CHP: Technology Update

The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)

ing. Bruno Vanslambrouck,

Howest, dept Masters Industrial Sciences
Laboratory of Industrial Physics and Applied Mechanics

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Contence

The (Organic) Rankine Cycle

Working Fluids
Relevant applications
Conclusions
Economic information
Our ORC related activities

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 The Rankine Cycle
1. Electrofilter 5. Transformer
2. Boiler 6. Condensor
3. Steam turbine 7. Cooling tower
4. generator

Source: Electrabel

Steam turbine installation in a power station

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The Rankine Cycle

E-production from recovered heat of a gasturbine exhaust

using a Rankine Cycle Source: Electrabel

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 The Rankine Cycle

T-s diagram for a working fluid

Rankine cycle with superheated steam

Carnot efficiency:

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The Rankine Cycle

Working fluid: usually water
Advantages:
cheap, widely available
non toxic
high heat capacity: excellent medium for heat transport
chemical stable: less material requirements
low viscosity: low friction losses
Disadvantages:
due to low condensation t: very low pressure, high specific volume, big
installations needed (turbine, condensor)
high pressure drop to become a high enthalpy drop: expensive multi stage
turbines needed
expansion has to start in the superheated area to avoid too high moisture
content after expansion: need of a high t- heat source but very partically use
because of this: efficiency loss and limited suitability to waste heat recovery

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 The Organic Rankine Cycle
Disavantages water probably to correct using other working fluids, mostly of
organic origin: Organic Rankine Cycle Organic medium
(ORC)

Used are:
Toluene, butane,
pentane, ammonia,
refrigeration fluids,
silicone oils

Organic Rankine Cycle

in the T-s diagram

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The Organic Rankine Cycle

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 The Organic Rankine Cycle

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ORC Working Fluids

Wet fluid Dry fluid Isentropic fluid

superheating required remains superheated superheating unnecessary

superheating efficiency after expansion of recuperator unnecessary
higher vaporization heat at saturated vapor best choice for ORC from
lower pressures superheating unnecessary this point of view
evaporation requires a lot superheating efficiency
of heat or high pressures

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 ORC Working Fluids

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Relevant applications
1. Power production from industrial waste heat

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 Relevant applications

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Relevant applications

Electrical efficiency = ca 16%

if waste gases are cooled
down to 120C

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 Relevant applications
2. Exhaust heat recovery on stationary combustion
engines or gas turbines

Ca 10% increase of electrical output without extra fuel

Economical attractive on engines using renewable fuels (landfill gas,
biogas, vegatable oils) because of governmental support (Green
Certificates). Simple PBT of 3 years calculated.
Possibility to upgrade old (build before 2002) cogeneration units with
respect to CHP certificates by adding an ORC (increase of relative
primary energy savings with 5 %). Very short PBT if feasible (1- 2 years).
Because of high temperature exhaust gases, a steam turbine can be
considered on bigger plants
Some ORCs are adapted to use jacket cooling water heat

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Relevant applications

Ex: 150 kW ORC by Tri-O-Gen (Nl)

Electricity
1550 kWe

Exhaust gas (510C)

150 kWe

Engine cooling

Exhaust gas (180C)

LT heat
(585 kWth,
incl losses)

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ORC integration in an (existing) CHP:

Greenhouse
CHP

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Relevant applications
180 C Recuperator

Boiler
Turbine
325C

Inverter 50C

Generator 600 kWth

165 kWe
Flue gas 400 V 35C
T > 350C
760 kW th
Main feed pump
Working fluid: Toluene Pre-feed pump

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 Relevant applications
ORC on exhaust gases 2 MW Deutz gas engine Tri-O-Gen B.V.
Nieuwenkampsmaten 8
Roses farm Olij, De Kwakel The Netherlands 7472 DE Goor Nederland

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Relevant applications
Range: TG30(+) 30 kW; TG60(+) 60 kW
Specific designed to recover biogas engine heat Heinrich-Hertz-Str. 18
(+ means integrated use of engine jacket cooling). 59423 Unna
Fits on biogas engines in the range 250-500 kW. Germany

Heat source:
from 230C (TG30/TG30+)
from 270C (TG60/TG60+)
Cooling source:
30C or up to 80C (CHP-version)

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 Relevant applications

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Relevant applications

Maxxtec new small series Model 60 Model 80 Model 120

Waste heat source:
Thermal need 375 kWth 520 kWth 750 kWth
Thermal oil in/out 280/140 C 280/140 C 280/140 C
Electricity output
Gross 65 kWe 92 kWe 130 kWe
Net (appr.) 51 kWe 81 kWe 114 kWe
Condensor heat output 306 kWth 423 kWth 612 kWth
Condensor circuit in/out 43/64C 43/64C 43/64C
Gross Electric Efficiency 17,3 % 17,7 % 17,3 %
Net Electric Efficiency 13,6 % 15,6 % 15,2 %

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 Relevant applications
ORC with double screw expander
Heavy duty design, derived from
screw compressors
Not sensitive to fluid drops: can expand
both superheated or saturated steam,
no damage when fluids drops passes
trough (usefull when large process
variations are going on).
As ORC usable at lower temperatures
Adapted to recover jacket water heat

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Relevant applications
ElectraTherm BEP EUROPE NV
3208 Goni Road Ten Briele 6
Carson City, B-8200 Brugge
Double srew expander
Nevada 89706
based ORC

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 Relevant applications
3. ORC, fed by biomass combustion
Many references in CH, A, D, I (also 1 in NL, 2 planned in Belgium).
In concurrence with the steam cycle.
Always designed as CHP.

