FROM TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT TO (PRE-SERIES) PRODUCT – THE EPACK HYBRID

asme-orc2015 Tracking Number 62

Worldwide there is a potential resource of 4300 GWth of waste heat e.g. from engine power plants or industrial processes available that is nowadays left to dissipate naturally and equals the loss of 100 million litres of Diesel per hour. The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology utilizes waste heat e.g. from biogas power, geothermal power and CHP plants or industrial processes and converts it CO2-free into electrical energy. ORC plants and modules are commercially available and economically profitable only in large and medium scale applications with electric power outputs of 50 kWel and larger. However, particularly large numbers of similar small scale waste heat sources, for example gas/diesel engine product families in CHP applications offer a huge potential for the implementation of standardized ORC modules. Especially in those applications part of the engine waste heat is often directly used e.g. in small heating networks or for fermentation and drying processes in biogas plants. This usually excludes the operation of an ORC module even if there is still a significant amount of waste heat that can be utilized only seasonally or is dissipated. Considering such frequently found plant configurations the Orcan Energy GmbH has developed a flexible small scale “CHP-ready” ORC module – the ePack Hybrid – that can provide both, heat and power from the waste heat source by variable operation of an electricity-generation-only- and a CHP-mode. By the integration of a working fluid-to-water- and a fluid-to-air-condenser, the ePack Hybrid can provide hot water up to 80 °C if required or dissipate the condenser heat into the environment. According to the operational conditions (CHP share, required feed temperature, ambient air, etc.) the ePack Hybrid has a flexible net electric power output of 12 kW to 22 kW. In order to take into account also further important market requirements as there are inter alia needs for excellent cost efficiency, high reliability, low maintenance effort and easy plug & play installation, the ePack design is based on standard off-the-shelf components and on innovative and patented technology features. These features make the ePack Hybrid solution not only economically highly efficient but also outstandingly reliable. With excellent results from extensive system and field tests the ePack Hybrid is ready for commercialization and available as pre-series product. The paper will explain the concept of the ePack Hybrid, and data from reference installations and operational experience will be presented.