Thermodynamic and Exergetic Analyses of Power and Cooling Systems

Vast amounts of heat are discarded as waste by industrial processes, vehicles, and power plants—energy that thermodynamic engineers work to recapture and convert into useful work or cooling. Cycles such as the Organic Rankine Cycle and the supercritical CO₂ cycle are central to this effort, using carefully chosen working fluids to extract power from heat sources too dilute for conventional steam turbines. Exergy analysis goes beyond simple energy accounting to pinpoint exactly where quality is lost in these systems, guiding designers toward configurations that waste less of what thermodynamics allows them to recover. Active research questions include identifying working fluids that balance efficiency, safety, and environmental impact, and coupling these recovery cycles with energy storage so that intermittent or fluctuating heat sources can still deliver steady, reliable output.

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39,372

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579,564

Keywords

Organic Rankine CycleWaste Heat RecoveryThermodynamic AnalysisWorking FluidsExergy AnalysisLow-Grade Heat