The simulation of organic rankine cycle

power plant with n-pentane working fluid

Cite as: AIP Conference Proceedings 1712, 040003 (2016); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4941880
Published Online: 24 February 2016

Otong Nurhilal, Cukup Mulyana, Nendi Suhendi, and Didi Sapdiana

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AIP Conference Proceedings 1712, 040003 (2016); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4941880 1712, 040003

© 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.

 The Simulation of Organic Rankine Cycle Power Plant
with n-Pentane Working Fluid
Otong Nurhilal1, a), Cukup Mulyana1, b), Nendi Suhendi2, c) and Didi Sapdiana1, d)
1
Study Program of Physics, Padjadjaran University, Jalan Raya Bandung-Sumedang Km. 21,
Jatinangor , West Java, 45363, Indonesia
2
Study Program of Electrical Engineering, Padjadjaran University, Jalan Raya Bandung-Sumedang Km. 21,
Jatinangor, West Java, 45363, Indonesia
a)
Corresponding email:[email protected]
b)
[email protected], c)[email protected], d)[email protected]

Abstract. In the steam power plant in Indonesia the dry steam from separator directly used to drive the
turbin. Meanwhile, brine from the separator with low grade temperature reinjected to the earth. The brine
with low grade temperature can be converted indirectly to electrical power by organic Rankine cycle
(ORC) methods. In ORC power plant the steam are released from vaporization of organic working fluid by
brine. The steam released are used to drive an turbine which in connected to generator to convert the
mechanical energy into electric energy. The objective of this research is the simulation ORC power plant
with n-pentane as organic working fluid. The result of the simulation for brine temperature around 165oC
and the pressure 8.001 bar optained the net electric power around 1173 kW with the cycle thermal efficiency
14.61% and the flow rate of n-pentane around 15.51 kg/s. This result enable to applied in any geothermal
source in Indonesia.

INTRODUCTION
Generally, the high-temperature reservoirs are the most suitable ones for commercial production of electricity. In
steam power plant, dry steam systems use the steam from geothermal reservoirs as it comes from wells, separated in
separator and route it directly through turbine/generator units to produce electricity [1].
Geothermal heat source in Indonesia get up to 16,502 MW. Until year 2013 the instaled capacity around 1,341
MW. Steam from wells are separated in separator to result dry steam to drive the turbine are connected with
generator. Meanwhile, brine from the separator with low grade temperature reinjected to the earth [2].
In Lahendong geothermal field is located in the northern part of Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, 30 km south of
Manado, the capital city of North Sulawesi province, brine from the separator have temperature 180.8 oC an pressure
10.23 bar [3]. However, the low grade temperature from these sources cannot be converted efficiently to
electrical power by using the conventional power generation methods. In this context, research on how to
convert these low temperature heat sources into electrical power is of great significance.
The organic Rankine cycle (ORC), whose most important feature is the possibility of using different
low temperature heat sources for small and medium power generation, has been studied by many authors.
In ORC’s the problems encountered with water can be partially mitigated by selecting an suitable organic
fluid, characterized by higher molecular mass and lower critical temperature than water [3]. In this research
has been done the simulation of ORC’s power plant using n-pentane working fluid.

2nd Padjadjaran International Physics Symposium 2015 (PIPS-2015)

AIP Conf. Proc. 1712, 040003-1–040003-5; doi: 10.1063/1.4941880
© 2016 AIP Publishing LLC 978-0-7354-1359-7/$30.00

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 ORGANIC RANKINE CYCLE (ORC)
The thermal energy conversion system into mechanical energy, and thus in electric energy, is called
Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), and consists of the use of organic fluids with high molecular weight in Rankine
cycle. The temperature of liquid-vapour phase change of these fluids is lower than the water cycle one. This feature
permits to produce electric energy also from low-medium temperature heat sources [4]. The basic components of
ORC’s that are evaporator, turbine, condenser and pump like this Fig. 1.

Evaporator

Pump Turbine

Condenser

FIGURE 1. Basic component of ORC’s

In its cycle the input heat come from evaporator has been used to drived of turbine which be connected to
electric generator. Futhermore the heat be taken out pass through condenser.

N-PENTANE
In many research about using working fluid the n-pentane is one of working fluid be elected to used in ORC
power plant. The n-pentane have better performance together with other working fluid such as HCFC 123, PF 5050,
and amonia [5]. The n-pentane shows the best performance in thermal efficiency (17.04%) after benzene (24.28%)
[6]. The any properties of n-pentane that is low toxin, the critical pressure and critical temperature is 33.3 bar and
196.6oC respectively, condensation pressure is 1 bar in temperature 38 oC and flammable fluid.

