This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems are one of the most suitable technologies to produce electricity from low-temperature sources. In this paper, the main components of a non-regenerative, micro-scale ORC unit are modeled using the experimental results. These components are then used as functions in the system-level solver developed in MATLAB© to predict the performances of the system at off-design conditions. The proposed system solver is based on a novel approach, in which no assumptions are made about the system’s state, and only the components’ specifications and the real system boundaries that an operator encounters are adopted as inputs. To this end, the conservation of mass is considered in addition to the conservation of energy in the modeling of the system. Using the assumption-free model, the performances of the ORC system are mapped in the range of the experimental data considering the pump and the expander speeds as variables. The results show that the optimum system net electric performance is achieved at the pump and the expander speeds of 400 rpm and 900 rpm approximately. However, the pump is prone to the risk of cavitation due to low subcooling at the condenser outlet at this condition. Moreover, zero superheating is calculated at the expander suction that is not recommended for its operation. Hence, the developed assumption-free, object-oriented, mass-sensitive model has led to the full understanding of the system limitations and losses in the case of waste heat recovery applications. The proposed approach could be extended also to other ORC systems thus mapping their performances at off-design conditions without making artificial assumptions.
Ramin Moradi; Emanuele Habib; Mauro Villarini; Luca Cioccolanti. Assumption-free modeling of a micro-scale organic Rankine cycle system based on a mass-sensitive method. Energy Conversion and Management 2021, 245, 114554 .
AMA StyleRamin Moradi, Emanuele Habib, Mauro Villarini, Luca Cioccolanti. Assumption-free modeling of a micro-scale organic Rankine cycle system based on a mass-sensitive method. Energy Conversion and Management. 2021; 245 ():114554.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamin Moradi; Emanuele Habib; Mauro Villarini; Luca Cioccolanti. 2021. "Assumption-free modeling of a micro-scale organic Rankine cycle system based on a mass-sensitive method." Energy Conversion and Management 245, no. : 114554.
Solar energy is widely recognized as one of the most attractive renewable energy sources to support the transition toward a decarbonized society. Use of low- and medium-temperature concentrated solar technologies makes decentralized power production of combined heating and power (CHP) an alternative to conventional energy conversion systems. However, because of the changes in solar radiation and the inertia of the different subsystems, the operation control of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants is fundamental to increasing their overall conversion efficiency and improving reliability. Therefore, in this study, the operation control of a micro-scale CHP plant consisting of a linear Fresnel reflector solar field, an organic Rankine cycle unit, and a phase change material thermal energy storage tank, as designed and built under the EU-funded Innova Microsolar project by a consortium of universities and companies, is investigated. In particular, a fuzzy logic control is developed in MATLAB/Simulink by the authors in order to (i) initially recognize the type of user according to the related energy consumption profile by means of a neural network and (ii) optimize the thermal-load-following approach by introducing a set of fuzzy rules to switch among the different operation modes. Annual simulations are performed by combining the plant with different thermal load profiles. In general, the analysis shows that that the proposed fuzzy logic control increases the contribution of the TES unit in supplying the ORC unit, while reducing the number of switches between the different OMs. Furthermore, when connected with a residential user load profile, the overall electrical and thermal energy production of the plant increases. Hence, the developed control logic proves to have good potential in increasing the energy efficiency of low- and medium-temperature concentrated solar ORC systems when integrated into the built environment.
Luca Cioccolanti; Simone De Grandis; Roberto Tascioni; Matteo Pirro; Alessandro Freddi. Development of a Fuzzy Logic Controller for Small-Scale Solar Organic Rankine Cycle Cogeneration Plants. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 5491 .
AMA StyleLuca Cioccolanti, Simone De Grandis, Roberto Tascioni, Matteo Pirro, Alessandro Freddi. Development of a Fuzzy Logic Controller for Small-Scale Solar Organic Rankine Cycle Cogeneration Plants. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (12):5491.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuca Cioccolanti; Simone De Grandis; Roberto Tascioni; Matteo Pirro; Alessandro Freddi. 2021. "Development of a Fuzzy Logic Controller for Small-Scale Solar Organic Rankine Cycle Cogeneration Plants." Applied Sciences 11, no. 12: 5491.
Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) from energy intensive industries has a great potential in curbing CO2 emissions. Among the different solutions, District Heating (DH) is considered of major interest, satisfying the heating demand of users in the proximity of power plants. Considering the energy intensity of the pulp and paper industry, a method for evaluating the recovery potential of its low-grade waste heat from cogeneration plants in DH is presented. The proposed method allows to evaluate the thermal power from cogeneration plants to end users and to assess the potential maximum number of residential buildings that could be connected to each DH network. Based on the proposed method, the benefits of the WHR are evaluated from both energy and environmental points of view. More precisely, considering 50 pulp and paper mills in Italy under investigation in the present analysis, a yearly natural gas saving corresponding to 143.76 kTonnes of Oil Equivalent (TOE) and 333.11 ktCO2 is obtained. In case of WHR, the average Primary Energy Saving (PES) of the cogeneration plants increases from 0.14 up to 0.22. In particular, cogeneration units based on steam turbine technology show the greatest improvement, since its average PES moved from 0 up to almost 0.1.
