ANALYSIS OF SELECTED WORKING FLUIDS

Comparative Performance analysis of Selected Working Fluids in a low temperature organic Rankine Cycle for Waste Heat recovery Application. The global imperative to improve energy efficiency necessitates the effective recovery of low-grade waste heat, a challenge perfectly addressed by the organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology. This project undertakes a comprehensive comparative analysis of selected candidate organic working fluids – including Ethanol, Toluene, Cyclopentane, R245fa, R1233zd(E) and R152a, drawn from the categories of dry, wet and isentropic fluids, within a low-temperature ORC system designed for industrial waste heat recovery. The primary goal is to identify the optimal fluid that maximizes thermodynamic performance under a specified heat source temperature (e.g 206 0C to 123.7 0C). A thermodynamic model was developed to simulate the cycle’s performance. The selected fluids are evaluated against key metrics such as network and thermal efficiency. Initial simulation results reveal significant variability in cycle performance, depending on the fluid’s critical temperature, boiling point and condensation temperatures and pressures. The findings provide a data driven basis for selecting a working fluid that not only achieves higher power generation but also minimizes system’s complexity and investment cost, thereby accelerating the deployment of sustainable low temperature waste heat recovery systems.