Modeling and Experimental Approach of an Organic Rankine Cycle Using a Scroll Expander

Recently, there has been a notable increase in focus on the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) progress. The system has remarkable abilities in the application of low-temperature and sustainable energy. This study examines the energy assessment of a hermetic scroll expander in an ORC. The chosen organic working fluid was R134a. Thermal oil served as an organic fluid in the heat source system, while an electric heater functioned as a heat supply. The thermal oil temperature was kept constant in this study at 65 ^oC. The study used a preliminary EES model and an experiment to evaluate the achievement of ORC in terms of power output and thermal efficiency. Certain modifications were made in EES concerning the heat supply and condensation temperature to predict the amount of power output and thermal efficiency. Based on the simulation result at this condition, we obtained a power output of 0.580 kWth with a net thermal efficiency of 2.9%. The results of the experiment demonstrate a power output of 0.381 kWth, 0.113 kWe of electric power, and a net thermal efficiency of 3.08%. The deviation between the simulation and experimental results was 4.87% for net thermal efficiency and 12.75% for turbine power output. The validation of the ORC model is based on the performance of the provided ORC prototype. Finally, the numerical model is used to investigate potential improvements for the prototype.