Luca Cioccolanti; Massimiliano Renzi; Gabriele Comodi; Mosè Rossi. District heating potential in the case of low-grade waste heat recovery from energy intensive industries. Applied Thermal Engineering 2021, 191, 116851 .
AMA StyleLuca Cioccolanti, Massimiliano Renzi, Gabriele Comodi, Mosè Rossi. District heating potential in the case of low-grade waste heat recovery from energy intensive industries. Applied Thermal Engineering. 2021; 191 ():116851.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuca Cioccolanti; Massimiliano Renzi; Gabriele Comodi; Mosè Rossi. 2021. "District heating potential in the case of low-grade waste heat recovery from energy intensive industries." Applied Thermal Engineering 191, no. : 116851.
Scroll compressors converted into expanders represent a good choice in micro-to-small-scale organic Rankine cycle (ORC) applications. Several studies have tested and modeled scroll expanders in ORC systems in the last decade to assess their performance and reliability in off-design conditions. In this work, SANDEN TRS090F scroll compressor is converted into an expander and tested in a micro-scale ORC system using R134a for power generation from low-grade heat. The experimental data are used to modify the available semi-empirical model in the literature considering a polytropic expansion, a more detailed suction pressure drop model, and a variable loss power correlated to the expander pressure ratio. In addition, the two known expander geometrical parameters, the built-in volume ratio, and the swept volume are considered as fixed inputs to the model instead of being determined as part of the model results. In general, the results of the analysis show that the proposed model can predict the expander's overall performance with good accuracy in different operating conditions. The maximum deviation between the model results and most of the measurements is 5% for the mass flow rate and the shaft power, 15% for the overall isentropic efficiency, and 3 K for the discharge temperature. Then, the impact of the different losses is presented, and finally, the validated model is used to generate the performance maps of the studied expander at different working conditions.
Ramin Moradi; Mauro Villarini; Luca Cioccolanti. Experimental modeling of a lubricated, open drive scroll expander for micro-scale organic Rankine cycle systems. Applied Thermal Engineering 2021, 190, 116784 .
AMA StyleRamin Moradi, Mauro Villarini, Luca Cioccolanti. Experimental modeling of a lubricated, open drive scroll expander for micro-scale organic Rankine cycle systems. Applied Thermal Engineering. 2021; 190 ():116784.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamin Moradi; Mauro Villarini; Luca Cioccolanti. 2021. "Experimental modeling of a lubricated, open drive scroll expander for micro-scale organic Rankine cycle systems." Applied Thermal Engineering 190, no. : 116784.
Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems are some of the most suitable technologies to produce electricity from low-temperature waste heat. In this study, a non-regenerative, micro-scale ORC system was tested in off-design conditions using R134a as the working fluid. The experimental data were then used to tune the semi-empirical models of the main components of the system. Eventually, the models were used in a component-oriented system solver to map the system electric performance at varying operating conditions. The analysis highlighted the non-negligible impact of the plunger pump on the system performance Indeed, the experimental results showed that the low pump efficiency in the investigated operating range can lead to negative net electric power in some working conditions. For most data points, the expander and the pump isentropic efficiencies are found in the approximate ranges of 35% to 55% and 17% to 34%, respectively. Furthermore, the maximum net electric power was about 200 W with a net electric efficiency of about 1.2%, thus also stressing the importance of a proper selection of the pump for waste heat recovery applications.
Ramin Moradi; Emanuele Habib; Enrico Bocci; Luca Cioccolanti. Component-Oriented Modeling of a Micro-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle System for Waste Heat Recovery Applications. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 1984 .
AMA StyleRamin Moradi, Emanuele Habib, Enrico Bocci, Luca Cioccolanti. Component-Oriented Modeling of a Micro-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle System for Waste Heat Recovery Applications. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (5):1984.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamin Moradi; Emanuele Habib; Enrico Bocci; Luca Cioccolanti. 2021. "Component-Oriented Modeling of a Micro-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle System for Waste Heat Recovery Applications." Applied Sciences 11, no. 5: 1984.
Despite the rapid growth in the uptake of renewable energy technologies, the educational profile and the skills gained at University level do not always comply with the practical needs of the organisations working in the field. Furthermore, even though the residential sector has very high potential in curbing its CO2 emissions worldwide thus meeting the challenging goals set out by the international agreements, such reduction has been limited so far. Within this context, the ‘Skybelt’ project, co-funded by the EU under the framework of the Erasmus + programme aims at enhancing in several Universities of Asia and Europe the engineering skills of students of all level for application of sustainable renewable energy solutions in the built environment. With the target of increasing the employability of graduates and the impact of the project, a survey on the labour market needs for specialists with enhanced knowledge and skills in the topic of the project has been conducted in the related Asian countries. Hence, relevant industries, labour market organisations and other stakeholders have been interviewed and the main results of this analysis is reported in the present paper. As first outcome of this activity, the obtained results have been considered in the selection of the modules to be improved according to a student centred study approach.
