“Analysis of the thermodynamic performance of transcritical CO2 power cycle configurations for low grade waste heat recovery” discusses the importance of efficient and economic use of waste heat generated during energy conversion processes. It highlights the classification of waste heat into high, medium, and low grades, with low-grade waste heat representing the majority of available waste heat. The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a working fluid is identified as a suitable technology for recovering low and medium grade waste heat. The low critical temperature and moderate critical pressure of CO2 make it advantageous for compact system design. Various modifications to the basic power cycle configuration, such as reheat expansion, intercooled compression, and split flow, have been studied to enhance the efficiency of CO2 power cycles. However, there is a lack of research on power cycle configurations specifically designed for low-temperature waste heat sources. The objective of this work is to fill this research gap by systematically assessing and comparing ten different cycle architectures for low-grade waste heat sources.
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