ORC Vs Steam Turbine

A steam turbine and an ORC turbine both extract energy from an expanding vapour, but they are built for very different heat sources. The steam turbine demands high-temperature, high-pressure steam, while the ORC turbine is designed around a low-boiling organic fluid, letting it generate from heat the steam machine cannot use at all.

Where Steam Leads

For large, high-temperature baseload generation, the steam turbine is unmatched. It operates at the high pressures and temperatures of a conventional power plant, delivering the scale and efficiency that dominate utility generation. Its floor, though, is that water boils high, so low-grade heat simply cannot raise useful steam.

Where ORC Leads

The ORC turbine works on a fluid that vaporises at far lower temperatures, so it generates from the low-to-medium heat of waste streams, engine exhaust, biomass plants and geothermal wells. It is generally smaller and a little less efficient at the top end, but in the temperature band where most recoverable waste heat sits, it is the only cycle that works at all.

Learn More:

• Waste to Energy Facility
• Biomass Energy Plant
• Feasibility Studies

Match the Turbine to the Heat

Klean Industries selects the right power cycle for each heat source, pairing large steam and smaller ORC systems where each fits best.

Contact Klean Industries about ORC vs steam turbines » GO.