Waste heat recovery for power production by means of ORC is on the threshold to marketand can be considered to be state of the art in the power range above 50 kWel. However the utilizationof waste heat from internal combustion engines in vehicles is being discussed very recently. In thispaper the fuel and respectively the cost saving potential for the national economies with such systemsis evaluated and discussed. Measurement results of waste heat potential in real driving cycle arepresented and compared to test bench data. An approach for the design point identification for highwaydriving of heavy utility vehicles is shown. Based on a simulation of real part load behavior ofcomponents like heat exchangers and expansion machines the system efficiency of an experimentalORC system is calculated. Finally fuel saving potential for an experimental prototype set up isdetermined. The potential of this technology for national economies is calculated in an elementary wayand compared to other technologies.
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