Research Article

Energy and Exergy Analysis of Organic Rankine Cycle Driven by Solar and Waste Heat

Authors

Korosh Javaherdeh * Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
Mehdi Moslemi Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ayandegan University, Tonekabon, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.48313/mtei.v3i2.87

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Abstract

The growth of the world population and rapid technological advancement, especially in the industrial sector, have considerably increased energy demand. Conventional power generation has caused many social and environmental problems. Two main approaches to solving these problems are to use renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, and to recover waste heat from various processes. Solar energy is a potential alternative to traditional fuels for electricity generation due to its low environmental impact and wide availability in many parts of the world. In contrast, waste-heat recovery is critical for reducing energy losses and improving energy management. One way to make use of these energy sources is the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). The ORC is similar to the traditional Rankine cycle, except that organic fluids are used as the working fluid. In this study, energy and exergy analyses of a solar/waste-heat-driven hybrid ORC are performed for four working fluids and four waste-heat temperature levels. Power output, thermal efficiency, and energy and exergy efficiencies are compared under different operating conditions. The results indicate that toluene provides the highest net power output, the highest first-law efficiency of the whole System, and the second-law first- and second-law efficiencies of the cycle among the considered working fluids. The performance of Cyclohexane, MDM, and n-pentane is comparable.

Keywords

Solar energy Waste-heat recovery Hybrid systems Organic rankine cycles and energy and energy efficiency

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Published 2026-09-05
Issue Vol. 3 No. 3 (2026): Mechanical Technology and Engineering Insights (MTEI)
Section Articles
Document Type Research Article
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How to Cite

Javaherdeh, K. ., & Moslemi, M. . (2026). Energy and Exergy Analysis of Organic Rankine Cycle Driven by Solar and Waste Heat. Mechanical Technology and Engineering Insights, 3(3), 169-186. https://doi.org/10.48313/mtei.v3i2.87

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