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ORC Systems Based on Automobile Scroll Compressors
- Automobile scroll compressors offer the easiest way to experiment with creating an organic rankine cycle system.
- Their advantages include being affordable and easy to acquire.
- Their disadvantages include not being as efficient as purpose-built expanders and limited power capability.
- Before being used as an expander the compressor must be taken apart and the check valve removed.
- When selecting a compressor it is preferable to get one of the newer models made for R134a which are designed for significantly higher pressures than the older ones designed for R12.
- There are experimental compressor/expander units for use with CO2 as a working fluid at very high pressures.
- Compressors for some hybrid cars have an electric motor built in rather than run off a pulley. These are much more expensive, but the motor might be able to be utilized as a generator.
- Honda is experimenting with an ORC system that would use waste heat to extend the range of vehicles.
Following are some documents on this subject. While these may be copyrighted, they were all downloaded for free. The authors were very generous to make their work available to public, please give credit where it is due if you use information they have provided.
If you have additional documents on this subject please email them to editor-at-organicrankine-dot-com.
3 document(s) in database
Title: Experimental evaluation of an autonomous low-temperature solar Rankine cycle system for reverse osmosis desalination. Researchers use three Sanden TRS-105 compressors to operate a reverse osmosis system. Working fluid is R134a. Heat source is a 100 kW electric water heater used to simulate evacuated tube solar collectors. Heat sink is seawater. Author(s): D. Manolakos, G. Papadakis, S. Kyritsis, K. Bouzianas Organization: Agricultural University of Athens Publisher: Elsevier Date Published: 2006-04-11 Date Posted: 2009-02-28 Internal Link: ORC_Solar_Desalination.pdf External Link: Title: Solar Rankine cycle system using scroll expander Researchers use unknown automotive scroll compressor and measure power output using a torque meter. Working fluid is R113. Heat source are compound parabolic collector panels maintaining an accumulator at 140 C. Heat sink is water at 20 C. Author(s): Takeo Saitoh, Noboru Yamada, Shin-ichiro Wakashima Organization: Various Acedemic Institutions in Japan Publisher: Journal of Environmental Engineering, Vol. 2, No. 4, 2007 Date Published: 2007-00-00 Date Posted: 2009-02-28 Internal Link: srcosmos.pdf External Link: Title: CO2 Expander to improve system efficiency Discusses CO2 compressor-expander for vehicle applications. Extensive discussion of CO2 thermodynamic cycles. Author(s): P. Binneberg, C. Norris, F. Rinne Organization: Sanden Technical Centre (Europe) GmbH, Germany Publisher: Date Published: 2003-00-00 Date Posted: Internal Link: press-rinne.pdf External Link: