Description:FIELD
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of cooling division and more particularly, the present invention relates to the field of power generation for low-temperature heat sources. The present invention discloses an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for power generation and a method for operating thereof.

BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) serves as a crucial method for harnessing power from low-grade heat sources. Comprising several essential components, the typical ORC configuration features an evaporator, preheater, turbo-generator, condenser, and regenerator. Within this framework, the evaporator plays a pivotal role by converting the working fluid into vapor using heat derived from the heat source. The preheater further elevates this process by supplying additional sensible heat to the working fluid, thereby augmenting the volume of vapor produced in the evaporator. The turbo-generator acts as the heart of the cycle, facilitating the expansion of the working fluid and subsequently converting the generated mechanical work into electrical energy. Following this expansion, the working fluid undergoes a regenerative process in the regenerator. Here, superheated vapor, emitted from the turbine exhaust, aids in the recovery of heat, subsequently preheating the condensate from the condenser. The cycle culminates with the vapors being directed into a condenser, serving as the primary thermal heat sink.
Distinctively, the ORC employs an organic working fluid as opposed to conventional water, specifically tailored for power generation from low-temperature heat sources. This strategic choice offers a range of benefits, notably a heightened pressure differential between the evaporator and condenser, coupled with enhanced isentropic efficiency during the turbine's expansion phase across the working pressure gradients. However, it's imperative to note that when the pressure differential between the evaporator and condenser falls below a specific threshold, the system's exergy diminishes considerably, rendering the ORC operationally inefficient.
In order to improve the exergy of the system, the integration of a heat pump becomes indispensable. Heat pumps function as devices designed to transfer heat from regions of lower temperature to higher temperature domains, facilitated by external inputs. Categorized broadly, heat pumps manifest as either vapor compression heat pumps or vapor absorption heat pumps. Vapor compression variants utilize mechanical means, such as compressors, to effectuate the heat transfer process from lower to higher temperatures. In contrast, vapor absorption heat pumps operate on a thermally activated principle, employing a combination of generators and evaporators to facilitate the requisite external input work.
Figure 1 illustrates a conventional Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for power generation from low low-temperature heat source. The conventional system includes an evaporator. The evaporator provides the high-pressure organic working fluid through the conduit to an expander or turbine coupled to an electrical power generator. Post expansion the low pressure fluid is provided to the condenser via a duct. The condenser could either be air-cooled, water-cooled, or a hybrid condenser. The condensed fluid from the condenser is provided to the feed pump via the conduit. The feed pump increases the working pressure of the organic fluid and provides it to the evaporator via the conduit. The evaporator is a heat exchanger which uses the heat from the heat source to evaporate the organic working fluid. In this prior art system, the heat source temperature is low. Hence, the organic fluid evaporation pressure is limited by the temperature of the heat source.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to implement an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for power generation and a method for operating thereof.

OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
The main object of the present invention is to propose an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for power generation and a method for operating thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to overcome the drawback by providing a system for power generation by which the exergy of the low-temperature heat source can be used to pump heat to a higher temperature in a heat pump to increase the operating pressure inlet to the turbine of the low-temperature power generation system.
Yet another object of the present invention is to use the low-temperature heat source to provide low-temperature feed heating of the working fluid used for power generation with an aim to maximize the power generation from the heat recovery system.
Yet another object of the present invention is to improve the operating efficiency of the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) based low-temperature heat recovery to power generation system.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

