A Feasibility Study of CO2-Based Rankine Cycle Powered by Solar Energy

Abstract

The viability of a CO2-based Rankine cycle driven by solar energy was investigated via an 
experiment study. The suggested cycle, which comprises of evacuated solar tube collectors, a power 
producing turbine, a heat recovery system, and a feed pump, aims to accomplish cogeneration of heat 
and electricity. The system's Rankine cycle uses solar collectors to transform CO2 into a high-
temperature supercritical state, which powers a turbine and generates electricity. Additionally, the 
cycle recovers thermal energy that may be used for a building's hot water supply, air conditioning 
system, refrigerator, and other applications. To examine the performance of the CO2-based Rankine 
cycle, a series of experimental setups was built. The findings demonstrate that the cycle has a high 
potential for using the CO2-based Rankine cycle driven by solar energy and can produce heat and 
electricity with reasonable thermodynamic efficiency. Additionally, this article will cover some 
research topics linked to the current work.