Design and Implementation of a Control Strategy for a Dynamic Organic Rankine Cycle‐Based Power System in the Context of Industrial Waste Heat Recovery

Abstract

Transient thermal waste heat sources, such as solar energy, industrial waste heat, and ship exhaust heat, pose significant challenges in terms of their reuse in other processes. Therefore, ensuring the safe and efficient design and operation of the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for these heat sources is imperative. Comprehending the ORC system’s dynamic characteristics is necessary to formulate suitable control strategies. This paper undertakes a comprehensive review of previous studies on dynamic modelling and control of the ORC system and discusses the prevalent dynamic modelling methodologies, the challenges frequently encountered in dynamic simulations, and a range of control strategies. This paper comprehensively analyses the overall control strategies employed by ORC systems.Additionally, the energy conversion systems utilised in ORC are depicted in detail. Furthermore, using Model Predictive Control (MPC) in a simulation study allows for investigating various components’ disturbance and dynamic characteristics within the ORC system. These components include the expander, pump, condenser, and evaporator using set‐point tracking. Ultimately, this analysis aims to optimise the performance of the ORC cycle. The findings of our study indicate that the utilisation of superheating in the working fluid is the most effective method for achieving maximum power generation in an ORC system.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.