power output: exergy losses in the individual cycle components the exergy flow
split is presented in Figs. 10e12 for: the highest heat source ca-
pacity utilization (Fig. 10), the highest exergy efficiency (Fig. 11) and
_ n ðhn1  hn2s Þ$hT the highest thermal efficiency (Fig. 12).
NT;el ¼ m (29)
It can be concluded from the analysis of the quantities presented
in Figs. 10e12 that the exergy flow losses in the turbine, pump,
e Cycle pump electric power requirement: condenser and preheater are negligibly affected by the working
fluid evaporation temperature. However, the exergy loss in the
evaporator is remarkably growing along with the decreasing
_ n ðhn4s  hn3 Þ=hP
NP;el ¼ m (30) working fluid evaporation temperature. This occurs at simulta-
neous strong decrease of the exergy loss attributed to the

Table 3
Values of the heat flow supplied to the power plant cycle, values of the selected thermodynamic state parameters at the characteristic points of the cycle and the geothermal
water temperatures at the evaporator and preheater outlets.

Tn1  C hn1 kJ/kg sn1 ¼ sn2 kJ/kgK hn2s kJ/kg hn3 kJ/kg hn4s kJ/kg hn5 kJ/kg Ts2  C Ts3  C Q_ supp kW Degree of the heat
source capacity utilization %

54 357.1 1.4961 350.8 240.7 240.98 264.48 59 51.2 1627.9 78

56 358.2 1.4975 351.2 240.7 241.02 267.08 61 52.7 1562.3 75
58 359.2 1.4988 351.6 240.7 241.06 269.70 63 54.4 1492.9 71
60 360.2 1.5001 352.0 240.7 241.10 272.35 65 56.1 1419.7 68
62 361.2 1.5013 352.4 240.7 241.14 275.02 67 58.0 1342.4 64
64 362.1 1.5024 352.7 240.7 241.19 277.71 69 59.9 1260.3 60
66 363.0 1.5035 353.1 240.7 241.23 280.43 71 62.0 1173.7 56
68 363.9 1.5045 353.4 240.7 241.28 283.19 73 64.2 1081.9 52
70 364.8 1.5055 353.7 240.7 241.33 285.97 75 66.5 984.4 47
72 365.6 1.5063 354.0 240.7 241.38 288.78 77 69.0 880.7 42
74 366.3 1.5071 354.2 240.7 241.43 291.63 79 71.6 770.5 37
78 A. Borsukiewicz-Gozdur / Energy 62 (2013) 73e81

Table 4
Values of exergy of the working fluid and of the geothermal water.

Tn1  C _ n kg/s
m bn1 kJ/kgK bn2 kJ/kgK bn3 kJ/kgK bn4 kJ/kgK bn5 kJ/kgK bs2 kJ/kgK bs3 kJ/kgK

54 14.03 30.57 24.30 18.82 19.13 20.95 9.97 6.47

56 13.35 31.22 24.33 18.82 19.17 21.26 10.98 7.11
58 12.65 31.86 24.37 18.82 19.21 21.59 12.03 7.83
60 11.94 32.49 24.41 18.82 19.25 21.94 13.12 8.61
62 11.20 33.11 24.44 18.82 19.30 22.31 14.26 9.48
64 10.44 33.72 24.48 18.82 19.34 22.70 15.43 10.44
66 9.65 34.31 24.51 18.82 19.39 23.11 16.65 11.51
68 8.84 34.90 24.55 18.82 19.44 23.54 17.92 12.68
70 7.99 35.47 24.58 18.82 19.49 23.99 19.22 13.99
72 7.11 36.02 24.61 18.82 19.54 24.45 20.57 15.44
74 6.19 36.56 24.64 18.82 19.59 24.94 21.95 17.06

Table 5
Calculation results for efficiencies. Power plant electric output and individual exergy losses.
P _
Tn1  C dB_ Q ;E kW dB_ I;T kW dB_ Q ;C kW dB_ I;P kW dB_ Q ;PH kW dB_ WP kW dB kW hth % hex % Nel kW

