Flowery Branch, GA — ElectraTherm, a leader in distributed, waste heat to power generation, announced it was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for approximately $1.4 million towards a cooperative agreement, estimated to begin October 1, 2018. The milestone-based funding, supporting several years of research and development, will enhance reciprocating engine based combined heat and power (CHP) systems via integrated waste heat to power Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology.
ElectraTherm utilizes ORC and proprietary technologies to generate power from low temperature heat ranging from 170-252°F / 77-122°C. Hot water is the only fuel consumed by the Power+ Generator®. The project will help accelerate the development of a high temperature ORC generation unit to provide additional power when needed by the grid, while also maintaining useful thermal energy for CHP applications. The ORC developed under this project will overcome the current limitation of useful thermal energy after the bottoming cycle by driving the current input temperature limits listed above towards 300°F / 149°C and available heat after power production to the 180°F / 82°C range.
According to the DOE, CHP systems “can provide utilities and grid operators with a cost-effective way to obtain the grid services they need to stabilize the electric power system and keep it running. CHP can also help improve the resiliency of the U.S. electric grid by providing supplemental power during natural disasters, and help reduce the strain on existing grid infrastructure by meeting peak demand, reducing congestion, and improving overall power quality. In addition, these systems can also provide facility owners with more efficient and lower cost electricity.”
“We look forward to working with the Department of Energy on the optimization of ORC technology for CHP systems,” said John Fox, ElectraTherm’s Managing Director. “This will be our second project with the DOE and their past support leads us to the successful commercialization of micro-geothermal systems. We look forward to working together on increasing CHP implementation nationwide at small-to-midsize facilities that could tremendously benefit from flexible, cost-effective power.”
About ElectraTherm, Inc.
ElectraTherm, Inc., by BITZER Group, focuses on waste heat to power generation and is headquartered in the USA. ElectraTherm generates fuel-free, emission-free power from low temperature waste heat using the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and patented technology. ElectraTherm’s fleet has accumulated nearly 1,000,000 hours of operation and its installed base operates in 10 countries. For more information on ElectraTherm and its clean energy products, please visit www.electratherm.com. To learn more about BITZER and its advanced refrigeration and compression technologies, visit www.bitzer.de/us.