Luca Cioccolanti; Matteo Moglie; Khamid Mahkamov; Halime Paksoy; Chao Chen; Jie Lin; Caiyun Li; Yong Guan; Wenhe Zhou; Ermira Abdullah; Mohd Amran Mohd Radzi; Suhaidi Shafie; Zainal Alimuddin; Mohamad Yusof Idroas; Teoh Yew Heng; Mohd Azmier Ahmad; Muhamad Azman Miskam; Kwanchai Kraitong; Wongkot Wongsapai; Chatchawan Chaichana; Det Damronsak. Analysis of labour market needs for engineers with enhanced knowledge in sustainable renewable energy solutions in the built environment in some Asian countries. E3S Web of Conferences 2021, 238, 07004 .
AMA StyleLuca Cioccolanti, Matteo Moglie, Khamid Mahkamov, Halime Paksoy, Chao Chen, Jie Lin, Caiyun Li, Yong Guan, Wenhe Zhou, Ermira Abdullah, Mohd Amran Mohd Radzi, Suhaidi Shafie, Zainal Alimuddin, Mohamad Yusof Idroas, Teoh Yew Heng, Mohd Azmier Ahmad, Muhamad Azman Miskam, Kwanchai Kraitong, Wongkot Wongsapai, Chatchawan Chaichana, Det Damronsak. Analysis of labour market needs for engineers with enhanced knowledge in sustainable renewable energy solutions in the built environment in some Asian countries. E3S Web of Conferences. 2021; 238 ():07004.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuca Cioccolanti; Matteo Moglie; Khamid Mahkamov; Halime Paksoy; Chao Chen; Jie Lin; Caiyun Li; Yong Guan; Wenhe Zhou; Ermira Abdullah; Mohd Amran Mohd Radzi; Suhaidi Shafie; Zainal Alimuddin; Mohamad Yusof Idroas; Teoh Yew Heng; Mohd Azmier Ahmad; Muhamad Azman Miskam; Kwanchai Kraitong; Wongkot Wongsapai; Chatchawan Chaichana; Det Damronsak. 2021. "Analysis of labour market needs for engineers with enhanced knowledge in sustainable renewable energy solutions in the built environment in some Asian countries." E3S Web of Conferences 238, no. : 07004.
The operation of a power plant based on solar energy can vary significantly with time because of the intrinsic intermittency of the energy resource. Hence, a smart management is required to deal with the complex dynamic variations of the different subsystems. In order to do that, different control logics can be implemented but their effectiveness strictly depends on the temporal evolution of the parameters considered. For a given plant configuration, their exact estimation can be obtained through experimental tests during the commissioning of the plant. However, any change in the design parameters of the plant reflects in a different time constant, whose preliminary knowledge may be of support in tuning the control logic of the plant during the design stage. Therefore, based on the configuration of a small-scale concentrated solar combined heat and power plant as designed and built under the EU funded project Innova MicroSolar by several universities and companies, in this study a prediction of the time constant of several plant configurations with varying solar multiple and size of the storage tank is performed. By making use of the dynamic simulator previously developed by some of the authors, an estimation of such characteristic is assessed in case of potential redesign of the plant, providing also useful suggestions into the design of the control logic.
Roberto Tascioni; Matteo Pirro; Alessia Arteconi; Luca Del Zotto; Carlo M. Bartolini; Khamid Mahkamov; Irina Mahkamova; Luisa F. Cabeza; Alvaro De Gracia; Piero Pili; André C. Mintsa; Toni Gimbernat; Teresa Botargues; David Mullen; Luca Cioccolanti. Prediction of the time constant of small-scale concentrated solar CHP plants. E3S Web of Conferences 2021, 238, 01001 .
AMA StyleRoberto Tascioni, Matteo Pirro, Alessia Arteconi, Luca Del Zotto, Carlo M. Bartolini, Khamid Mahkamov, Irina Mahkamova, Luisa F. Cabeza, Alvaro De Gracia, Piero Pili, André C. Mintsa, Toni Gimbernat, Teresa Botargues, David Mullen, Luca Cioccolanti. Prediction of the time constant of small-scale concentrated solar CHP plants. E3S Web of Conferences. 2021; 238 ():01001.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberto Tascioni; Matteo Pirro; Alessia Arteconi; Luca Del Zotto; Carlo M. Bartolini; Khamid Mahkamov; Irina Mahkamova; Luisa F. Cabeza; Alvaro De Gracia; Piero Pili; André C. Mintsa; Toni Gimbernat; Teresa Botargues; David Mullen; Luca Cioccolanti. 2021. "Prediction of the time constant of small-scale concentrated solar CHP plants." E3S Web of Conferences 238, no. : 01001.
Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs) are recognized as suitable systems to convert the thermal energy from low-grade heat sources to electricity. However, their performance and reliability are subjected to several deficiencies especially at micro-to-small scales. In this work, the impact of the expander lubricant oil on the performance of the heat exchangers and the scroll expander of a non-regenerative, micro-scale ORC unit is investigated. In particular, the oil circulation rate (OCR) is theoretically assessed for each experimental data set based on the thermal balance between the hot and cold streams of the condenser. Then, the performance of the other components is assessed using the lubricant-R134a mixture properties, assuming the same OCR. Results have shown that the presence of the lubricant oil leads to 5–15% capacity loss of the evaporator and the condenser of the studied ORC system. The calculated mass charge of the evaporator can also be underestimated up to 6.5% approximately if the oil is neglected. In addition, neglecting the lubricant oil may lead to over-estimation of the expander mechanical efficiency and under-estimation of its volumetric efficiency up to about 50% in very low shaft speeds. Hence, despite it is usually neglected in the literature, the results of the present analysis show that the impact of expander oil is relevant in micro-scale ORC systems.
Ramin Moradi; Mauro Villarini; Emanuele Habib; Enrico Bocci; Andrea Colantoni; Luca Cioccolanti. Impact of the expander lubricant oil on the performance of the plate heat exchangers and the scroll expander in a micro-scale organic Rankine cycle system. Applied Thermal Engineering 2021, 189, 116714 .
AMA StyleRamin Moradi, Mauro Villarini, Emanuele Habib, Enrico Bocci, Andrea Colantoni, Luca Cioccolanti. Impact of the expander lubricant oil on the performance of the plate heat exchangers and the scroll expander in a micro-scale organic Rankine cycle system. Applied Thermal Engineering. 2021; 189 ():116714.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamin Moradi; Mauro Villarini; Emanuele Habib; Enrico Bocci; Andrea Colantoni; Luca Cioccolanti. 2021. "Impact of the expander lubricant oil on the performance of the plate heat exchangers and the scroll expander in a micro-scale organic Rankine cycle system." Applied Thermal Engineering 189, no. : 116714.
In this work a hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) simulator of a novel micro combined heat and power system is presented and its use for control algorithm optimization is demonstrated and discussed. The plant under investigation consists of a concentrated Linear Fresnel Reflectors solar field, a 2 kWe/18 kWt Organic Rankine Cycle unit and an advanced latent heat thermal energy storage tank equipped with reversible heat pipes as developed by a consortium of universities and companies within the EU funded project Innova Microsolar. A smart control unit manages their integration and monitors the operation of each subsystem. In order to support the optimization of the control algorithms and the definition of the best control strategy of the micro-CHP plant at different working conditions, a simulation framework based on Matlab/Simulink has been developed by the authors and connected to the real control unit according to a HiL approach. Ad-hoc models of the different subsystems together with those of the components (i.e. valves and variable speed pumps) regulating the plant operation have been included. The use of the HiL simulator has permitted to optimize the control logic of the integrated plant prior to its future commissioning, thus helping to overcome some of the technical and reliability issues occurring during the setup of the real system. In particular, the HiL has allowed: (i) to define the proportional and integral gains of the diverters in order to assure a robust and fast response of the plant during the switch among the different operation modes; (ii) to prove the limits of acting on the oil pump flow rate in assuring the nominal oil temperature at the inlet of the ORC unit, due to the inherent fluctuations caused by this control strategy; and (iii) to assess the best control strategy which is obtained by acting on the aperture of the diverter which controls the oil mass flow rate to the ORC unit. Hence, the scientific approach here proposed can be extended also to many other complex energy conversion systems in order to significantly reduce the potential critical issues during their commissioning.
Luca Cioccolanti; Roberto Tascioni; Matteo Pirro; Alessia Arteconi. Development of a hardware-in-the-loop simulator for small-scale concentrated solar combined heat and power system. Energy Conversion and Management: X 2020, 8, 100056 .
AMA StyleLuca Cioccolanti, Roberto Tascioni, Matteo Pirro, Alessia Arteconi. Development of a hardware-in-the-loop simulator for small-scale concentrated solar combined heat and power system. Energy Conversion and Management: X. 2020; 8 ():100056.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuca Cioccolanti; Roberto Tascioni; Matteo Pirro; Alessia Arteconi. 2020. "Development of a hardware-in-the-loop simulator for small-scale concentrated solar combined heat and power system." Energy Conversion and Management: X 8, no. : 100056.
