Analysis of the possibility of utilization of waste heat from the marine engine in the ORC power plant

Abstract

Modern marine diesel engines are characterized by ~50% conversion of chemical energy of fuel into useful work. The remaining amount of heat is lost to the environment as the so-called waste heat, whereby its part can be used in various marine heating installations. In the ship's engine the biggest source of waste heat, potentially useful for further use, both due to the amount of available energy and its quality, are exhaust emissions from the main engine. Taking into account the need for rational energy management, the paper presents a preliminary analysis and assessment of the possibility of using the heat of hot exhaust gases to generate electricity in the so-called low-temperature ORC installation. Based on the available data, the operation of ORC installation has been evaluated, taking into account the influence of engine operating parameters on the obtained electrical power and the cycle efficiency. The aim of the analysis was to demonstrate that there is a real possibility to use the waste heat from marine engine exhausts to drive the ORC and generate electricity.