ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) is an efficient, clean and reliable method of energy generation, primarily with biomass and geothermal applications. The method is expected to make its way into solar and heat recovery systems in the coming years.
The ORC principle is based on a turbo generator that functions like a conventional steam turbine. IT starts by converting thermal energy into mechanical energy and then into electrical energy using a power generator.
The ORC system features an organic fluid with a higher molecular mass than water. This fluid evaporates, resulting in a slower rotation of the turbine and lower mechanical stress. Because no moisture is created during the steam expansion, the wear on the rotor blades is reduced.
OCR turbines offer high thermodynamic process efficiency in automatically continuous operation, and the presence of a system operator is not required. Thanks to their simple maintenance conditions, these systems feature a long service life.
OCR systems have a wide variety of applications: energy generation, district heating, biomass power plants, energy recuperation, seawater desalination and solar thermal energy.
The spectrum ranges from systems in power plants to steam from renewable energies. Using OCR systems in power plants is a highly efficient method of energy generation. As core components, they work reliably and help to make use of fossil fuels in the most efficient and economical way possible. They also help to cover the ever-expanding need for energy.
Steam from renewable and thus future-proof energy sources is used to generate electricity from biomass or solar thermal sources. At the same time, this reduces CO2 emissions in comparison to processes that use fossil energy sources.