Organic Rankin Cycle Technology

The energy world is changing! Highly efficient, small and decentralized power generators substitute large centralized fossil-fired power plants. A mixture of renewable, hybrid and fossil-fired power plants will ensure the coverage of electricity demand in the future. Especially in fossil fuel fired plants like natural gas, coal, diesel, oil etc. In developing countries, where the public grid is not stable, decentralized small power plants are producing electricity for the final consumer on site. The transportation of the fuels to these decentralized power plants makes the power production highly expensive. Therefore, higher efficiency in electricity production is required to ensure economical supply.

Dürr offers key technologies for decentralized power generation:

The Cyplan® ORC technology enables the improvement of the efficiency of new and existing decentralized power plants by transforming heat into electricity. The electrical efficiency of fossil fuel driven gensets can be improved by up to 30%. The economical electrification of small to medium heat sources such as biomass or geothermal resources becomes possible with the Cyplan® ORC technology. The investment into Cyplan® ORC pays off in a short period of time.

Operating principle Cyplan® ORC

First, heat flows from a heat source into the ORC module, via a heat transfer fluid (gas, steam, thermal oil, water). There, the working fluid is transformed into pressurized vapor using the thermal energy of the heat source. The pressurized vapor is led into a turbo generator, where part of its thermal energy is converted into electricity. The vapor is expanded in the turbine, generating mechanical energy, which drives a generator coupled to the turbine. Thereafter, the vapor is condensed by a heat extractor. A pump injects the liquid working fluid back into the evaporator, where it is vaporized again. The heat to power transfer loop is closed. The extracted heat may be used as useful heat (up to 95°C) for follow up processes.

The demand for controllable, flexible technologies for generating power, such as CHP units, is rising in response to the need to stabilize electrical grids and to compensate for fluctuations caused by renewable energy production. Our Cyplan® ORC technology is a proven, economical way of boosting efficiency in combination with stationary gas engines (CHP units), and its innovative Flex-Plus technology ensures flexible routine operation thanks to an intelligent plant control system and components that can be subject to varying loads. This means the Cyplan® ORC solutions are perfectly equipped to deal with the future increases in requirements in the electricity market as profitable power-generating heat exchangers for gas engines.

Application areas Cyplan® ORC

The Cyplan® ORC technology is used in the following areas:

• V8 motor pistons, valves, con-rod and crankshaft in work. 
• Furnaces
• Biomass
• Waste
• Gas turbines
• Compressor stations
• Decentralized electricity
• Geothermal systems
• Modular geothermal power stations
• Wellhead generators
• Thermal exhaust air purification
• Industrial production processes
• Residual steam
• Thermal exhaust air purification
• Solar heat
• Modular solar heat power station
• Hybrid power station