Experimental Investigation of a Low Pressure Steam Rankine Cycle for Waste Heat Utilization of Internal Combustion Engines

orc2019 Tracking Number 87

High heat losses via exhaust gas and coolant in internal combustion engines (ICE) are the basis for numerous investigations regarding downstream processes for power generation. The most promising concepts are Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC) and Steam Rankine Cycles (SRC). In previous work of the Center of Innovative Energy Systems, Düsseldorf (Germany), the technical and economic feasibility of a low pressure SRC has been investigated and the advantages in comparison to organic Rankine cycles are highlighted. A distinctive feature of the cycle is the use of the ICE coolant heat for evaporation, which limits the cycles maximum steam pressure to values below atmospheric pressure. This work presents first results of a test rig with data reconciliation according to DIN 2048 to validate the simulation results and design calculations. As a basis for the experimental investigations, a gas fired CHP plant was selected. The design of the test rig is optimized for the operation in the laboratory, where the coolant heat is emulated by a tempering device and the exhaust heat of the CHP plant is emulated by a gas burner. With the designed test rig, it is possible to control the volume flow and the temperatures of the coolant and exhaust gas, so that different load conditions of the gas fired CHP plant can be investigated. For initial tests, the turbine in the SRC is replaced by a throttle to achieve the pressure drop of the turbine. The experimental results show, that the exhaust and coolant heat of a 36 kWel CHP plant can be emulated and the performance expectations of the cycle can be met in stable steady-state conditions. Based on the measurement results and the turbine design calculations an electric power output of the cycle of 3.8 kW will be possible, which results in a cycle efficiency of about 6.5 % and an increase of the electrical power output of the CHP plant of about 10 %. The results show that the plant concept is technically feasible and, with further optimization, also represents an alternative to ORC plants in terms of increasing the efficiency of a cogeneration plant.