Reliable and low-cost expanders are fundamental for the competitiveness of small-scale Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) plants using low-temperature heat sources. Regenerative flow turbines (RFTs) can be considered a low-cost and viable alternative expander, yet their performance needs to be fully investigated. Therefore, the use of an RFT in a micro-scale ORC test bench is investigated in this work through a modelling study. Specifically, three-dimensional CFD simulations are carried out to assess the performance of the considered expander with varying operating conditions and a numerical model of a non-regenerative, small-scale ORC system is developed to investigate its potential in waste heat recovery (WHR) applications. Using R245fa as the working fluid, the CFD analysis shows that the expander achieves a maximum total-to-static isentropic efficiency of about 44% in the investigated operating range. The small-scale ORC system has a net output power in the range 100–600 W and a net cycle efficiency of 1–2.3%. Moreover, a comparison with two scroll expanders having different built-in volume ratios shows that the RFT operates with higher isentropic efficiencies in low mass flow rates and pressure ratios thus highlighting its suitability for low-temperature WHR applications, especially when considerable fluctuations of the heat source are expected.
Ramin Moradi; Emanuele Habib; Enrico Bocci; Luca Cioccolanti. Investigation on the use of a novel regenerative flow turbine in a micro-scale Organic Rankine Cycle unit. Energy 2020, 210, 118519 .
AMA StyleRamin Moradi, Emanuele Habib, Enrico Bocci, Luca Cioccolanti. Investigation on the use of a novel regenerative flow turbine in a micro-scale Organic Rankine Cycle unit. Energy. 2020; 210 ():118519.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamin Moradi; Emanuele Habib; Enrico Bocci; Luca Cioccolanti. 2020. "Investigation on the use of a novel regenerative flow turbine in a micro-scale Organic Rankine Cycle unit." Energy 210, no. : 118519.
Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems allow us to effectively store and release the collected thermal energy from solar thermodynamic plants; however, room for improvements exists to increase their efficiency when in operation. For this reason, in this work, a smart management strategy of an innovative LHTES in a micro-scale concentrated solar combined heat and power plant is proposed and numerically investigated. The novel thermal storage system, as designed and built by the partners within the EU funded Innova MicroSolar project, is subdivided into six modules and consists of 3.8 tons of nitrate solar salt kNO3/NaNO3, whose melting temperature is in the range 216 ÷ 223 °C. In this study, the partitioning of the storage system on the performance of the integrated plant is evaluated by applying a smart energy management strategy based on a fuzzy logic approach. Compared to the single thermal energy storage (TES) configuration, the proposed strategy allows a reduction in storage thermal losses and improving of the plant’s overall efficiency especially in periods with limited solar irradiance. The yearly dynamic simulations carried out show that the electricity produced by the combined heat and power plant is increased by about 5%, while the defocus thermal losses in the solar plant are reduced by 30%.
Roberto Tascioni; Alessia Arteconi; Luca Del Zotto; Luca Cioccolanti. Fuzzy Logic Energy Management Strategy of a Multiple Latent Heat Thermal Storage in a Small-Scale Concentrated Solar Power Plant. Energies 2020, 13, 2733 .
AMA StyleRoberto Tascioni, Alessia Arteconi, Luca Del Zotto, Luca Cioccolanti. Fuzzy Logic Energy Management Strategy of a Multiple Latent Heat Thermal Storage in a Small-Scale Concentrated Solar Power Plant. Energies. 2020; 13 (11):2733.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberto Tascioni; Alessia Arteconi; Luca Del Zotto; Luca Cioccolanti. 2020. "Fuzzy Logic Energy Management Strategy of a Multiple Latent Heat Thermal Storage in a Small-Scale Concentrated Solar Power Plant." Energies 13, no. 11: 2733.
Cells cryopreservation is crucial for the treatment of several diseases, but the survival rate of the cells is significantly affected by the cooling process. Currently, programmable freezers based on liquid nitrogen technology are usually adopted but these solutions may cause the death of the cells due to undesired crystallization, membrane damage or osmotic shock. In the recent years, pulse tube refrigerators have attracted a lot of interest in many applications because of their intrinsic characteristics. Despite more gradual, the cooling rate of a similar refrigerator needs to be carefully controlled to meet the desired requirements of cells cryopreservation. Therefore, at the premises of Sapienza University of Rome a pulse tube‐based prototype has been designed for cells cryopreservation and an experimental tests campaign has been conducted to assess the performance of the system for the scope. A new control logic, able to adjust the supplied voltage to electric heaters for the conditioning of the temperature inside the stand tubes, has been implemented and different configurations evaluated with cooling rate varying in the range 0.5°C/min to 1.5°C/min. The analysis has shown that the proposed control logic is able to cool down the stem cells in all the investigated range with a maximum temperature difference between the mean temperature of the tubes and the theoretical temperature of −7.65°C for the configuration with copper plate and −4.09°C for the configuration with aluminium plate which represents a safe condition. On the contrary, the copper plate allows approximating better the real cooling curve with the theoretical one and achieving a lower temperature variance at cooling rates higher than 1.25°C/min. Although some further efforts are needed to tune the system up, the present work has demonstrated that a pulse tube refrigerator can be technically and commercially adopted as a viable solution for stem cells cryopreservation.
Katiuscia Cipri; Luca Cioccolanti; Roberto Naldi. Experimental analysis of a pulse tube based new prototype for cells cryopreservation. International Journal of Energy Research 2020, 44, 5905 -5916.
