Echogen Power Systems (EPS) has developed a
breakthrough power generation cycle for waste heat recovery
using supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) as the working fluid, which provides significant
advantages regarding system efficiency and footprint.
Echogen Power Systems has created a power generating cycle for applications as broad as bottom cycling in gas turbines, industrial waste heat recovery, solar thermal, geothermal, and hybrid alternatives to the internal combustion engine. Echogen's patent-pending technologies operate over a broad range of heat sources to extract a significant amount of energy and convert it into electrical power.
Heat energy is transferred to the ScCO2 working fluid through a waste heat exchanger installed into a customer's smokestack, boiler or turbine exhaust duct, hot process gas or liquid line, or solar thermal concentrator. The heated ScCO2 passes through a turbo-expander where enthalpy gain from heating is converted into mechanical shaftwork to produce electricity. The regenerator recycles residual heat while unconverted heat is discharged from the system through a water or air-cooled condenser. The general configuration and flowchart of the small scale heat engine system (200kWe - 250kWe net) is shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 represents the mid-size heat engine system (6MWe - 8+MWe net). The system consists of three (3) major components;
- Heat Exchanger; located within the existing process
- Echogen Skid
- Cold End cooling system (water or air)
ScCO2 Power Generating Cycle
200kWe - 300kWe (net) Heat Engine System
Cycle Description
- Liquid CO2 is pumped to supercritical pressure, accepts cycle heat at recuperator and waste heat at waste heat exchanger.
- High energy ScCO2 is expanded at turbo-alternator producing high frequency electrical power. Power Electronics condition power to customer specifications.
- Expanded ScCO2 is cooled at recuperator and condensed to liquid at condenser. Condensing medium can be water or air (not shown).
Figure 1
ScCO2 Power Generating Cycle
6 MWe - 8+ MWe (net) Heat Engine System
Cycle Description
- Liquid CO2 is pumped to supercritical pressure, accepts cycle heat at recuperator and waste heat at waste heat exchanger.
- High energy ScCO2 is expanded at turbine, driving generator to produce electrical power to customer specifications.
- Expanded ScCO2 is cooled at recuperator and condensed to liquid at condenser. Condensing medium can be water or air (not shown).
Figure 2