SUMMARY
This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to the design of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for power generation and a method for operating thereof.
The present disclosure envisages an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for power generation. The system comprises an evaporator to generate vapour from an ORC working fluid. An ORC turbine with an electric generator that is fluidically connected to the evaporator through a turbine conduit so as to receive the generated vapour which expands in the ORC turbine to operate a rotor of the electric generator for generating electric power. A condenser is fluidically connected to the ORC turbine to receive an exhaust vapour from the ORC turbine through a condenser duct for condensing the exhaust vapour into an ORC working fluid. An ORC feed pump is fluidically connected to the condenser so as to receive the ORC working fluid from the condenser through a pump inlet conduit and pump the ORC working fluid into a pump outlet conduit. A preheater is fluidically connected to the pump outlet conduit so as to receive the ORC working fluid for preheating the ORC working fluid and supplying the preheated ORC to the evaporator. A heat pump having one or more inflow conduits is connected in series or parallel connections with the evaporator and the preheater to pump a heated fluid received from a heat source to the evaporator and the preheater through one or more inflow conduits.
In an aspect, the preheater is a first heat exchanger that preheats the ORC working fluid through the heat of a heated fluid received from a heat source.
In an aspect, the evaporator is a second heat exchanger that evaporates the preheated ORC fluid using the heat of a heated fluid received from the heat source.
In an aspect, in the series connection, the heated fluid is pumped from the heat pump to the evaporator and the preheater through the inflow conduits and is received back at the heat pump through a common return conduit.
In an aspect, in the parallel connection, the heated fluid is pumped from the heat pump to the evaporator through a first inflow conduit and is received back at the heat pump through a first return conduit, while the heated fluid is pumped from the heat pump to the preheater through a second inflow conduit and is received back at the heat pump through a second return conduit.
In an aspect, the preheater is a low-temperature pre-heater.
In an aspect, the heat pump is positioned between the inflow and outflow conduits forming a closed circuit in between the heat source and a heat exchanger.
In an aspect, the heat exchanger is a low-temperature heat sink that is either air-cooled, water-cooled, or hybrid, or even partly or wholly used for low-temperature process heating.
In an embodiment, the present invention envisages a method for operating an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for power generation. The method comprises the following method steps:
• receiving, by a condenser, an exhaust vapour from an ORC turbine;
• condensing, by the condenser, the exhaust vapour into an ORC working fluid;
• receiving, by an ORC feed pump, the ORC working fluid from the condenser;
• pumping, by the ORC feed pump, the ORC working fluid;
• receiving, by a preheater, the ORC working fluid using the heat of a heated fluid received from a heat source through a heat pump;
• preheating, by the preheater, the ORC working fluid;
• receiving, by an evaporator, the preheated ORC to the evaporator;
• generating, by the evaporator, vapour from an ORC working fluid using the heat of a heated fluid received from the heat source through the heat pump, wherein the evaporator, the preheater, and the heat pump are connected in series or parallel connections;
• receiving, by an ORC turbine, the generated vapour from the evaporator; and
• generating, by an electric generator, electric power when the received vapour expands in the ORC turbine to operate a rotor of the electric generator coupled with the ORC turbine.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
An Organic Rankine Cycle system for power generation and a method for operating thereof of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a conventional Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for power generation from a low-temperature heat source, in accordance with an embodiment of the prior art;
Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system using a heat pump to increase the source temperature, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 3 illustrates a block diagram of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) System using a low-temperature heat source for the pre-heater and heat pump to increase the source temperature for the evaporator, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figures 4A-4B illustrate a flow diagram of a method for operating an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for power generation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

REFERENCE NUMERALS
100, 100’ System
400 Method
101, 101’ Evaporator
102, 102’ Turbine Conduit
103, 103’ ORC Turbine
104, 104’ Electric Generator
105, 105’ Condenser Duct
106, 106’ Condenser
107, 107’ Pump Inlet Conduit
108, 108’ ORC Feed Pump
109, 109’ Pump Outlet Conduit
110, 110’, 301 Preheater
111, 111’ First Inflow Conduit
112, 112’ First Return Conduit
113, 113’ Common Return Conduit
201, 203 Inflow
202 Heat Pump
204 Heat Exchanger
205, 206 Outflow
302 Second Inflow Conduit
303 Second Return Conduit

