Design and development of an automotive organic Rankine-cycle powerplant with a reciprocating expander. Final report. Volume II. Detailed discussion

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6550882· OSTI ID:6550882

Work performed for the design and development of an organic Rankine-cycle engine for automobile propulsion is reported. An automotive power plant using an organic Rankine-cycle system with a reciprocating expander has been designed, built, and tested on an engine dynamometer in a preprototype configuration. The system is designed to provide performance approximately equivalent to that of a 351-CID internal combustion engine in the reference car, a 1972 Ford Galaxie 500. A description of the preprototype system, major components, and results from component and system testing are presented. The fuel economy based on steady-state measurements is estimated to be 10.2 mpg over the federal driving cycle with a maximum of 16 mpg at 30 mph. Projections of steady-state emission measurements show compliance with the 1970 Clean Air Act standards for 1978 vehicle emissions. The levels for unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen were 41 percent, 6 percent, and 69 percent of the standards, respectively. At the conclusion of the preprototype phase of the program, a prototype design effort was initiated to upgrade and improve the performance of the preprototype system. The reference vehicle for this prototype design is a compact car in the weight class of a 1974 Ford Pinto. The results of this design study, including performance projections, are also presented.

• Research Organization: Thermo Electron Corp., Waltham, MA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-2670
• OSTI ID: 6550882
• Report Number(s): COO-2670-1; TE-4157-72-78
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
AUTOMOBILES
RANKINE CYCLE ENGINES
DESIGN
PERFORMANCE
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
AIR POLLUTION
CARBON MONOXIDE
CLEAN AIR ACT
EMISSION
FUEL ECONOMY
HYDROCARBONS
NITROGEN OXIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
ENGINES
LAWS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION LAWS
VEHICLES
330202* - External Combustion Engines- Rankine Cycle
330700 - Advanced Propulsion Systems- Emission Control