54 68.02 16.49 76.79 1.91 9.54 65.69 237.43 4.02 21.60 65.40
56 60.04 17.44 73.59 2.04 10.0 71.13 234.94 4.35 22.42 67.89
58 52.61 17.88 70.21 2.15 11.84 78.26 232.94 4.68 23.08 69.89
60 45.71 18.30 66.68 2.20 12.93 86.12 231.94 4.99 23.41 70.89
62 39.34 18.32 62.97 2.22 13.94 94.79 231.58 5.31 23.53 71.25
64 33.50 18.03 59.05 2.34 14.81 104.43 232.16 5.61 23.34 70.67
66 28.14 17.76 54.94 2.26 15.55 115.05 233.70 5.89 22.83 69.13
68 23.24 17.09 50.61 2.27 16.11 126.81 236.12 6.17 22.03 66.71
70 18.86 16.35 46.02 2.21 16.37 139.89 239.70 6.41 20.85 63.13
72 14.92 15.16 41.14 2.11 16.33 154.41 244.06 6.67 19.41 58.77
74 11.43 13.88 35.97 1.94 15.88 170.56 249.99 6.90 17.56 53.17

geothermal water reinjection. Thus, the decreasing working fluid calculation results leads to conclusions that are similar to those in
evaporation temperature enables a better “down-cooling” of the the previous case. The highest power plant electrical output
geothermal water, which leads to the lower exergy loss dB_ WP of the (353.5 kW) is received for such working fluid evaporation temper-
unused product. ature (Tn1 ¼ 155  C) at which the exergy losses have their minimum.
The electrical power output received for the highest evaporation
temperature Tn1, at which the thermal efficiency achieves its
5. Analysis of the exergy losses in the ORC power plant with
maximum (23.8%), is lower than that received when the power plant
toluene as the working fluid when the plant is driven by hot
cycle is working with the thermal efficiency of 4.68% (i.e. at the
air with temperature of 270  C
working fluid evaporation temperature of 55  C). The power plant
exergy flow split for the highest exergy efficiency and for the highest
Main heat source parameters and their values are given in
thermal efficiency is shown in Figs. 13 and 14, respectively.
Table 6, whereby the heat source capacity is calculated by using the
relationships (31) and (2).
The resulting ORC power plant parameters are received for
6. The reasonableness of the internal regeneration
toluene as the cycle working fluid and their final values are pre-
application
sented in Table 7.
Also in case when the ORC power plant is driven by hot air, i.e. by
One more important problem is still to be mentioned, i.e. that of
the heat source of moderate temperature, the analysis of the
the internal heat regeneration by means of utilization of the turbine

Fig. 10. Exergy split for highest source utilization (working fluid: R227; evaporation Fig. 11. Exergy split for highest exergy efficiency (working fluid: R227; evaporation
temperature Tn1 ¼ 54  C, hth ¼ 4.02%). temperature Tn1 ¼ 62  C, hth ¼ 5.31%).
 A. Borsukiewicz-Gozdur / Energy 62 (2013) 73e81 79

Fig. 12. Exergy split for highest thermal efficiency (working fluid: R227; evaporation
Fig. 13. Exergy split for highest exergy efficiency (working fluid: toluene; evaporation
temperature Tn1 ¼ 74  C, hth ¼ 6.90%).
temperature Tn1 ¼ 155  C, hth ¼ 18.29%).

Table 6
Hot air parameters at the power plant inlet and the resulting heat source capacity.

Ts1  C hs1 kJ/kg bs1 kJ/kgK Q_ source kW for

Ts min ¼ 40  C

270 548.09 70.80 2345.4

outlet vapour to preheat the working fluid liquid. Such method is

commonly used in the ORC power plants that are driven by the heat
sources of high [13,14] and moderate temperatures [15] and that
work with dry working fluids. This method of increasing the power
plant thermal efficiency can be applied also in case of the heat
sources of low temperatures, but is mostly not remunerative in
view of the low heat flow rate that is available for regeneration. For
the heat sources of appropriately higher temperature the power
plant effectiveness can be increased even by a few percent points.
However, in case when the ORC power plant is driven by the open
type heat source the application of the internal heat regeneration
has no justification. The internal heat regeneration does not
Fig. 14. Exergy split for highest thermal efficiency (working fluid: toluene; evaporation
contribute to the increase of the power plant output value and,
temperature Tn1 ¼ 255  C, hth ¼ 23.8%).
instead, the temperature of the exit air emitted to the environment
is rising. The effects of the internal heat regeneration in the power
plant designed for the working fluid evaporation at Tn1 ¼ 155  C are increasing the exergy loss dB_ WP due to unused product. It should be
presented in Fig. 15. The data from Fig. 15 should be compared with clearly expressed that the above conclusions are valid only in case
those from Fig. 13. when the ORC power plant is supplied by the open type energy
A comparison of the exergy losses for the power plant without source.
and with internal regeneration, Figs. 13 and 15, respectively, leads
to the conclusion that the application of the internal regeneration
results in a lower exergy loss dB_ Q ;C in the condenser, but is

Table 7
Summary of the calculation results for the ORC power plant efficiency. Power output
and individual exergy losses.