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms "a,” "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," “including,” and “having,” are open-ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, modules, units, and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the method and process of the present disclosure is not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used indicates otherwise.
Exergy: the term “Exergy” hereinafter in the complete specification refers to the maximum useful work possible during a process that brings a system in equilibrium with its surroundings.
The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) serves as a crucial method for harnessing power from low-grade heat sources. Comprising several essential components, the typical ORC configuration features an evaporator, preheater, turbo-generator, condenser, and regenerator. Within this framework, the evaporator plays a pivotal role by converting the working fluid into vapor using heat derived from the heat source. The preheater further elevates this process by supplying additional sensible heat to the working fluid, thereby augmenting the volume of vapor produced in the evaporator. The turbo-generator acts as the heart of the cycle, facilitating the expansion of the working fluid and subsequently converting the generated mechanical work into electrical energy. Following this expansion, the working fluid undergoes a regenerative process in the regenerator. Here, superheated vapor, emitted from the turbine exhaust, aids in the recovery of heat, subsequently preheating the condensate from the condenser. The cycle culminates with the vapors being directed into a condenser, serving as the primary thermal heat sink.
Distinctively, the ORC employs an organic working fluid as opposed to conventional water, specifically tailored for power generation from low-temperature heat sources. This strategic choice offers a range of benefits, notably a heightened pressure differential between the evaporator and condenser, coupled with enhanced isentropic efficiency during the turbine's expansion phase across the working pressure gradients. However, it's imperative to note that when the pressure differential between the evaporator and condenser falls below a specific threshold, the system's exergy diminishes considerably, rendering the ORC operationally inefficient.
In order to improve the exergy of the system, the integration of a heat pump becomes indispensable. Heat pumps function as devices designed to transfer heat from regions of lower temperature to higher temperature domains, facilitated by external inputs. Categorized broadly, heat pumps manifest as either vapor compression heat pumps or vapor absorption heat pumps. Vapor compression variants utilize mechanical means, such as compressors, to effectuate the heat transfer process from lower to higher temperatures. In contrast, vapor absorption heat pumps operate on a thermally activated principle, employing a combination of generators and evaporators to facilitate the requisite external input work.
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a conventional Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for power generation from low-temperature heat source 100’ (hereinafter referred to as conventional system 100’). The conventional system 100’ includes an evaporator 101’. The evaporator provides the high-pressure organic working fluid through the conduit 102’ to an expander or turbine 103’ coupled to an electrical power generator. Post expansion the low-pressure fluid is provided to the condenser 105’ via a duct 106’. The condenser 105’ could either be air-cooled, water-cooled, or a hybrid condenser. The condensed fluid from the condenser 105’ is provided to the feed pump 107’ via the conduit 108’. The feed pump 107’ increases the working pressure of the organic fluid and provides to the evaporator 101’ via the conduit 109’. The evaporator 101’ is a heat exchanger that uses the heat from the heat source to evaporate the organic working fluid. In this prior art system, the heat source temperature is low. Hence, the organic fluid evaporation pressure is limited by the temperature of the heat source.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to implement an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system (herein referred to as a support structure “100”) for power generation and a method for operating thereof.
The present disclosure envisages an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) based low-temperature heat recovery system for Power generation. The system comprises a gas expander or a turbine, a condenser, a set of feed pumps, preheaters, and an evaporator. The turbine is configured to receive the highest pressure vapour of the Organic Rankine system’s working fluid. The vapour expands in the turbine generating work and the expanded steam is then provided to the condenser. The condenser might either be air-cooled or water-cooled. The expanded steam from the turbine might contain a degree of superheat which can be recovered by the condensate post the condenser using a recuperator. However, a sensitivity analysis is done to ascertain the viability of providing the recuperator.
The exergy from the medium-temperature heat source is provided to pre-heat the ORC working fluid before being taken to an evaporator. The aim of the heat recovery is to provide maximum sensible heat to the ORC fluid using the exergy from the medium-temperature heat source.
A heat pump is used to increase the temperature of the medium-temperature heat source and provide heat to the evaporator of the Organic Rankine cycle at the increased temperature. However, a significant part of the heat is rejected at low temperatures to provide for the work done for upgrading the temperature of the heat input to the evaporator.
By the virtue of operating the evaporator at higher pressure by using a high-temperature heat source, the Organic Rankine cycle efficiency improves significantly which improves the viability of the heat recovery scheme.
However, it is to be noted that more than half the energy from the medium temperature heat source is rejected at low temperatures to provide for upgrading the heat in the evaporator and possibly a preheater of the Organic Rankine cycle system. Therefore, it is imperative to maximize the pre-heating of the Organic Rankine cycle by using the medium-temperature heat source to improve the system efficiency.
The low-temperature preheater is provided is provided with the low-temperature ORC condensate fluid with or without being provided through a recuperator. This preheater uses heat from the medium-temperature heat source to provide sensible heat to the ORC working fluid. The higher the temperature of the ORC fluid inlet to the evaporator provided through low-temperature heat recovery, the greater the quantity of vapour generated from the evaporator.
Vapour absorption machines (VAM) are heat pump systems which might be Type I heat pumps wherein the heat from a low-temperature heat source is pumped to a medium-temperature heat sink using a high-temperature heat source. Or else, the heat pump can be a type II heat pump wherein the medium temperature heat source is used to pump heat to a high-temperature heat sink, and the exergy destroyed while doing the work to pump the heat is rejected to a low-temperature heat sink.
The heat from the medium temperature heat source is provided to a VAM. The VAM consists of an evaporator, a generator, an absorber, and a condenser. The VAM acts as a Type II heat pump which is used to upgrade the medium-temperature heat source provided to the generator and the evaporator. The absorber of the VAM is the high-temperature heat sink wherein the heat is rejected to the system at high temperatures thereby generating hot water which can be directly taken or flashed to generate steam and taken to the evaporator of the ORC cycle. The condenser of the VAM is the low-temperature heat sink wherein more than half of the heat input from the medium-temperature heat source is rejected to provide for the work done to upgrade the heat from medium to high temperature.
