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ConvertingLowandMidTemperatureHeatintoElectricalPower

ConvertingLowGradeHeatintoElectricalPower

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Introduction

LowGradeHeatSources

SolarThermal

Geothermal

IndustrialWasteHeat

Cogeneration

ThermodynamicCyclesforthe
Conversion

KalinaCycle

GoswamiCycle

TrilateralFlashCycle

OrganicRankineCycle

SupercriticalRankineCycle

KalinaCycle

TheKalinacyclewasfirstdevelopedbyAleksandrKalinainthelate1970sand
early 1980s [1]. Since then, several Kalina cycles have been proposed basedon
different applications. Kalina cycle uses a working fluid comprised of at least two
different components, typically water and ammonia. The ratio between those
components varies in different parts of the system to decrease thermodynamic
irreversibility and therefore increase the overall thermodynamic efficiency. A basic
configurationoftheKalinacycleisshowninFig.1.

Fig.1BasicconfigurationoftheKalinacycle

In the Kalina cycle, the use of a mixture results in a good thermal match in the
boilerduetothenonisothermalboilingcreatedbytheshiftingmixturecomposition.
SeveralstudieshaveshownthattheKalinacycleperformssubstantiallybetterthana
steam Rankine cycle system [25]. A second law analysis showed that by using a
binary fluid, the Kalina cycle reduced irreversibility in the boiler, resulting in
improvedefficiencyofthecycle[6].

OnedrawbackoftheKalinacycleisthefactthathighvaporfractionisneededin
the boiler, however, the heat exchanger surface is easy to dry out at high vapor
fractions, resulting in lower overall heat transfer coefficients and a larger heat
exchangearea.Anotherdrawbackrelatestothecorrosivityofammonia.Impuritiesin
liquidammoniasuchasairorcarbondioxidecancausestresscorrosioncrackingof
mildsteelandalsoammoniaishighlycorrosivetowardscopperandzinc.
Examples:KalinaCycleusedinpowerplants
TheKalinaCycletrademarkandpatentsareownedbyGlobalGeothermalLtd[7].
TheSumitomoMetalsteelworksandFujiOil'srefineryinTokyoBayarereportedly
using using the Kalina cycle to recovery their waste heat. Kalina cycle also are in
operation in gethermal power plants in Husavik, Iceland, and Untherhaching,
Germany.

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ConvertingLowandMidTemperatureHeatintoElectricalPower

Fig.2KalinaCycleGeothermalPowerPlantinIceland
Figuresource:www.azocleantech.com/details.asp?newsID=7969

TheabovefigureisthefirstKalinacyclegeothermalpowerplantinIceland,built
by Mannvit Engineering in 1999, and commissioned in the middle of 2000. The
powerplantgenerates2megawattsofelectricityfromthegeothermalbrineflowof90
kg/s, at a temperature of 120C. The 2 megawatt power generated from the
geothermal power plant fulfills up to 80% of the electricity demand of the Husavik
town,whereistheplantislocated[7].Thedischargedbrineisat80C,whichcan
stillbeusedforvariouspurposes,suchasdistrictheating.

References
[1] L. Shaoguang and D.Y. Goswami, Optimization of a Novel Combined Power/Refrigeration
ThermodynamicCycle,JournalofSolarEnergyEngineering,vol.125,2003,pp.212217.
[2] E. Rogdakis and K. Antonopoulos, A high efficiency NH3/H2O absorption power cycle, Heat
RecoverySystemsandCHP,vol.11,1991,pp.263275.
[3]M.B.IbrahimandR.M.Kovach,AKalinacycleapplicationforpowergeneration,Energy,vol.18,
Sep.1993,pp.961969.
[4]P.LolosandE.Rogdakis,AKalinapowercycledrivenbyrenewableenergysources,Energy,vol.
34,Apr.2009,pp.457464.
[5] C. Dejfors, E. Thorin, and G. Svedberg, Ammoniawater power cycles for directfired cogeneration
applications,EnergyConversionandManagement,vol.39,1998,pp.16751681.
[6]P.K.NagandA.V.S.S.K.S.Gupta,ExergyanalysisoftheKalinacycle,AppliedThermalEngineering,
vol.18,Jun.1998,pp.427439.
[7]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalina_cycle

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