In
the following study, two of the most commonly used and analyzed
organic Rankine cycles (ORC), one with a basic set and another one
with a regenerative heat exchanger, are investigated at different
temperature levels below 450 K. The work involved implementing the
continuous-molecular targeting approach to computer-aided molecular
design in an optimization procedure using thermodynamic modeling software
for generating the different ORC configurations. After finding the
optimal operating parameters and ideal working fluid for each temperature
range with a genetic algorithm, the performances of the cycles are
compared. The results show that the most frequently investigated setup
when the cycle is extended with a regenerative heat exchanger is not
necessarily superior over the basic ORC. Under certain conditions,
the simpler and more affordable design could lead to higher performance.
Therefore, a thorough examination requires the investigation of both
topologies. Also, groups of substances that may become fourth-generation
refrigerants in the future due to zero ODP and low GWP were also examined.
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