An Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system is a closed thermodynamic cycle used for power production from low to medium-high temperature heat sources ranging from 80 to 400°C and for small-medium applications at any temperature level.

The working principle of the organic Rankine cycle is the same as that of the Rankine cycle: the working fluid is pumped to a boiler where it is evaporated, passed through an expansion device (turbine, screw, scroll, or other expander), and then through a condenser heat exchanger where it is finally re-condensed.

In our case study, the expected generated electric power is 1,750 kW or equivalently, 15,000,000 kWh of electrical energy annually. Financial analysis shows that the ORC system, including the cost of the unit plus the costs of installation and integration into the process, will cost approximately 4.8 Million USD.

ORC: How it works Where heat pumps use electrical power to create thermal energy for various purposes, an ORC system uses heat energy to generate electricity. In a typical ORC design, a thermal energy source feeds an evaporator to drive an expander or “reverse compressor”, which in turn generates the electricity.