Performance characteristics investigation of a solar rankine cycle powered air conditioning system for residential buildings using low GWP working fluids
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24425/ather.2025.154184Abstract
Screening for eco-friendly working fluids with high-energy efficiency is one of the highest challenges in the air conditioning sector. The present research aims to investigate and compare the performance characteristics of fourteen promising low global warming potential working fluids, less than 150, in solar organic Rankine cycle powered vapour compression cycle for air conditioning of residential buildings. The working fluids selected are R152a, R161, R1234yf, R1234ze(E), R1233zd(E), R290, R1270, R600a, R600, R601a, R601, R13I1, RE170 and R123. The performance characteristics investigated are the organic Rankine cycle efficiency (ηORC), the ratio (WRm) of network output (Wnet) for the organic Rankine cycle to mass flow (mORC) rate for organic Rankine cycle, volumetric flow ratio (VFR), expander size parameter (SP), cooling power (Qeva) of vapour compression cycle, coefficient of performance (COPVCC) of vapour compression cycle, coefficient of performance (COPs) of the organic Rankine cycle–vapour compression cycle system, the ratio (CPRm) of cooling power (Qeva) to (mORC+mVCC), and the total efficiency of solar air conditioning system (ηt). The investigated results proved that the working fluid RE170 (global warming potential = 1) is the most suitable working fluid for the organic Rankine cycle–vapour compression cycle system through the comprehensive comparison of ηORC, WRm, VFR, SP, Qeva, COPVCC , COPs, CPRm and ηt for the fourteen working fluids.References
1. Maalem, Y., Fedali, S., Madani, H., & Tamene, Y. (2020). Performance analysis of ternary azeotropic mixtures in different vapor compression refrigeration cycles. International Journal of Refrigeration, 119, 139–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2020.07.021
2. Li, C., Zhou, J., Cao, Y., Zhong, J., Liu, Y., Kang, C., & Tan, Y. (2014). Interaction between urban microclimate and electric air-conditioning energy consumption during high temperature season. Applied Energy, 117, 149–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.11.057
3. Martins, M., Mauran, S., Stitou, D., & Neveu, P. (2012). A new thermal hydraulic process for solar cooling. Energy, 41, 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2011.05.030
4. Maalem, Y., & Madani, H. (2024). Energetic performance investigation of ejector air conditioning cycles using the environment friendly gas R161 (fluoroethane) as substitute to the phase-out R22 (chlorodifluoromethane). International Journal of Thermofluid Science and Technology, 11, 110201. https://doi.org/10.36963/IJTST.2024110201
5. Zeyghami, M., Goswami, D. Y., & Stefanakos, E. (2015). A review of solar thermo-mechanical refrigeration and cooling methods. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 51, 1428–1445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.07.011
6. Egrican, A. N., & Karakas, A. (1986). Second law analysis of a solar powered Rankine cycle/vapor compression cycle. Journal of Heat Recovery Systems, 6, 135–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/0198-7593(86)90073-1
7. Louajari, M., Mimet, A., & Ouammi, A. (2011). Study of the effect of finned tube adsorber on the performance of solar driven adsorption cooling machine using activated carbon-ammonia pair. Applied Energy, 88, 690–698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2010.08.032
8. Luo, H., Wang, R., & Dai, Y. (2010). The effects of operation parameter on the performance of a solar-powered adsorption chiller. Applied Energy, 87, 3018–3022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2010.03.013
9. Quoilin, S., Orosz, M., Hemond, H., & Lemort, V. (2011). Performance and design optimization of a low-cost solar organic Rankine cycle for remote power generation. Solar Energy, 85, 955–966. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2011.02.010
10. Tchanche, B. F., Lambrinos, G., Frangoudakis, A., & Papadakis, G. (2011). Low-grade heat conversion into power using organic Rankine cycles—A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 15, 3963–3979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2011.07.024
11. Molés, F., Navarro-Esbrí, J., Peris, B., Mota-Babiloni, A., & Kontomaris, K. (2015). Thermodynamic analysis of a combined ORC and VCC system. Applied Thermal Engineering, 87, 444–453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2015.04.083
12. Asim, M., Leung, M. K. H., Shan, Z., Li, Y., Leung, D. Y. C., & Ni, M. (2017). Thermodynamic and thermo-economic analysis of integrated ORC. Energy Procedia, 143, 192–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.12.670
13. Saleh, B. (2016). Parametric and working fluid analysis of combined system. Journal of Advanced Research, 7, 651–660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2016.06.006
14. Aphornratana, S., & Sriveerakul, T. (2010). Combined Rankine–vapour compression cycle. Energy Conversion and Management, 51, 2557–2564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2010.04.016
15. Cihan, E. (2014). Cooling performance investigation of ORC system. Journal of Thermal Science and Technology, 34(1), 101–109.