In the case of using a hot water circuit to provide the heat input to the evaporator of the Organic Rankine cycle system, then there is a significant temperature difference between the ORC working fluid’s bubble point and the temperature outlet from the pre-heaters using the medium temperature heat source. Therefore, there arises a need for using another preheater in series which is the preheater using heat from the medium heat source. This high-temperature preheater also uses the heat from the absorber of the Type II heat pump like the evaporator.
Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system 100 using a heat pump to increase the source temperature. The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system 100 for power generation comprises an evaporator 101 to generate vapour from an ORC working fluid. An ORC turbine 103 with an electric generator 104 that is fluidically connected to the evaporator 101 through a turbine conduit 102 so as to receive the generated vapour which expands in the ORC turbine 103 to operate a rotor of the electric generator 104 for generating electric power. A condenser 106 is fluidically connected to the ORC turbine 103 to receive an exhaust vapour from the ORC turbine 103 through a condenser duct 105 for condensing the exhaust vapour into an ORC working fluid. An ORC feed pump 108 is fluidically connected to the condenser 106 to receive the ORC working fluid from the condenser 106 through a pump inlet conduit 107 and pump the ORC working fluid into a pump outlet conduit 109. A preheater 110; 301 fluidically connected to the pump outlet conduit 109 to receive the ORC working fluid for preheating the ORC working fluid and supplying the preheated ORC to the evaporator 101. A heat pump 202 having one or more inflow conduits 111; 302 connected in series or parallel connections with the evaporator 101 and the preheater 110; 301, to pump a heated fluid received from a heat source to the evaporator 101 and the preheater 110; 301 through the one or more inflow conduits 111, 112; 302. In an aspect, the preheater 110; 301 is a first heat exchanger that preheats the ORC working fluid through the heat of a heated fluid received from a heat source.
In an embodiment, the evaporator 101 is a second heat exchanger that evaporates the preheated ORC fluid using the heat of a heated fluid received from the heat source. In an aspect, in the series connection, the heated fluid is pumped from the heat pump 202 to the evaporator 101 and the preheater 110 through the inflow conduits 111, 112 and is received back at the heat pump 202 through a common return conduit 113.
In an aspect, the heat pump 202 is positioned between the inflow 201, 203 and outflow 205, 206 conduits forming a closed circuit in between the heat source and a heat exchanger 204. The heat source 100 from which waste heat is provided through the conduit 201 to a type II Heat pump 202. Post this the return media of the heat source is provided back to heat source 100 via the conduit 203. The waste heat flows into the evaporator and generator of the type 2 heat pump 202 either in series or in parallel circuits. In the absorber of type II heat pump 202, the temperature is upgraded for a part of the input heat to the type II heat pump. The heat from this circuit is provided to the evaporator 101 and preheater 204 via conduit 205. The return conduit 206 is provided back to the absorber of the type II heat pump 202. The remainder of the heat input to the type II heat pump is rejected from the condenser to a heat sink 207 via a conduit 208. The return conduit 209 is provided back to the condenser of the heat pump 202, thus completing the closed loop circuit. In an aspect, the heat exchanger 204 is a low-temperature heat sink that is either air-cooled, water-cooled, or hybrid or even partly or wholly used for low-temperature process heating. The evaporator 101 and the conduit 102 are provided to provide the refrigerant vapour to the ORC turbine 103 coupled to an electric generator. Post expansion in the turbine, the exhaust vapour is provided to a heat sink 105 via duct 106 which rejects heat to the environment. Post condensing the ORC fluid vapour in the heat sink, the condensate is provided to an ORC fluid pump 107 through the conduit 108. The pressure of the condensate is increased to an appropriate pressure above the evaporating pressure of the ORC fluid in the evaporator. In the embodiment, it is seen that the low-temperature source heat is upgraded to increase the pressure of the evaporator 101, thereby increasing the pressure of the fluid inlet to the ORC turbine 103. This is done so as to increase the cycle efficiency of the Organic Rankine Cycle.
Figure 3 illustrates a block diagram of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) System 100 using a low-temperature heat source for pre-heater 110; 301 and heat pump 202 to increase the source temperature for evaporator 101. In another embodiment, in the parallel connection, the heated fluid is pumped from the heat pump 202 to the evaporator 101 through a first inflow conduit 111 and is received back at the heat pump 202 through a first return conduit 112, while the heated fluid is pumped from the heat pump 202 to the preheater 301 through a second inflow conduit 302 and is received back at the heat pump 202 through a second return conduit 303.
In an aspect, the preheater 301 is a low-temperature pre-heater. Figure 3 illustrates equipment similar to that shown in Figure 2. However, Figure 3, the high-pressure ORC condensate is fed to a low-temperature (LT) preheater 301. The conduit 302 is used for feeding the high-pressure condensate to the LT preheater. The heat source for the LT condensate is either provided from the waste heat source providing heat to the type 2 heat pump 202 or any other low-temperature waste heat source so as to provide sensible heat to increase the temperature of the ORC condensate prior to evaporation. The heat to the LT Preheater 301 is provided by the conduit 303 and its return is provided back to the source by the conduit 304. The sensible heat required for preheating the fluid is provided from the main heat source, thereby reducing the requirement of upgrading the source heat quantity and thereby improving the efficiency of the system.
Figures 4A-4B illustrate a flow diagram of a method 400 for operating an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system 100 for power generation. The method 400 comprises the following steps:
• receiving 402, by a condenser 106, an exhaust vapour from an ORC turbine 103;
• condensing 404, by the condenser 106, the exhaust vapour into an ORC working fluid;
• receiving 406, by an ORC feed pump 108, the ORC working fluid from the condenser 106;
• pumping 408, by the ORC feed pump 108, the ORC working fluid;
• receiving 410, by a preheater 110; 301, the ORC working fluid using the heat of a heated fluid received from a heat source through a heat pump 202;
• preheating 412, by the preheater 110; 301, the ORC working fluid;
• receiving 414, by an evaporator 101, the preheated ORC to the evaporator 101;
• generating 416, by the evaporator 101, vapour from an ORC working fluid using the heat of a heated fluid received from the heat source through the heat pump 202, wherein the evaporator 101, the preheater 110; 301, and the heat pump 202 are connected in series or parallel connections;
• receiving 418, by an ORC turbine 103, the generated vapour from the evaporator 101; and
• generating 420, by an electric generator 104, electric power when the received vapour expands in the ORC turbine 103 to operate a rotor of the electric generator 104 coupled with the ORC turbine 103.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS AND ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for power generation and a method for operating thereof that:
• increase the operating pressure inlet to the turbine of the low-temperature power generation system;
• maximize the power generation from the heat recovery system; and
• improve the operating efficiency of the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) based low-temperature heat recovery to power generation system.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveals the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles, or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions, or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation. , Claims:WE CLAIM:

