Ormat Rankine Cycle Configurations for Utilization of Low Temperature Heat Sources

Abstract

Concerns about the effect of CO2 emissions on climate change and rising energy costs have renewed the interest in efficiency improvement in fossil fuel use as well as the utilization of locally available low or moderate temperature heat sources, such as geothermal or solar. This paper summarizes twenty years of Ormat’s very significant achievements in developing cycles, configurations and equipment for electricity generation from low grade waste heat and water dominated geothermal resources. As of the end of 2007 some 30 plants ranging from 200 kW to 130 MW totaling about 1000 MW are in operation.