16. Bu, X., Wang, L., & Li, H. (2013). Working fluid selection for ORC–VCC. Geothermal Energy, 1, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/2195-9706-1-2
17. Li, H., Bu, X., Wang, L., Long, Z., & Lian, Y. (2013). Hydrocarbon working fluids for combined system. Energy and Buildings, 65, 167–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2013.06.012
18. Wang, H., Peterson, R., Harada, K., Miller, E., Ingram-Goble, R., Fisher, L., Yih, J., & Ward, C. (2011). ORC and vapor compression cooling system. Energy, 36, 447–458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2010.10.020
19. Yue, C., You, F., & Huang, Y. (2016). Thermal and economic analysis of ORC system. International Journal of Refrigeration, 64, 152–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2016.01.005
20. Hu, B., Guo, J., Yang, Y., & Shao, Y. (2022). Performance analysis of ORC-driven air conditioning. Energy Reports, 8, 194–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.01.094
21. Kim, K. H., & Perez-Blanco, H. (2015). Combined ORC and VCC for cogeneration. Applied Thermal Engineering, 91, 964–974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2015.04.062
22. Khatoon, S., Almefreji, N. M. A., & Kim, M. H. (2021). Thermodynamic study of combined system. Energies, 14(2), 410. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14020410
23. Jeong, J., & Kang, Y. T. (2004). Refrigeration cycle driven by turbine. International Journal of Refrigeration, 27, 33–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-7007(03)00101-4
24. Küçük, E., & Kılıç, M. (2023). Exergoeconomic analysis of dual-pressure ORC-VCC. Sustainability, 15(8), 6987. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086987
25. Wang, Z., Zhao, Y., Xia, X., Zhang, S., Xiao, Y., Zhang, X., & Chen, W. (2024). Experimental ORC-VCC performance study. Applied Thermal Engineering, 250, 123534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.123534
26. Qureshi, F. M., Chandio, M. W., Memon, A. A., Kumar, L., & Awad, M. M. (2024). Solar-based ORC with refrigeration cycle. Energy Nexus, 14, 100291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nexus.2024.100291
27. Al-Sayyab, A. K. S., Mota-Babiloni, A., & Navarro-Esbrí, J. (2023). Modified compound ORC-VCC system evaluation. Applied Energy, 334, 120651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.120651
28. Mota-Babiloni, A., Navarro-Esbrí, J., Barragán, A., Molés, F., & Peris, B. (2014). Performance of R1234yf and R1234ze. Applied Thermal Engineering, 71, 259–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2014.06.056
29. Calm, J. M., & Hourahan, G. C. (2011). Refrigerants data summary. Proceedings of the 23rd ICR, Prague.
30. Sokhansefat, T., Kasaeian, A., Rahmani, K., Heidari, A. H., Aghakhani, F., & Mahian, O. (2018). Thermoeconomic solar collectors analysis. Renewable Energy, 115, 501–508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2017.08.057
31. Li, P., Li, J., Pei, G., Munir, A., & Ji, J. (2016). Cascade ORC using solar and LNG. Solar Energy, 127, 136–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2016.01.029
32. Yaiche, M. R., Bouhanik, A., Bekkouche, S. M. A., Malek, A., & Benouaz, T. (2014). Solar maps of Algeria. Energy Conversion and Management, 82, 114–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2014.02.063
33. Macchi, E., & Perdichizzi, A. (1981). Efficiency prediction for axial-flow turbines. Journal of Engineering for Power, 103, 718–724. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3230794
34. Invernizzi, C., Iora, P., & Silva, P. (2007). Bottoming micro-Rankine cycles. Applied Thermal Engineering, 27, 100–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2006.05.003
35. Lakew, A. A., & Bolland, O. (2010). Working fluids for low-temperature heat source. Applied Thermal Engineering, 30, 1262–1268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2010.02.009
36. Stijepovic, M. Z., Linke, P., Papadopoulos, A. I., & Grujic, A. S. (2012). Role of working fluid properties in ORC. Applied Thermal Engineering, 36, 406–413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2011.10.057
