Multi-objective optimization of a bottoming Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) of gasoline engine using swash-plate expander

Abstract This paper presents a mathematical model of a bottoming Organic Rankine Cycle coupled to a 2 l turbocharged gasoline engine to optimize the cycle from a thermo-economic and sizing point of view. These criteria were optimized with different cycle values. Therefore, a methodology to optimize the ORC coupled to Waste Heat Recovery systems in vehicle applications is presented using a multi-objective optimization algorithm. Multi-objective optimization results show that the optimum solution depend on the importance of each objective to the final solution. Considering thermo-economic criteria as the main objective, greater sizes will be required. Considering sizing criteria as the main objective, higher thermo-economic parameters will be obtained. Therefore, in order to select a single-solution from the Pareto frontier, a multiple attribute decision-making method (TOPSIS) was implemented in order to take into account the preferences of the Decision Maker. Considering the weight factors 0.5 for Specific Investment Cost (SIC), 0.3 for the area of the heat exchangers (A tot ) and 0.2 for Volume Coefficient (VC) and the boundaries of this particular application, the result is optimized with values of 0.48 m 2 (A tot ), 2515 €/kW (SIC) and 2.62 MJ/m 3 (VC). Moreover, the profitability of the project by means of the Net Present Value and the Payback has been estimated.