1. An Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system (100) for power generation, comprising:
an evaporator (101) to generate vapour from an ORC working fluid;
an ORC turbine (103) with an electric generator (104), fluidically connected to the evaporator (101) through a turbine conduit (102) to receive the generated vapour which expands in the ORC turbine (103) to operate a rotor of the electric generator (104) for generating electric power;
a condenser (106) fluidically connected to the ORC turbine (103) to receive an exhaust vapour from the ORC turbine (103) through a condenser duct (105) for condensing the exhaust vapour into an ORC working fluid;
an ORC feed pump (108) fluidically connected to the condenser (106) to receive the ORC working fluid from the condenser (106) through a pump inlet conduit (107) and pump the ORC working fluid into a pump outlet conduit (109);
a preheater (110; 301) fluidically connected to the pump outlet conduit (109) to receive the ORC working fluid for preheating the ORC working fluid and supplying the preheated ORC to the evaporator (101),
characterized in that:
a heat pump (202) having one or more inflow conduits (111; 302) connected in series or parallel connections with the evaporator (101) and the preheater (110; 301), to pump a heated fluid received from a heat source to the evaporator (101) and the preheater (110; 301) through the one or more inflow conduits (111, 112; 302).

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the preheater (110; 301) is a first heat exchanger that preheats the ORC working fluid through the heat of a heated fluid received from a heat source.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaporator (101) is a second heat exchanger that evaporates the preheated ORC fluid using the heat of a heated fluid received from the heat source.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the series connection, the heated fluid is pumped from the heat pump (202) to the evaporator (101) and the preheater (110) through the inflow conduits (111, 112) and is received back at the heat pump (202) through a common return conduit (113).
5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the parallel connection, the heated fluid is pumped from the heat pump (202) to the evaporator (101) through a first inflow conduit (111) and is received back at the heat pump (202) through a first return conduit (112), while the heated fluid is pumped from the heat pump (202) to the preheater (301) through a second inflow conduit (302) and is received back at the heat pump (202) through a second return conduit (303).
6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the preheater (301) is a low-temperature pre-heater.
7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat pump (202) is positioned between the inflow (201, 203) and outflow (205, 206) conduits forming a closed circuit in between the heat source and a heat exchanger (204).
8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heat exchanger (204) is a low-temperature heat sink that is either air-cooled, water-cooled, or hybrid, or even partly or wholly used for low-temperature process heating.

