Enogia and IFPEN partner on waste heat recovery in stationary and transport applications
03 April 2014
Start-up Enogia and IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) are forming a strategic partnership for the joint development and marketing of a range of Rankine technologies to convert heat into electricity. The innovation is based on the use of highly efficient micro-turbines capable of producing 5 to 100 kW of electricity. The aim is to recover waste heat from the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines in both stationary installations (generators, cogeneration installations) and transport, particularly rail and maritime.
Created in 2009, Enogia specializes in ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) systems converting waste heat into electricity. The company has developed several innovations for bringing down the power level of the traditional turbine technology used in the larger scale ORC processes. These improvements allow for an extremely compact turbine expander with a deeply integrated high speed generator.
Enogia recently launched a range of products designed to improve the efficiency of generators, particularly among farmers (methanization units), both in France and abroad.
Enogia will use its partnership with IFPEN to help it to extend the power range of its turbines (up to 100 kW) and address the needs of the transport market. IFPEN is lending its scientific and technical support to optimize the system’s architecture in order to further boost its efficiency.
The system will make it possible to recover heat from exhaust gases and/or cooling systems in all types of IC engines (diesel, gas, biogas, gasoline), from 100 kW to 1 MW.
The technology is aimed at two types of markets:
Cogeneration systems and generators. Enogia technology will make it possible to produce an additional 5 to 10% of electricity.
River, naval and rail transport and, in the longer term, heavy-duty vehicles and coaches. Recovering heat from exhaust gases will cut fuel consumption by 5 to 10%.
Organic Rakine Cycles... how the world turns.
As a young pup just out of uniform I was working as a contractor on Sundstrand ORC installations 30 years ago. The working fluid was toluene. (Yes, toluene: not a friendly substance. But it's great for bottoming cycles.) That we are excited about ORC all over again is pleasing to me.
Posted by: Herman | 04 April 2014 at 11:20 AM