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Session: New applications: Domestic CHP
Session starts: Tuesday 08 October, 09:00
Presentation starts: 09:20
Room: Willem Burger Zaal

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James Freeman (Imperial College London)
Klaus Hellgardt (Imperial College London)
Christos Markides (Imperial College London)

Abstract:
Small-scale solar thermal technologies for cogeneration of heat and power present the possibility of a versatile and cost-effective alternative to photovoltaics for the domestic market. Optimization of system performance is essential in order to extract the maximum work potential in locations of low solar resource such as the UK and northern Europe. A model is presented of an indirectly heated solar organic Rankine cycle system for the production of electricity and hot water; along with the results of initial performance simulations in which the flow-rates for the solar collector and ORC working fluid circuits are fixed at constant values. An optimization of the solar collector flow and return temperatures is conducted in order to maximize exergy production from the collector for a given incident solar irradiance value. Improvements are then made to the system model by introducing variable speed control of the collector and working fluid flow rates in order to track the optimum flow and return temperatures to the collector. Annual electrical output from the cycle is found to increase by 8% relative to the fixed flow rate model.