If you don't have earned income, it would be unlikely for you to receive a refund. Remember that refunds consist mostly of a return of tax you had withheld during the year. Nothing withheld means no amount to refund.
There are some credits that can pay you cash even if you have no withholding but they would not meet your needs. The common ones are related to child credits and they require earned income. The other is a potential refund for college students but it doesn't sound like you would qualify for that either.
You may still have to file a return if you have some form of taxable income other than wages or earnings. Alimony, for example, is taxable and requires a return if over a certain amount.
