Solar-powered/fuel-assisted rankine cycle power and cooling system: sensitivity analysis

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3267624· OSTI ID:5902084

Lior, N; Koai, K

The subject of this analysis is a solar power/cooling system based on a novel hybrid steam Rankine cycle. Steam is generated by the use of solar energy collected at about 100/sup 0/C, and it is then superheated to about 600/sup 0/C in a fossil-fuel-fired superheater. The addition of about 20-26 percent of energy as fuel doubles the power cycle's efficiency as compared to organic fluid Rankine cycles operating at similar collector temperatures. A sensitivity analysis of the system's performance to the size and type of its components was performed by a transient (hourly) computer simulation over the month of August in two representative climatic regions (Washington, D.C. and Phoenix, Ariz.), and led to the description of a system configuration which provides optimal energy performance. The newly designed turbine's predicted efficiency is seen to be essentially invariant with system configuration, and has a monthly average value of about 73 percent.

• Research Organization: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
• OSTI ID: 5902084
• Journal Information: J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States) Vol. 106:4; ISSN JSEED
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140700* -- Solar Thermal Power Systems
140901 -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
AIR CONDITIONERS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HEATING
HYBRID SYSTEMS
MACHINERY
MONTHLY VARIATIONS
OPTIMIZATION
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POWER PLANTS
RANKINE CYCLE
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
SIMULATION
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONERS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
STEAM GENERATION
SUPERHEATING
TESTING
THERMAL EFFICIENCY
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
VARIATIONS