Component-oriented ORC plant modeling for efficient system design and profitability prediction

Abstract

This contribution presents the modeling of compact Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power plants intended to generate electrical energy from waste heat. The component-oriented models are illustrated as a valuable means in system design and efficiency/profitability prediction of a potential product in consideration of varying boundary conditions. First, we demonstrate the modeling of two crucial components, one in a bottom-up manner and another one in a top-down manner, as well as the effective construction of a closed-loop system model. Secondly, all physical component models are systematically extended by their respective economic quantities (costs and profitrelevant energy production and consumption). On the system level, these quantities are generically merged with all legal subsidies and compensation that are applicable to the considered plant (with the German renewable energy source act serving as an example). Finally, using the integrative physico-economic models in dynamic system simulations, we show efficiency and profitability predictions of an exemplary ORC plant in two scenarios.Index Terms-Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) modeling, Modelica, profitability prediction, integrative physicoeconomic modeling.

Modeling and Simulation of a Wastewater Pumping Plant

“…This is a point normally not considered in deriving the control laws. Models implementing functions to derive the total cost of operation similar to models presented in (Felgner et al, 2011) combined with predictivesimulation based -hybrid control schemes as in (Sonntag et al, 2009) are expected to be of great value under these conditions.…”

Component-Oriented Modeling of Thermoelectric Devices for Energy System Design

“…The model presented is implemented in the open Modelica modeling language [31], [32] which has often been proven as a proper technique in the modeling of thermopower systems, e.g., in [33] and [34]. The component-oriented modeling with noncausal interfaces ("connectors") preserves the physical system structure and allows a straightforward system model construction out of reusable components.…”

“…In the highly topical field of waste heat recovery by means of TEGs, the long-term prediction of a planned system's profitability, is another important issue. For this purpose, the physical models have to be complemented with appropriate economic components including time-dependent government subsidies, e.g., in the same way as it was illustrated for an organic rankine cycle (ORC) plant in [34]. In [42], the presented TE models and the economic components from [34] are used to compare the predicted lifecycle profitability of a TEG-based waste heat recovery system with that of an ORC system.…”

Object-oriented simulation model of thermoelectric devices for energy system design

“…in [11], [13]. The object-oriented modeling with acausal interfaces (connectors) preserves the physical system structure and allows straight-forward system model construction from re-usable components.…”