Issues, comparisons, turbine selections and applications An overview in organic Rankine cycle

Waste heat accounts nearly 50% of the total energy used in the industries. This low grade thermal energy is mostly available in the temperature range of 120-650 degrees C, which can be effectively utilized to produce power by which the consumption of the fossil fuels can be mitigated to a certain extent. The total solar irradiance measured by satellite is roughly found to be 1361 W/m(2) which can be effectively utilised. The conversion of heat to electricity is often carried out by heat engines and thermodynamic cycles also play a major role in utilising waste heat effectively. Among the thermodynamic cycles, organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is considered to be an effective approach in harnessing low grade thermal energy. ORC is used in heat recovery of low-temperature sources such as biomass combustion, industrial waste heat, and geothermal heat. The efficient operation of ORC depends on the working fluid and expander employed which determines the efficiency and power output of the cycle. Compared to experimentation works, modeling works are mostly studied in the case of ORC. Current review predominantly focuses on the review of various thermodynamic cycles for power production, working fluids that can be employed in the cycle, turbine selection and applications of ORC by employing it as topping or bottoming cycle in other primary heat or power cycles.