ENVA Systems: cost-effective exploitation of waste heat / ORC plant generates power from waste heat at below 100°C

Marl (ots) - In view of high energy costs and the need to protect
the environment, energy savings and efficiency are the challenges
which confront industrial companies and the operators of combined
heat and power plants. However, whereas most of the measures which
have so far been taken concentrate on energy savings, the
cost-effective use of waste heat for generating electricity still has
significant unexploited potential.

Apart from heating purposes, which in many cases are difficult to
implement in a cost-effective way, waste heat at a temperature level
of below 100°C is often allowed to escape into the open air and
therefore has no economic use. It is against this background that
ENVA Systems GmbH has developed an ORC process which is also suitable
for application at lower temperature ranges.

With ORC (organic Rankine cycle) technology, instead of steam an
organic medium or refrigerant is vaporised and then expanded through
a turbine. The resulting mechanical energy is converted into power by
means of a generator. This technology has been in use for many years
now, in biomass power stations for example, and is therefore no
novelty on the energy market. On the other hand, from an energetic
and economic point of view it is a new development to convert
industrial waste heat with a temperature of below 100°C into
electricity.

Robust technology, compact design, short delivery times

The core of the ENVA ORC module is a special rotary lobe expander
which achieves a comparatively high level of effectiveness at very
low evaporation pressures in the working fluid. Conventional turbines
are not capable of this, but the ENVA ORC process generates
electricity at temperatures from above 80°C. A further special
feature of the ENVA ORC module is the possibility of adapting it
individually to varying thermal output levels. This guarantees the
optimum conversion of previously unused waste heat into electricity.

Components from the world's leading systems supplier ABB are used
for the electro-technical section (controls and electricity
generation) of the ORC module, featuring among others the new
generation of asynchronous generators with international efficiency
class IE4. The use of an IE4 aggregate instead of a generator with a
lower efficiency factor enables a significant improvement in output,
which leads to substantial energy production during the useful life
of the ORC module.

The complete ORC system is supplied either as a pre-assembled ORC
module for installation in a technical room, or ready for connection
in a 20-foot container for outside application on a company site. Use
of the system is highly cost-effective because of its robust design
and uncomplicated setup in comparison with conventional ORC
processes.

Contact:
ENVA Systems GmbH
Ewald Schönhals
Zechenstraße 6
D- 45772 Marl
Tel: +49 (0) 2365 - 698 16 10
Email: info@enva-systems.com

Press contact:
ENVA Systems GmbH
Dr. Volker Schulz - Press and PR Operations -
Zechenstraße 6
D- 45772 Marl
Tel: +49 (0)175 - 54 31 710
Email: info@enva-systems.com