CE Network

District Heating Plant Schöneck Saxonia

The energy produced by biomass combustion is transferred from a thermal oil boiler via a thermal oil cycle to the ORC process. Thermal oil is used as a heat transfer medium because the temperature required for operating the ORC process can be achieved while operating the thermal oil boiler practically at atmospheric pressure. The pressurised silicon oil is vaporised and slightly superheated in the evaporator by the energy supplied from the thermal oil cycle. The steam is expanded in an axial turbine which is directly connected to an asynchronous generator. Subsequently, the expanded silicon oil passes through a regenerator before it enters the condenser. The condensation of the working medium takes place at a temperature level which allows the heat recovered to be utilised as district or process heat. The liquid working medium then passes the feed pumps in order to regain the appropriate pressure level of the hot end of the cycle, passes the regenerator and returns to the evaporator.