Waste heat utilization is a fundamental approach to end-use energy savings. Medium or low temperature waste heat is not usable unless its temperature level matches the demand. From this standpoint, power generation from medium or low temperature waste heat is beneficial because it improves the availability of the energy by converting waste heat into electricity or mechanical work.
Conventional waste heat driven power generation cycles, such as the Kalina cycle, attain relatively low thermal efficiencies because of the low exergy in medium or low temperature heat. This paper proposes a three-stage combined power cycle using cold energy for power generation from medium temperature (≅200°C)waste heat. The system consists of an ammonia-water Rankine cycle, an ethane-propane Rankine cycle and a liquefied natural gas direct expansion cycle.
A cycle simulation of the system is executed, and the operating conditions where the exergetic efficiency is maximized are presented in this article. It is found that the exergetic efficiency reaches 31% under these operating conditions.