Structural Optimization and Experimental Investigation of the Organic Rankine Cycle for Solar Thermal Power Generation

Compared to the conventional Rankine cycle using water, the ORC can create efficient expansion at low power, avoid superheater and offer higher thermal efficiency in low temperature application. Small-scale ORCs from several kWe to a few hundred kWe offer great potential for meeting the residential demand on heat and power, and are of growing interest in scientific and technical fields. However, one critical problem is the decreased device efficiency and cost-effectiveness that arises when ...