Design of a microscale organic rankine cycle for high-concentration photovoltaics waste thermal power generation

Tie Jun Zhang; Evelyn N. Wang

doi:10.1109/ITHERM.2012.6231534

Design of a microscale organic rankine cycle for high-concentration photovoltaics waste thermal power generation

Tie Jun Zhang
, Evelyn N. Wang

Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

High-concentration photovoltaics (HCPV) is a highly promising technology to directly convert plentiful solar energy to electricity. However, even for the most advanced HCPVs, about 60% of the concentrated solar energy is rejected as waste heat; therefore, it is desirable to utilize the massive waste heat from HCPV modules. Considering the nature of low-grade waste thermal energy, a microscale organic Rankine cycle (MORC) offers a promising solution. In a subcritical MORC, subcooled refrigerant is usually pumped into a microchannel heat sink of each multi-junction photovoltaic cell. In this paper, a complete microchannel flow boiling model is developed based on distributed mass, energy and momentum conservation laws. Detailed MORC thermal-fluid analysis is conducted to evaluate the effects of working fluid, inlet subcooling, axial fluid/cell temperature distribution and critical heat flux on cogeneration efficiency. The performance analysis indicates that the HCPV/MORC system can achieve a net 8.8% increase of power generation efficiency in comparison to liquid-cooled HCPV at ambient temperature. The proposed HCPV/MORC configuration shows great promise in large-scale applications of HCPV solar power generation.

Original language	British English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 13th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2012
Pages	993-1002
Number of pages	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ITHERM.2012.6231534
State	Published - 2012
Event	13th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2012 - San Diego, CA, United States Duration: 30 May 2012 → 1 Jun 2012

Publication series

Name	InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM
ISSN (Print)	1936-3958

Conference

Conference	13th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2012
Country/Territory	United States
City	San Diego, CA
Period	30/05/12 → 1/06/12

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

Concentrating photovoltaics
microchannel cooling
organic Rankine cycle
thermal management
waste heat utilization

Access to Document

10.1109/ITHERM.2012.6231534

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Zhang, T. J., & Wang, E. N. (2012). Design of a microscale organic rankine cycle for high-concentration photovoltaics waste thermal power generation. In Proceedings of the 13th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2012 (pp. 993-1002). Article 6231534 (InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM). https://doi.org/10.1109/ITHERM.2012.6231534

Zhang, Tie Jun ; Wang, Evelyn N. / Design of a microscale organic rankine cycle for high-concentration photovoltaics waste thermal power generation. Proceedings of the 13th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2012. 2012. pp. 993-1002 (InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM).

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abstract = "High-concentration photovoltaics (HCPV) is a highly promising technology to directly convert plentiful solar energy to electricity. However, even for the most advanced HCPVs, about 60\% of the concentrated solar energy is rejected as waste heat; therefore, it is desirable to utilize the massive waste heat from HCPV modules. Considering the nature of low-grade waste thermal energy, a microscale organic Rankine cycle (MORC) offers a promising solution. In a subcritical MORC, subcooled refrigerant is usually pumped into a microchannel heat sink of each multi-junction photovoltaic cell. In this paper, a complete microchannel flow boiling model is developed based on distributed mass, energy and momentum conservation laws. Detailed MORC thermal-fluid analysis is conducted to evaluate the effects of working fluid, inlet subcooling, axial fluid/cell temperature distribution and critical heat flux on cogeneration efficiency. The performance analysis indicates that the HCPV/MORC system can achieve a net 8.8\% increase of power generation efficiency in comparison to liquid-cooled HCPV at ambient temperature. The proposed HCPV/MORC configuration shows great promise in large-scale applications of HCPV solar power generation.",

keywords = "Concentrating photovoltaics, microchannel cooling, organic Rankine cycle, thermal management, waste heat utilization",

author = "Zhang, \{Tie Jun\} and Wang, \{Evelyn N.\}",

year = "2012",

doi = "10.1109/ITHERM.2012.6231534",

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Zhang, TJ & Wang, EN 2012, Design of a microscale organic rankine cycle for high-concentration photovoltaics waste thermal power generation. in Proceedings of the 13th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2012., 6231534, InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM, pp. 993-1002, 13th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2012, San Diego, CA, United States, 30/05/12. https://doi.org/10.1109/ITHERM.2012.6231534

Design of a microscale organic rankine cycle for high-concentration photovoltaics waste thermal power generation. / Zhang, Tie Jun; Wang, Evelyn N.
Proceedings of the 13th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2012. 2012. p. 993-1002 6231534 (InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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AU - Zhang, Tie Jun

AU - Wang, Evelyn N.

PY - 2012

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N2 - High-concentration photovoltaics (HCPV) is a highly promising technology to directly convert plentiful solar energy to electricity. However, even for the most advanced HCPVs, about 60% of the concentrated solar energy is rejected as waste heat; therefore, it is desirable to utilize the massive waste heat from HCPV modules. Considering the nature of low-grade waste thermal energy, a microscale organic Rankine cycle (MORC) offers a promising solution. In a subcritical MORC, subcooled refrigerant is usually pumped into a microchannel heat sink of each multi-junction photovoltaic cell. In this paper, a complete microchannel flow boiling model is developed based on distributed mass, energy and momentum conservation laws. Detailed MORC thermal-fluid analysis is conducted to evaluate the effects of working fluid, inlet subcooling, axial fluid/cell temperature distribution and critical heat flux on cogeneration efficiency. The performance analysis indicates that the HCPV/MORC system can achieve a net 8.8% increase of power generation efficiency in comparison to liquid-cooled HCPV at ambient temperature. The proposed HCPV/MORC configuration shows great promise in large-scale applications of HCPV solar power generation.

AB - High-concentration photovoltaics (HCPV) is a highly promising technology to directly convert plentiful solar energy to electricity. However, even for the most advanced HCPVs, about 60% of the concentrated solar energy is rejected as waste heat; therefore, it is desirable to utilize the massive waste heat from HCPV modules. Considering the nature of low-grade waste thermal energy, a microscale organic Rankine cycle (MORC) offers a promising solution. In a subcritical MORC, subcooled refrigerant is usually pumped into a microchannel heat sink of each multi-junction photovoltaic cell. In this paper, a complete microchannel flow boiling model is developed based on distributed mass, energy and momentum conservation laws. Detailed MORC thermal-fluid analysis is conducted to evaluate the effects of working fluid, inlet subcooling, axial fluid/cell temperature distribution and critical heat flux on cogeneration efficiency. The performance analysis indicates that the HCPV/MORC system can achieve a net 8.8% increase of power generation efficiency in comparison to liquid-cooled HCPV at ambient temperature. The proposed HCPV/MORC configuration shows great promise in large-scale applications of HCPV solar power generation.

KW - Concentrating photovoltaics

KW - microchannel cooling

KW - organic Rankine cycle

KW - thermal management

KW - waste heat utilization

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SN - 9781424495320

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SP - 993

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Y2 - 30 May 2012 through 1 June 2012

ER -

Zhang TJ, Wang EN. Design of a microscale organic rankine cycle for high-concentration photovoltaics waste thermal power generation. In Proceedings of the 13th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2012. 2012. p. 993-1002. 6231534. (InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM). doi: 10.1109/ITHERM.2012.6231534

Design of a microscale organic rankine cycle for high-concentration photovoltaics waste thermal power generation

Abstract

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UN SDGs

Keywords

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