Techsim Engineering presents a prototype of a ORC unit
We have entered the beginning of 2024 with the successful introduction of our 1.5 kWe ORC prototype (maximum achievable output of 8 kWe).
The principle of the ORC power unit is the steam engine cycle, where the working fluid is an organic medium that receives heat from an external source into a closed loop. The plant converts the thermal energy into mechanical work, which can be used to generate electricity or to drive other equipment (e.g. a refrigeration compressor). The working fluid undergoes phase changes during the cycle. This ORC unit is intended to be used for energy recovery in low energy sources – waste heat leaving e.g. flue gases to the atmosphere. With the help of this unit, the energy potential of the system can be used to the maximum, reducing the ecological footprint and saving considerable resources.
During the design process, several software from our Siemens portfolio were used – Simcenter Amesim, Simcenter NX, STAR-CCM+, … Simcenter Amesim was used for design of the heat exchangers, the temperature and pressure gradients in the system and last but not least, the control (valves, speed, etc). CFD simulations in STAR-CCM+ were used to design the turbine (rotor, impeller, casing, diffusers, …). Simcenter NX software was used for structural analysis of all components, including the design of the magnetic clutch.