Turboden s.r.l.
Viale Cernaia, 10
25124 Brescia - Italy
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Relevant applications

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 Relevant applications

Turboden ORC-CHP range:

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Relevant applications
MIROM Roeselare : 2,5 MWe net
by Turboden
Heat source: water @180C
17 % net efficiency

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 Relevant applications
ORC integration in an (existing) biomass boiler:

Biomass boiler
Greenhouse

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Relevant applications
4. ORC, fed by geothermal heat sources

Many references known,

from 250 kW to > 100 MW
Source temperatures from
75C up to 300C.

Same technology usable to

recover waste heat on the
same temperature levels.

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 Relevant applications
Heber Geothermal
52 MWe
power station
(California)

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Relevant applications
Geothermal ORC 250 kWe (Ormat)
Geothermal fluid temperature in/out:
110/85C
Thermal power in: ~ 2500 kW
ORC working fluid: Isopentane

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 Relevant applications
ORC derived from a centrifugal chiller (reversed)
Cheap, reliable, proven technology

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Relevant applications

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 Relevant applications

Pure Cycle 280:

186-257 kWe net
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Relevant applications
5. Power generation from thermal solar energy
probably cheaper than photovoltaic solar systems
possible to use condensor heat for sanitary heat water
huge potential on desalination systems
40 kW solar heat ORC (Turboden, 1984)
Evacuated tube collector
fitted to temperatures
untill 180-200C

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 Relevant applications
Solar-biomass hybrid ORC

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Relevant applications

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 Relevant applications
Principle design
combined solar driven
electricity and domnestic
hot water production
system
(final work HOWEST,
2004-2005)

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Relevant applications
Tests (HOWEST) on a scroll expander (2005)
(Sanden scroll car airco compressor TRS-090)

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 Relevant applications
6. ORC driven domnestic micro-CHP
alternative to gas engine
based micro CHP
to integrate within a cv-boiler
in concurrence with other new
technologies as stirling engines,
fuel cells

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Relevant applications
Energetix Group plc
Capenhurst Technology Park
Chester
CH1 6EH UK
Genlec module: 1 kW scroll expander based ORC to
integrate in central heating boilers (micro CHP)
Example: Boiler manufacturor Daalderop (NL)

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 Relevant applications
7. ORC driven cooling
Alternative if electrical grid connection big chillers is impossible or not allowed.
Been proven having better efficiency (COP) compared to absorption chillers.
Solar powering or hybrid with solar heat feasible.

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Some Economics

Some budget prices ORC-modules:

Turboden: 500kW: about 1900 /kWe

1000 kW: about 1350 /kWe
2000 kW: about 950 /KWe
Pure Cycle 280 (ca 250 kWe) : 335 000 or 1350/kWe

Maxxtec/Adoratec: confidential prices, but of the same order of Turboden

Also attractive priced new 60, 85 and 120 kW units.

Tri-O-Gen: 150 kW unit @ 650 000 ca 4300 /kWe (turn key ?)

BEP-Europe: 50 kW unit @ 120 000 (module) or 200 000 (installed)

2400 /kWe 4000 /kWe
250 kW unit: lower price/kWe compared with the 50 kWe unit

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 Some Economics

On renewable energy applications, we calculated a simple PBT of 3

year (IRR ca 25%), with the help of green certificates.
For industrial waste heat recovery, a PBT of 5 year is realistic when
available heat is on high temperature (~300C). So the ROI can
reach 15%, after taxes, what means that the investment can be
asked within the benchmarking agreement. This result is strongly
related to the electricity prices.
Other financing methods (third party) could be considered

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Some Conclusions

- ORC is a proven and commercially available technology for applications

such as industrial waste heat recovery, ICE heat recovery, biomass
burning, use of solar heat, geothermal heat sources
- main advantage compared with a steam cycle is the higher thermal
efficiency when using heat sources at lower temperatures. The ORC is
also less complicated and easier to operate. Occuring pressures are lower.
- the classical steam cycle should be considered when sufficient
temperature levels are reachable (fuel burning) combined with turbine
scale sizes from about 500 kWeto 2,5 MWe (to discuss, no clear answer
given when to chose an ORC above a steam cycle)
- favorable economical perspectives, especially in relation to green
certificates or energy benchmarking.
- excellent CHP capability since the condensor heat can be used

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 Our ORC related activities

2 master thesises 2003-2005

TETRA project proposal on ORC in 2005. Technically and scientifically
approved but not financed, had to be cancelled.
New proposal in 2007, focused on renewable energy sources.
Accepted, in progress from Oct 1st 2007 till Dec 31th 2009
Second proposal on industrial waste heat accepted (Jan 1st 2010- Dec
31 th 2011 or 2012). European ERA-SME concept with Ghent University
and Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences as research partners.

A TETRA project is 92,5 % financed by the Flemisch Government (IWT)

and 7,5% by industrial partners (at least 4 SMEs).
2 scientific researchers can work during 2 or 3 years on it.
Cofinancing User Group is the preference partner to receive project
information during project runtime, at the end publical available (by
publications, seminars, website)

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2 th ORC Project structure

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 Laboratory setup

For research and demonstrational purposes

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Laboratory setup
Heat source:
Maxxtec thermal oil heater
Max 250 kW @ 340C
Flow: 14 m/h

10 x 25kW , GC-Heat

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 Laboratory setup
- water + glycol
Cooling loop: - max. 20m/h
- max. 120C

3-way
3-way valve
valve Cooler
Cooler

Circulator
Circulator

Flow
Flow
sensor
sensor

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Thanks for your attention.

Questions ???
ing Bruno Vanslambrouck

HOWEST, dept Masters Industrial Sciences

Laboratory of Industrial Physics and Applied Mechanics
Graaf Karel de Goedelaan 5, B-8500 Kortijk

Mail: bruno.vanslambrouck@howest.be
Tel: +32 56 241211 or +32 56 241227 (dir)

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