DEVELOPMENT STATUS: BINARY RANKINE CYCLE WASTE HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEM.

Outline of the status of a program under development for USERDA and concerns development and demonstration of a binary-Rankine cycle waste-heat recovery system for a Diesel generating set. The system employs two safe and well accepted power fluids, steam and Freon, and recovers 500 kw from the exhaust of a turbocharged Diesel engine. The two fluid cycle generally exhibits higher thermal efficiency, depending upon gas temperature, than a cycle employing a single power fluid. The steam topping cycle buffers the Freon bottoming cycle so that the system can be applied over a wide range of gas temperatures and not be limited by the stability limits of organic power fluids. The machinery arrangement features two radial inflow turbines driving a common output gear. Conventional process and refrigeration industry heat exchange components have been adapted for use in the system.