AMA StyleKatiuscia Cipri, Luca Cioccolanti, Roberto Naldi. Experimental analysis of a pulse tube based new prototype for cells cryopreservation. International Journal of Energy Research. 2020; 44 (7):5905-5916.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKatiuscia Cipri; Luca Cioccolanti; Roberto Naldi. 2020. "Experimental analysis of a pulse tube based new prototype for cells cryopreservation." International Journal of Energy Research 44, no. 7: 5905-5916.
In this paper four different detailed models of pipelines are proposed and compared to assess the thermal losses in small-scale concentrated solar combined heat and power plants. Indeed, previous numerical analyses carried out by some of the authors have revealed the high impact of pipelines on the performance of these plants because of their thermal inertia. Hence, in this work the proposed models are firstly compared to each other for varying temperature increase and mass flow rate. Such comparison shows that the one-dimensional (1D) longitudinal model is in good agreement with the results of the more detailed two-dimensional (2D) model at any temperature gradient for heat transfer fluid velocities higher than 0.1 m/s whilst the lumped model agrees only at velocities higher than 1 m/s. Then, the 1D longitudinal model is implemented in a quasi-steady-state Simulink model of an innovative microscale concentrated solar combined heat and power plant and its performances evaluated. Compared to the results obtained using the Simscape library model of the tube, the performances of the plant show appreciable discrepancies during the winter season. Indeed, whenever the longitudinal thermal gradient of the fluid inside the pipeline is high (as at part-load conditions in winter season), the lumped model becomes inaccurate with more than 20% of deviation of the thermal losses and 30% of the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) electric energy output with respect to the 1D longitudinal model. Therefore, the analysis proves that an hybrid model able to switch from a 1D longitudinal model to a zero-dimensional (0D) model with delay based on the fluid flow rate is recommended to obtain results accurate enough whilst limiting the computational efforts.
Roberto Tascioni; Luca Cioccolanti; Luca Del Zotto; Emanuele Habib. Numerical Investigation of Pipelines Modeling in Small-Scale Concentrated Solar Combined Heat and Power Plants. Energies 2020, 13, 429 .
AMA StyleRoberto Tascioni, Luca Cioccolanti, Luca Del Zotto, Emanuele Habib. Numerical Investigation of Pipelines Modeling in Small-Scale Concentrated Solar Combined Heat and Power Plants. Energies. 2020; 13 (2):429.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberto Tascioni; Luca Cioccolanti; Luca Del Zotto; Emanuele Habib. 2020. "Numerical Investigation of Pipelines Modeling in Small-Scale Concentrated Solar Combined Heat and Power Plants." Energies 13, no. 2: 429.
Proper integration of different energy systems is one of the most effective strategies to achieve higher conversion efficiencies and to reduce emissions in power systems. Hence, in this study a biomass-fuelled Steam Injected micro Gas Turbine (SImGT) coupled to a bottom Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) unit is investigated to better exploit the primary energy use while lowering the environmental impact. In the proposed integrated system configuration, a Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) produces steam for both the gasification process and the SImGT. To conduct a realistic simulation, several gas conditioning units are included in the configuration of the integrated system to purify the produced syngas to the allowable limit of mGTs. The impacts of both the mass flow rate of the injected steam and the S/B ratio on the performance of the integrated system have been assessed. Results of the analysis have shown that the produced electrical power increases as the mass flow rate of the injected steam increases, while the net electrical efficiency of the integrated system is penalized marginally. At its maximum net electricity production, the integrated system has an output of 127.6 kWel and 78.7 kWth with 23.6% electrical efficiency when the mass flow rate of the injected steam to the combustion chamber is 25 g/s, which corresponds to the maximum of the investigated range in this study.
Ramin Moradi; Vera Marcantonio; Luca Cioccolanti; Enrico Bocci. Integrating biomass gasification with a steam-injected micro gas turbine and an Organic Rankine Cycle unit for combined heat and power production. Energy Conversion and Management 2020, 205, 112464 .
AMA StyleRamin Moradi, Vera Marcantonio, Luca Cioccolanti, Enrico Bocci. Integrating biomass gasification with a steam-injected micro gas turbine and an Organic Rankine Cycle unit for combined heat and power production. Energy Conversion and Management. 2020; 205 ():112464.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamin Moradi; Vera Marcantonio; Luca Cioccolanti; Enrico Bocci. 2020. "Integrating biomass gasification with a steam-injected micro gas turbine and an Organic Rankine Cycle unit for combined heat and power production." Energy Conversion and Management 205, no. : 112464.
Claudio Campana; Luca Cioccolanti; Massimiliano Renzi; Flavio Caresana. Experimental analysis of a small-scale scroll expander for low-temperature waste heat recovery in Organic Rankine Cycle. Energy 2019, 187, 1 .
