Bottoming micro-Rankine cycles for micro-gas turbines

This paper investigates the possibility of enhancing the performances of micro-gas turbines through the addition of a bottoming organic Rankine cycle which recovers the thermal power of the exhaust gases typically available in the range of 250–300 °C. The ORC cycles are particularly suitable for the recovery of heat from sources at variable temperatures, and for the generation of medium to small electric power. With reference to a micro-gas turbine with a size of about 100 kWe, a combined configuration could increase the net electric power by about 1/3, yielding an increase of the electrical efficiency of up to 40%. A specific analysis of the characteristics of different classes of working fluids is carried out in order to define a procedure to select the most appropriate fluid, capable of satisfying both environmental (ozone depletion potential, global warming potential) and technical (flammability, toxicity, fluid critical temperature and molecular complexity) concerns. Afterwards, a thermodynamic analysis is performed to ascertain the most favourable cycle thermodynamic conditions, from the point of view of heat recovery. Furthermore, a preliminary design of the ORC turbine (number of stages, outer diameter and rotational speed) is carried out.