| Title | An Overview of Granex Technology for Geothermal Power Generation and Waste Heat Recovery |
|---|---|
| Authors | Behdad Moghtaderi, Elham Doroodchi |
| Year | 2009 |
| Conference | Australian Geothermal Energy Conference |
| Keywords | Geothermal power, waste heat recovery, GRANEX |
| Abstract | This paper reports on the recent advancement of the GRANEX technology platform developed by our group for power generation from low-grade heat sources. The technology is particularly suited to applications involving geothermal power generation and waste heat recovery. By combining the concepts of heat regeneration and supercritical Rankine cycle into a unified process, GRANEX improves the thermal efficiency of the cycle and increases the net electrical output which can be recovered from a given low-grade heat source. The regeneration of the thermal energy in GRANEX is achieved through a novel heat regenerator invented and patented by our group in partnership with Granite Power Limited (GPL). Development of GRANEX dates back to early 2006 when a Research and Development Agreement was established between the University of Newcastle and GPL. In conjunction with a program of fundamental studies an applied program of work was undertaken for proof of concept and prototype development with the assistance of a REDI grant from AusIndustry (2007-2009). By 2008, a 1 kW prototype had been built and experimental trials of the system had been completed, demonstrating considerable advantages over conventional systems in terms of both thermal efficiency and power generation (about 40% improvement). This was followed by the design of a 100 kW pilot-plant in early 2009. The pilot-plant is currently under construction and is due to be commissioned by late November 2009. |