Thermodynamic analysis of an organic Rankine cycle utilizing jacket cooling water waste heat from a marine dual-fuel engine

Year 2025, Volume: 14 Issue: 4, 191 - 202, 31.12.2025

Sertaç Bulut , Çağlar Dere , Mehmet Akman

https://doi.org/10.33714/masteb.1800302

Abstract

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is tightening energy-efficiency and greenhouse-gas emission regulations for ships, creating a strong incentive for technologies that recover and reuse waste heat. Most previous studies have concentrated on recovering high-temperature exhaust gas waste heat from MDO- and HFO-fueled engines, while the recovery potential of very-low-grade jacket cooling water in methanol-fueled dual-fuel engines has received little attention. This study investigates a waste heat recovery system based on the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) that utilizes jacket cooling water from a methanol-fueled marine dual-fuel engine operating at different engine and cycle operating conditions. Energetic and exergetic analyses are conducted using a MATLAB-based code integrated with the REFPROP thermophysical data. Four working fluids – R245fa, R1233zd(E), R1234ze(Z), and R1336mzz(Z) – are assessed to identify lower-Global Warming Potential (GWP) alternatives to R245fa, a commonly used but environmentally intensive fluid. Energetic, exergetic, and environmental analyses are performed for each fluid to reveal system performance and environmental impact. The results show that the very low-GWP fluids R1233zd(E) and R1336mzz(Z) deliver the most favorable balance between efficiency and sustainability, thermal efficiency by more than 1% and reducing annual CO2 emissions by approximately 500 tons. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of integrating low-GWP working fluids into ORC waste heat recovery systems for marine applications, offering a practical pathway to enhanced energy efficiency and compliance with decarbonization targets.

Keywords

Ship energy efficiency , ORC , Marine engine , Waste heat recovery , Jacket water

Supporting Institution

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Scientific Research Projects Department of İzmir Katip Çelebi University under grant number 2025-KDP-GİDF-0014.

Project Number

2025-KDP-GİDF-0014

Thanks

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Scientific Research Projects Department of İzmir Katip Çelebi University under grant number 2025-KDP-GİDF-0014.

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