AMA StyleClaudio Campana, Luca Cioccolanti, Massimiliano Renzi, Flavio Caresana. Experimental analysis of a small-scale scroll expander for low-temperature waste heat recovery in Organic Rankine Cycle. Energy. 2019; 187 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleClaudio Campana; Luca Cioccolanti; Massimiliano Renzi; Flavio Caresana. 2019. "Experimental analysis of a small-scale scroll expander for low-temperature waste heat recovery in Organic Rankine Cycle." Energy 187, no. : 1.
Luca Cioccolanti; Sara Rajabi Hamedani; Mauro Villarini. Environmental and energy assessment of a small-scale solar Organic Rankine Cycle trigeneration system based on Compound Parabolic Collectors. Energy Conversion and Management 2019, 198, 1 .
AMA StyleLuca Cioccolanti, Sara Rajabi Hamedani, Mauro Villarini. Environmental and energy assessment of a small-scale solar Organic Rankine Cycle trigeneration system based on Compound Parabolic Collectors. Energy Conversion and Management. 2019; 198 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuca Cioccolanti; Sara Rajabi Hamedani; Mauro Villarini. 2019. "Environmental and energy assessment of a small-scale solar Organic Rankine Cycle trigeneration system based on Compound Parabolic Collectors." Energy Conversion and Management 198, no. : 1.
In this study, the performance characteristics of a regenerative flow turbine (RFT) prototype have been investigated by means of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study. The prototype has been initially designed to be used in gas pipelines replacing expansion valves but, because of the intrinsic characteristics of this kind of expander, its use can be extended to other applications like the expansion process in small-scale organic Rankine cycle (ORC) plants. In the first part of this work, the numerical results of the CFD analysis have been validated with the experimental data reported in literature for the same turbine prototype. After the validation of the model, a detailed study has been carried out in order to evaluate specific features of the turbine, focusing the attention on the typical operating conditions of small-scale low-temperature ORC systems. Results have shown that the considered RFT prototype operates with higher isentropic efficiencies (about 32% at 6000 rpm) at lower mass flow rates, while the power output is penalized compared to other operating points. The numerical analysis has also pointed out the high impact of the losses in the leakage flow in the gap between the blade tips and the stripper walls. Therefore, the CFD analysis carried out has provided a thoughtful understanding of the performance of the expander at varying operating conditions and useful insights for the future redesign of this kind of machine for the application in small-scale ORCs.
Ramin Moradi; Luca Cioccolanti; Enrico Bocci; Mauro Villarini; Massimiliano Renzi. Numerical Investigation on the Performance of a Regenerative Flow Turbine for Small-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle Systems. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power 2019, 141, 1 .
AMA StyleRamin Moradi, Luca Cioccolanti, Enrico Bocci, Mauro Villarini, Massimiliano Renzi. Numerical Investigation on the Performance of a Regenerative Flow Turbine for Small-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle Systems. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power. 2019; 141 (9):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamin Moradi; Luca Cioccolanti; Enrico Bocci; Mauro Villarini; Massimiliano Renzi. 2019. "Numerical Investigation on the Performance of a Regenerative Flow Turbine for Small-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle Systems." Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power 141, no. 9: 1.
In the present energy scenario and considering the high share on global energy demand of buildings, small and micro-scale combined heat and power units powered by solar energy are considered a suitable solution for many industrial and civil applications, such as residential buildings. In this work a micro solar Organic Rankine Cycle plant is analysed. The system consists of a concentrated Linear Fresnel Reflectors solar field coupled with a phase change material thermal energy storage tank and a 2 kWe/18 kWth Organic Rankine Cycle system. In this work the integration of such system with a building is investigated in detail by means of a dynamic simulation model. In particular their interaction is analysed to assess its impact on the Organic Rankine Cycle electric and thermal performance. Furthermore, the building heating system optimization is evaluated aiming at minimizing the energy operational costs of the building. Results show the convenience of the proposed micro solar combined heat and power system when it works in trigeneration configuration. They highlight also that the operational strategy and the dynamic energy demand of the building affect the Organic Rankine Cycle performance and 26% higher electricity production is obtained with the integrated plant-building model compared to the plant without building integration. Regarding the building parameters design, they affect the energy cost only if they are varied simultaneously and their optimal set-up can allow up to 9% energy cost savings, thanks to a better exploitation of the available energy produced by the micro solar plant.
Alessia Arteconi; Luca Del Zotto; Roberto Tascioni; Luca Cioccolanti. Modelling system integration of a micro solar Organic Rankine Cycle plant into a residential building. Applied Energy 2019, 251, 113408 .
AMA StyleAlessia Arteconi, Luca Del Zotto, Roberto Tascioni, Luca Cioccolanti. Modelling system integration of a micro solar Organic Rankine Cycle plant into a residential building. Applied Energy. 2019; 251 ():113408.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlessia Arteconi; Luca Del Zotto; Roberto Tascioni; Luca Cioccolanti. 2019. "Modelling system integration of a micro solar Organic Rankine Cycle plant into a residential building." Applied Energy 251, no. : 113408.
