Numerical Evaluation of Equation of State Sensitivity in Energy Conversion Systems

Improving energy efficiency by minimizing waste heat losses has become a critical objective in industrial and transportation applications. Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs) offer an effective solution for converting low-grade thermal energy into useful power. However, the accuracy of ORC performance pre...

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Main Authors: Maha Alharbi, Fuhaid Alshammari
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Mathematics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1826
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author Maha Alharbi
Fuhaid Alshammari
author_facet Maha Alharbi
Fuhaid Alshammari
author_sort Maha Alharbi
collection DOAJ
description Improving energy efficiency by minimizing waste heat losses has become a critical objective in industrial and transportation applications. Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs) offer an effective solution for converting low-grade thermal energy into useful power. However, the accuracy of ORC performance predictions depends heavily on the thermodynamic property models, particularly the choice of equation of state. This study investigates how different equations of state models influence key thermodynamic predictions in an ORC operating with R245fa and high-temperature waste heat. A range of equations of state formulations are evaluated, from simplified ideal gas models to more complex real-fluid models. The results showed that the choice of equation of state can have a noticeable impact on the predicted cycle performance (up to 7.14% in some cases), highlighting the importance of accurate fluid property modeling when designing ORC systems. The sensitivity analysis indicated that minor variations in enthalpy values (±1%) can result in a 3–4% alteration in net power output, highlighting the need for precise property modeling in Organic Rankine Cycle design.
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spelling doaj-art-090854baaa9b4c52b39c8becad5ce0f12025-08-20T02:32:57ZengMDPI AGMathematics2227-73902025-05-011311182610.3390/math13111826Numerical Evaluation of Equation of State Sensitivity in Energy Conversion SystemsMaha Alharbi0Fuhaid Alshammari1Biology Department, Science College, University of Hail, Hail 2440, Saudi ArabiaMechanical Engineering Department, Engineering College, University of Hail, Hail 2440, Saudi ArabiaImproving energy efficiency by minimizing waste heat losses has become a critical objective in industrial and transportation applications. Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs) offer an effective solution for converting low-grade thermal energy into useful power. However, the accuracy of ORC performance predictions depends heavily on the thermodynamic property models, particularly the choice of equation of state. This study investigates how different equations of state models influence key thermodynamic predictions in an ORC operating with R245fa and high-temperature waste heat. A range of equations of state formulations are evaluated, from simplified ideal gas models to more complex real-fluid models. The results showed that the choice of equation of state can have a noticeable impact on the predicted cycle performance (up to 7.14% in some cases), highlighting the importance of accurate fluid property modeling when designing ORC systems. The sensitivity analysis indicated that minor variations in enthalpy values (±1%) can result in a 3–4% alteration in net power output, highlighting the need for precise property modeling in Organic Rankine Cycle design.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1826equation of statereal-gas behaviorsensitivityenergy efficiency
spellingShingle Maha Alharbi
Fuhaid Alshammari
Numerical Evaluation of Equation of State Sensitivity in Energy Conversion Systems
Mathematics
equation of state
real-gas behavior
sensitivity
energy efficiency
title Numerical Evaluation of Equation of State Sensitivity in Energy Conversion Systems
title_full Numerical Evaluation of Equation of State Sensitivity in Energy Conversion Systems
title_fullStr Numerical Evaluation of Equation of State Sensitivity in Energy Conversion Systems
title_full_unstemmed Numerical Evaluation of Equation of State Sensitivity in Energy Conversion Systems
title_short Numerical Evaluation of Equation of State Sensitivity in Energy Conversion Systems
title_sort numerical evaluation of equation of state sensitivity in energy conversion systems
topic equation of state
real-gas behavior
sensitivity
energy efficiency
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1826
work_keys_str_mv AT mahaalharbi numericalevaluationofequationofstatesensitivityinenergyconversionsystems
AT fuhaidalshammari numericalevaluationofequationofstatesensitivityinenergyconversionsystems