How ORC Systems Work

An ORC system turns heat into electricity through the same four stages as any Rankine cycle, but with an organic fluid in place of water. Heat boils the fluid, the vapour drives a turbine, the fluid condenses, and a pump returns it to start again, all in a sealed loop that runs continuously on a modest temperature difference.

The Four Stages

• Vaporisation, where low-to-medium temperature heat boils the working fluid in a heat exchanger.
• Expansion, where the pressurised vapour expands through a turbine, spinning it to drive a generator.
• Condensation, where the spent vapour is cooled back into liquid.
• Pumping, where the liquid is raised to pressure and returned to the vaporiser.

Why the Fluid Choice Matters

The whole system hinges on the working fluid, chosen to boil at a temperature matched to the available heat. A fluid that boils too high never vaporises; one that boils too low wastes the heat. Selecting and sizing the fluid to the heat source is what makes an ORC generate power from temperatures a steam cycle simply cannot use.

Learn More:

• Biomass Energy Plant
• Feasibility Studies

See the Cycle Fit Your Heat

Klean Industries sizes ORC power recovery to each heat source so the cycle actually generates.

Contact Klean Industries about how ORC systems work » GO.