9. A method for operating an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system (100) for power generation, comprising:
receiving (402), by a condenser (106), an exhaust vapour from an ORC turbine (103);
condensing (404), by the condenser (106), the exhaust vapour into an ORC working fluid;
receiving (406), by an ORC feed pump (108), the ORC working fluid from the condenser (106);
pumping (408), by the ORC feed pump (108), the ORC working fluid;
receiving (410), by a preheater (110; 301), the ORC working fluid using the heat of a heated fluid received from a heat source through a heat pump (202);
preheating (412), by the preheater (110; 301), the ORC working fluid;
receiving (414), by an evaporator (101), the preheated ORC to the evaporator (101);
generating (416), by the evaporator (101), vapour from an ORC working fluid using the heat of a heated fluid received from the heat source through the heat pump (202), wherein the evaporator (101), the preheater (110; 301), and the heat pump (202) are connected in series or parallel connections;
receiving (418), by an ORC turbine (103), the generated vapour from the evaporator (101); and
generating (420), by an electric generator (104), electric power when the received vapour expands in the ORC turbine (103) to operate a rotor of the electric generator (104) coupled with the ORC turbine (103).

Dated this 18th day of January, 2024

_______________________________
MOHAN RAJKUMAR DEWAN, IN/PA – 25
of R.K. DEWAN & CO.
Authorized Agent of Applicant

TO,
THE CONTROLLER OF PATENTS
THE PATENT OFFICE, AT MUMBAI