Tn1  C Q_ supp kW Degree of the heat hth % hex % Nel kW

source capacity utilization %

55 2335.5 99.6 4.68 15.44 109.3

75 2307.2 98.4 8.50 27.70 196.1
95 2256.9 96.2 11.65 37.15 263.0
115 2180.9 93.0 14.27 43.96 311.2
135 2974.7 88.5 16.46 48.23 341.5
155 1932.9 82.4 18.29 49.92 353.5
175 1748.8 74.6 19.82 48.96 346.6
195 1513.1 64.5 21.11 45.11 319.4
215 1213.0 51.7 22.18 37.99 269.0
235 827.7 35.3 23.07 26.97 190.9
255 320.8 13.7 23.80 10.79 76.4 Fig. 15. Exergy split for highest exergy efficiency with internal regeneration (working
fluid: toluene; evaporation temperature Tn1 ¼ 155  C, hth ¼ 19.95%).
80 A. Borsukiewicz-Gozdur / Energy 62 (2013) 73e81

7. Summary Q heat, kJ
Q_ heat flow rate, kW
Geothermal water or hot air emitted from the clinker brick s specific entropy, kJ/kgK
cooler, and energy they carry with, are special cases of the energy T temperature,  C
sources that can be used to drive the ORC power plant. They are dB_ exergy flow loss, kW
special in that respect that the temperature of the energy carrier at dB_ I exergy flow internal loss due to irreversible processes, kW
the exit of the power plant (reinjected geothermal water, air dB_ WP exergy flow external loss due to unused waste product,
emitted to the environment) is not restricted by the characteristics kW
of the heat source, and does not influence the heat source tem- dB_ Q exergy flow loss due to heat transfer at fixed temperature
perature in particular. For the sake of the present work such energy difference, kW
sources are defined as the open type energy sources. The difference DB_ change of the exergy flow, kW
between the energy source capacity and the energy supplied to the DB_ Z change of the exergy flow of the external heat source, kW
power plant is highlighted. hth thermal efficiency, %
It has been proved that the use of the power plant thermal hex exergy efficiency, %
efficiency is not sufficient for optimisation of the power plant
operation, and can often guide to wrong conclusions. Analysis of Subscripts
the thermodynamic imperfection of the power plant cycle, based a ambient condition
on determination of the exergy losses, appears then as more c cooling medium
useful. In the present work, the mathematical model for deter- el electric
mination of the exergy losses in individual components of the ORC i inlet
power plant cycle is presented, as well as the method of calcula- I internal loss due to irreversible processes
tion of the power plant exergy efficiency is shown for the ORC n organic working fluid
power plant driven by the open type energy source. The energy o outlet
and exergy analyses have been made for the geothermal ORC Q loss due to heat transfer
power plant with R227ea as the working fluid and supplied with s heat carrier
water temperature of 90  C, as well for the ORC power plant with supp supplied
toluene as the working fluid and supplied with hot air tempera- theo theoretical
ture of 270  C. Results of the analyses allow for a statement that, in 1, 2, 2s, 3, 4, 4s, 5 characteristic points of cycle
case when the power plant is supplied by the open type energy
source, the power plant effectiveness is noticeably affected by the
value of the external exergy loss which arises due to non- Abbreviations (also used as subscripts)
utilization of the waste product. The latter situation occurs, e.g., C condenser
when the geothermal water leaving the power plant is reinjected E evaporator
with its temperature that is higher than the ambient temperature. ORC organic Rankine cycle
It has been shown via the results of calculations that also the P pump
maximum utilization of the heat source capacity does not appear PH preheater
as a proper criterion to select the optimum parameters of the R internal regenerator
power plant operation. It is worth to express that the power plant T turbogenerator
operating point for the maximum power output is identical with TTD terminate temperature difference
that for the maximum exergy efficiency (at minimum of the WP unused waste product
exergy losses). Furthermore, it has been proved that the power
plant output is not increased by application of the internal heat References
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