THERMODYNAMICS ANALYSIS
The basic thermodynamics process of ORC are presented by the equations (1) to (8).
Work of turbine :
Wt m wf (h1  h2 ) (1)
Heat output by condenser:
Q out m wf (h2  h3 ) (2)
Energy balance of condenser:
 ct (hy  hx )
m  wf (h2  h3 )
m (3)
Work of pump:
W p m wf (h4  h3 ) (4)
Energy balance of preheater:
 b cb (Tb  Tc )
m  wf (hb  h4 )
m (5)

Work of preheater:
Q p  wf (h5  h4 )
m (6)
Heat input by evaporator:
Q in  wf (h5  h1 )
m (7)

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 Cycle thermal efficiency :
(Wt  W p )
Kcycle (8)
Qin

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

To initiate the simulation, it required estimated data to make the calculation simple. Estimated data in Table 1
was received from references.
TABLE 1. Estimation data
Parameter Value
Atmosfir pressure (Po) 1 atm
Ambient temperature (Tx) 27oC
Brine input temperature (Tb) 165oC
Brine output temperature (Tc) 100oC
Brine pressure (PA) 8,001 bar
Brine mass flow rate 15 kg/s
Generator Efficiency 80%
Nett Power 1 MW
Pinch Point Evaporator-Preheater 5 oC
Pinch Point condenser 5 oC

FIGURE 2. P-h diagram process for ORC

The result of OPR simulation with n-pentane are presented in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. In Fig. 2 the pressureof inlet n-
pentane to turbine is 14.56 bar. The pressure down become 1.637 bar after the expansion and inlet to condenser and
pump. The n-pentane pressure increase to 14.56 bar inlet to preheater and evaporator.

FIGURE 3. T-h diagram process for ORC

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 In Fig. 3 n-pentane in phase saturated steam inlet to turbine (point 1) on temperature 145oC. After the expansion
in turbine the pressure of working fluid steam decrease together with droping temperature and inlet to condenser on
temperature 87.23oC (point 2). In condenser happen heat exchanger between n-pentane steam with water from
cooling tower so that happen energy balance between working fluid with water. The n-pentane out of condenser in
phase saturated liquid before inlet to the pump (point 3). In pump the n-pentane be continued to preheater (point 4)
and to evaporator (point 5). The windows diagram from the simulation presented in Fig. 4. All the parameter result
of simulation to each component base on the Fig. 3 and 4 be included in Table 2.

Turbine

Condenser

FIGURE 4. Windows diagram from the simulation

TABLE 2. The parameter result of simulation

Point P (bar) T (oC) h (kJ/kg) s (kJ/kg.K)
1 14.56 145.00 551.1 1.44
2 1.367 87.23 475.4 1.50
3 1.367 45.00 45.22 0.15
4 14.56 45.89 48.35 0.15
5 14.56 145.00 319.0 1.44
y 1.013 40.00 167.53 0,57
x 1.013 27.00 104.83 0.37

From the simulation obtained the inlet pressure to turbine is 14.56 bar and temperature 145oC, the outlet pressure
from condenser 1.37 bar and temperature 45 oC. The calculation result of some parameter use equation (1) to (8)
obtained ; the flow rate of working fluid around 15.51 kg/s, power of evaporator ( Q in ) around 6672.1 kW, power of
pump (Ẇp) around 204.62 kW and power of condenser ( Q out ) around 7796.1 kW. The value of cycle thermal
efficiency around 14.61 % with inlet temperature of turbine around 145oC and power of turbine around 1173 kW
(a1.2 MW).

CONCLUSION
From the simulation result can be conclused that the brine with temperature around 165oC and pressure around
8,001 bar potential to use ORC power plant with n-pentane working fluid.

Nomenclature
Ẇt power of turbine (kW)
Ẇp power of pump (kW)
Kcycle cycle thermal efficiency (%)
ṁ wf mass flow rate of working fluid (kg/s)

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 ṁb mass flow rate of brine (kg/s)
ṁ ct mass flow rate of water (kg/s)
h1 entalphy of turbine (kJ/kg)
h2 entalphy of condenser (kJ/kg)
h3 entalphy of pump (kJ/kg)
h4 entalphy of preheater (kJ/kg)
h5 entalphy of evaporator (kJ/kg)
hb entalphy of brine (/kJ/kg)
hy water entalphy of condenser (kJ/kg)
hx water entalphy of cooling tower (kJ/kg)
cb heat capacity of brine (kJ/kg.K)
Tb input temperature of brine (oC)
Tc output temperature of brine (oC)
Q in heat of evaporator (kW)
Q out heat of condenser (kW)
Q p heat of preheater (kW)

REFERENCES
1. Indonesia Energy Outlook, Center for Energy Resources Development Technology, 20 (2014).
2. A. J. Nugroho, Report Geothermal Training Programme, 394 (2007).
3. J. Bao and L. Zhao L, Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev. 24, 325–342 (2013).
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Carlo, Energy Procedia, 45, 257-267 (2014).
5. H. D. Madhawa Hettiarachchi, G. Mihajlo, M. William. Worek and I. Yasuyuki, Energy 32, 1698–1706
(2007).
6. M. Ashouri, M. H. Ahmadi and M. Feidt, “Performance Analysis of Organic Rankine Cycle Integrated with
a Parabolic Through Solar Collector,” in World Sustainability Forum 2014, Conference Proceedings Paper,
edited by M. A. Rosen et al. (MDPI AG, Basel-Switzerland, 2014), pp. 1–14.

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