ElectraTherm’s ORC fleet sets 30,000 hours runtime milestone
Lower-Temperature Geothermal power generation with ElectraTherm unit at Mississippi Oilfield (source: ElectraTherm)
Alexander Richter
11 Jun 2012
ElectraTherm announces its small-scale ORC units have reached a 30,000 hours runtime milestone, proving the technology is robust for applications from internal combustion engines to biomass boilers, geothermal/co-produced fluids and solar thermal.
In a release last week, technology firm ElectraTherm, that works on small-scale, distributed power produced from waste heat announced that its Series 4000 Green Machine fleet surpassed 30,000 runtime hours.
This is the first Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) machine sized 30-65kWe to achieve this milestone. The Green Machine’s extensive hours demonstrate robust, proven ORC technology as a viable means to increase efficiency and maximize power output.
ElectraTherm’s fleet consists of 17 commissioned machines; seven in North America and ten in Europe, with numerous installations in process. Applications vary from internal combustion engines to biomass boilers, geothermal/co-produced fluids and solar thermal.
ElectraTherm’s Green Machine generates fuel-free, emission free power from low temperature waste heat. Hot water enters the Green Machine at between 88-116°C (190-240°F), where it heats a working fluid into pressurized vapor, using ORC and proprietary technologies. As the low pressure vapor expands, it drives ElectraTherm’s patented twin screw power block, which spins an electric generator and produces up to 65kWe.
“Nothing speaks to proof of commercial viability better than runtime hours on machines in the field; the Green Machine’s proof is in the numbers with recent installations achieving greater than 95% availability,” said John Fox, Chief Executive Officer of ElectraTherm. “ElectraTherm’s robust, patented technology gives a whole new value to low-grade waste heat.”
Source: ElectraTherm release (pdf)
