[Gasification] Solar ORC's

[Peter Singfield]

Another shot over the proverbial bow Tom:

http://www.eere.energy.gov/troughnet/pdfs/carlo_laporta_troughorc.pdf

500 KILOWATT SOLAR THERMAL HYBRID
ELECTRIC POWER STATION
• Parabolic trough concentrator solar array provides high temperature
thermal energy to energy storage tank and power block
• Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) turbo generator converts solar thermal
energy to electricity for village and local grid
• Fixed-bed Wellman-Kalusha gasifier converts Morapulu coal and
biomass to low-Btu gas to supplement solar thermal energy
and create a system capable of running 24 hours per day
• System can be increased in size to a capacity from 1 to 30 megawatts
for future installations and all three major components have 15 or
more years of commercial installation history

***************comments*********

Huge amount of more material to sift through yet -- but most if not all are
doing the night runs using a gas fired boiler -- normally natural gas.

As many on this list should know -- where they say "Natural Gas" we can
replace with the words "Biomass Thermal Boiler"

Seems to me we beat dead horse when we fixated on dual fueling diesels
while this Solar ORC process is revolutionizing the alternative energy
business -- and such a comfortable niche for thermal gasifiers one has
never seen before!!

Heads up dudes!!

Tom T -- you better get out there and shake some trees dude!!

Happy days are here again (for biomass gasifiers -- and stop worrying about
cooling the product and making it tar free -- eh)

The older members of this list certainly can remember me "preaching" this
line of development for many years now -- 

Well -- time tells -- anyone out there listening??

So -- where can we buy the right prime movers -- the turbo extractors!!

And please -- trash the scroll compressors -- as I explained in such depth
before -- they can't work!! They do not allow for a large enough expansion
ratio -- so you end up getting very -- extremely -- poor efficiency.

As some dudes once on this list found out the hard way -- by spending a
veritable small fortune on a solar trough scroll compressor ORC set up --
and ended up with what -- 3% or so efficiency -- rather than 14% or higher
-- right!!

Turbo extractors are not my idea of a good time cause they have to spin
50,000 or more rpm to be efficient.

As many old timers on this list can remember- - "pelton" wheel designs
attract me most -- as we see in that ORMAT small (2 kw) power plant I
presented.

I still have that graphic on file -- but where to mount it??

One look at that -- and all comes clear fast.

Pelton wheel can be made cheap -- especially when your talking 350 to 450 F
range of operation!!

And they can be designed to run happy at 3600 -- or 1800 -- or even 1200
RPM -- still have top extraction efficiencies -- need not be multi-stages
either -- and work good at relatively low pressures (which is what super
heat is all about -- high temps (relative to boiling point) but low pressures)

Other notes -- the picture of the ORC power plant sure looks like the
Austrian Unit Tom posted.

and Tom T -- this statement should turn you on:

"B-STEP compared trough-ORC solar system with power tower and dish-Stirling
technology and in February 2001 decided on trough"

And for those Stovers lucking on this Gas list -- you do realize your
looking at the answer to your prayers in regards to how to get some power
from the "waste" heat of you designs now -- eh??

How about a cute little 1 kw unit -- solar and "stove??

During the day - -they use the stove to cook -- the sun to make power -- at
night -- the stove makes power.

And last -- did you know that coconut oil makes a fine heat transfer "oil"
for the 350 to 400 F range??

I know -- this is all to "easy" -- back to the fluid bed gasifiers -- with
all the bloated budgets -- and high salaries -- and never a productive
result!!

(OK -- I admit it -- I have been on this list way to long!!)

Duel fueled Solar/Gas ORCs will be the wave of our future here in 3rd world.

there is no wave of the future for the to fat modern societies of man that
can't back off on their expectations one tiny wee bit -- 

We'll have to pry your cold dead fingers off your electric hair driers
before we bury you -- eh???

Oh my nerves!!

Peter / Belize