Operational Parameters of Low Power ORC Biomass Plant

Abstract

This paper describes a power plant with electrical/thermal capacity of 750 kW/3.4 MW launched in February 2015 by a private investor in Żory, Poland. The ORC Organic Rankine Cycle technology used there enables turbine operation at a lower temperature of the heat medium (thermal oil), so the energy transformation is better suited for biomass combustion. In addition, an innovative solution has been applied, consisting in directing the thermal oil downstream of the turbine to a heat receiver (dryer), instead of a cooling tower, as in traditional solutions. Such a solution significantly improves the CHP plant’s overall efficiency, but it also affects its electric output adjustability. The paper also reports the experience from the plant design and construction phases.

Keywords

• CHP power plant
• biomass
• ORC
• optimization
• construction