Two Ways to Make Power from Heat
Both cycles turn heat into electricity, but they suit different temperature ranges and plant sizes.
Steam Rankine
Best above about 350 to 400 degrees C with large, steady heat streams, typical of utility or big-process waste heat. It needs water treatment, a larger footprint, and higher capital.
Organic Rankine Cycle
Shines at 100 to 400 degrees C and smaller scales, from tens to thousands of kilowatts. Lower pressure, simpler, and quicker to install. See the basics in industrial waste heat power generation.
How to Choose
- Heat above 400 degrees C and steady: steam Rankine.
- Heat 100 to 400 degrees C or variable: ORC.
- Dirty exhaust: recover with an isolated plate exchanger first, then decide the cycle.
For most factories, ORC plus an air preheater is the faster payback path than a full steam plant.