On the Application of Small-Scale Turbines in Industrial Steam Networks

Ansgar Weickgenannt, Ivan Kantor, François Maréchal and Jürg Schiffmann
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Ansgar Weickgenannt: EPFL-LAMD, Rue Maladière 71b, 2002 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Ivan Kantor: EPFL-IPESE, Rue de l’Industrie 17, 1951 Sion, Switzerland
François Maréchal: EPFL-IPESE, Rue de l’Industrie 17, 1951 Sion, Switzerland
Jürg Schiffmann: EPFL-LAMD, Rue Maladière 71b, 2002 Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-17

Abstract: This study investigates the technical and economic feasibility of replacing throttling valves with smale-scale, oil-free turbomachinery in industrial steam networks. This is done from the perspective of the turbomachine, which has to be integrated into a new or existing process. The considered machines have a power range of P = [ 0.5 , … , 250 kW] and have been designed using real industrial data from existing processes. Design guidelines are developed, which take into account the thermodynamic process as well as engineering aspects of such a turbomachine. The results suggest that steam conditioning prior to heat exchange could be completed by small expanders to produce mechanical work, reducing exergy destruction and improving site-wide energy efficiency compared to throttling valves. Cost estimates for such machines are presented, which serve as a basis for case-specific investment calculations. The resulting payback times of less than 18 months highlight the economic potential such solutions.

Keywords: industrial steam networks; oil-free; small-scale turbomachinery; process integration; exergy; energy recovery (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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