Novel Power Generation System for Low Temperature Heat Sources

Abstract

Objectives: This research is about a novel power generation system for producing electricity from low temperature heat sources including renewable energy sources or waste heat from industrial process. Usage of renewable energy sources by current technologies has low efficiency and high investing costs. Methods/Analysis: Innovated system that is described in this paper consists of a reaction turbine as main part of the system, turbine shield, working fluid, heat exchanger, condenser, pump and electrical generator. Working fluid that gets energy from heat exchanger and increased its temperature enter to reaction turbine; exiting saturated working fluid from nozzles of turbine according to third law of newton cause rotation of turbine and thus produce electricity. Findings: In this research we could successfully design and test a novel power generation system with output power of around 1 KWe. Proving capability of application of a reaction turbine with an organic working fluid for use as power cycle to produce electricity from low temperature heat sources is the key finding of this research. This concept is simple and have low initial cost and less technical problems like corrosion and maintenance compared to thermodynamic cycle that use impulse turbines as expansion device. Novelty/Improvement: Power generation from low temperature heat sources such as solar and geothermal by means of a reaction turbine concept and an organic fluid as working fluid of the system is the main novelty of this work. This combination let us to generate power from low temperature heat sources simply and efficiently.