In this paper, two innovative small-scale solar Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) trigeneration plants are investigated and compared using a simulation analysis. In particular, the first plant (Plant 1) consists of a 146 m2 Compound Parabolic Collectors (CPC) solar field, a 3 m3 diathermic oil storage tank, a 3.5 kWe ORC plant and a 17 kWc absorption chiller, while the second plant (Plant 2) consists of a Linear Fresnel Reflectors (LFR) solar field of equal reflecting area, a phase change material storage tank equipped with reversible heat pipes, a 3.2 kWe ORC unit and the same 17 kWc absorption chiller as the former. The dynamic performance of the considered plants has been assessed for two Italian locations representative of the European Mediterranean area, Napoli and Messina, having a similar global radiation but a significantly different ratio of direct normal irradiance to diffuse irradiance. The comparison between the two different solar ORC trigeneration systems has revealed the great influence of the solar radiation on the effectiveness of such systems even for locations at similar latitudes. The energy production has been analysed both on a monthly and daily basis. Results have shown that while the performance of Plant 1 is not so sensitive to location and radiation conditions, Plant 2 is greatly affected by these parameters. Moreover, the higher condensing temperatures necessary in summer to supply the absorption chiller significantly limit the electrical efficiency of the solar CPC ORC. On the contrary, the LFR technology allows the achievement of higher temperatures and conversion efficiencies in summer, thus resulting especially suitable for solar cooling applications. In conclusion, this study has highlighted the importance of adequate technology selection with different radiation conditions in order to better exploit the potential of trigenerative solar ORC systems.
Mauro Villarini; Roberto Tascioni; Alessia Arteconi; Luca Cioccolanti. Influence of the incident radiation on the energy performance of two small-scale solar Organic Rankine Cycle trigenerative systems: A simulation analysis. Applied Energy 2019, 242, 1176 -1188.
AMA StyleMauro Villarini, Roberto Tascioni, Alessia Arteconi, Luca Cioccolanti. Influence of the incident radiation on the energy performance of two small-scale solar Organic Rankine Cycle trigenerative systems: A simulation analysis. Applied Energy. 2019; 242 ():1176-1188.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMauro Villarini; Roberto Tascioni; Alessia Arteconi; Luca Cioccolanti. 2019. "Influence of the incident radiation on the energy performance of two small-scale solar Organic Rankine Cycle trigenerative systems: A simulation analysis." Applied Energy 242, no. : 1176-1188.
Combined heat and power plants driven by renewable energy sources (RES) are becoming more and more popular, given the energy transition towards the integration of more renewable energy sources in the power generation mix. In this paper an innovative micro-solar 2kWe/18kWth Organic Rankine Cycle system, which is being developed by the consortium of several Universities and industrial organizations, with the funding from EU under the Innova MicroSolar project, is considered. In particular, its application to supply electricity and thermal energy for Domestic Hot Water (DHW) in a residential building is investigated by means of simulation analysis. Different Domestic Hot Water supply plant configurations are evaluated and the design parameters are varied in order to determine the best configuration to recover as much energy as possible from the ORC, while maintaining the final users’ comfort. It was found out that with the considered plant around 67% of the Domestic Hot Water energy demand of 15 apartments can be satisfied with a water storage tank of 10’000 liters. However, in order to always guarantee the supply water temperature, a back-up boiler, which serves directly the final users when needed, is requested.
Alessia Arteconi; Luca Del Zotto; Roberto Tascioni; Khamid Mahkamov; Chris Underwood; Luisa F. Cabeza; Alvaro De Gracia; Piero Pili; André C. Mintsa; Carlo M. Bartolini; Toni Gimbernat; Teresa Botargues; Elvedin Halimic; Luca Cioccolanti. Simulation analysis of an innovative micro-solar 2kWe Organic Rankine Cycle plant coupled with a multi-apartments building for domestic hot water supply. Energy Procedia 2019, 158, 2225 -2230.
AMA StyleAlessia Arteconi, Luca Del Zotto, Roberto Tascioni, Khamid Mahkamov, Chris Underwood, Luisa F. Cabeza, Alvaro De Gracia, Piero Pili, André C. Mintsa, Carlo M. Bartolini, Toni Gimbernat, Teresa Botargues, Elvedin Halimic, Luca Cioccolanti. Simulation analysis of an innovative micro-solar 2kWe Organic Rankine Cycle plant coupled with a multi-apartments building for domestic hot water supply. Energy Procedia. 2019; 158 ():2225-2230.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlessia Arteconi; Luca Del Zotto; Roberto Tascioni; Khamid Mahkamov; Chris Underwood; Luisa F. Cabeza; Alvaro De Gracia; Piero Pili; André C. Mintsa; Carlo M. Bartolini; Toni Gimbernat; Teresa Botargues; Elvedin Halimic; Luca Cioccolanti. 2019. "Simulation analysis of an innovative micro-solar 2kWe Organic Rankine Cycle plant coupled with a multi-apartments building for domestic hot water supply." Energy Procedia 158, no. : 2225-2230.