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Common FAQs about our Products
Please find below some typical questions we have been asked.
About ORC's
1. What does ORC stand for? ORC stands for Organic Rankine Cycle.
2. When was the Rankine cycle invented? The Rankine cycle was invented by William Rankine in the mid 19th Century, and used as a thermodynamic standard for rating the performance of steam turbines. Rankine was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1853 and became Professor of Civil engineering and Mechanics at the University of Glasgow in 1855.
3. What is an Organic Rankine Cycle? In simple terms, it is a fridge running backwards. An Organic Rankine Cycle uses a heated chemical instead of steam, as used in the original Rankine Cycle. Chemicals or refrigerants used in the Organic Rankine Cycle include Freon, butane, propane, ammonia, and the newer, "environmentally-friendly", refrigerants.
4. Why Organic? "Organic" is the expression used by chemists to describe any molecule containing hydrogen and carbon.
Buying Freepower Equipment
1. Can I buy an FP system from you? Yes, provided you have a competent engineering resource to carry out installation, and we do not have a Distributor in your area.
2. Can I buy a solar powered system from you? We only supply the generator system. Solar collectors are supplied by manufacturers of that equipment. To help you, we can suggest some sources you could approach.
3. Can you help me assess if I can benefit from installing this equipment? Yes, we would be happy to look into it for you. If you fill in the quotation form by clicking here and give us as much information, as you can, about your heat source, our engineers will come back to you with some suggestions.
4. What is the maintenance cycle for equipment? Oil level in the pump should be checked every 4,000 hrs, ie 6 months. The equipment should be checked for leaks and electronic integrity every 12 months.
5. What is the life of the equipment? The equipment has an 80,000 hr, or 10 yrs, design life between major overhauls.
6. What does a major overhaul entail? We exchange the turbine/alternator, replace the pump and pump motor. This can be carried out when you undertake your normal plant maintenance.
7. How long does a major overhaul take? Because the equipment is so compact, exchange of components takes ½ day.
8. What happens if your equipment fails, does that mean I have to stop my plant? No, absolutely not. The plant equipment, whose wasted heat the Freepower equipment taps into, does not even know that we are there.
Our Products
1. What does FP6 relate to in terms of electrical output? An FP6 system will deliver 6kW; FP60 - 60kW; FP120 - 120kW; and so on.
2. Will you produce a range of powers? Yes, we will. FP6 (6kWe) is available now. FP120 will be available in 2007 and FP60 later in 2007.
3. Do you plan to do introduce other products? Yes, we plan to develop systems from 2kW up to 500kW, depending on market need.
Technical
1. What is the minimum temperature the system needs? It is not as simple as just a temperature. There needs to be a quantity of heat. So it's a combination of temperature and mass flow.
2. Can you show me what you mean? Yes. Each system is designed to give a rated power, where the heat requirement is as follows:- · FP6 needs 70kWth from 180°C down to 123°C · FP60 needs 350kWth from 225°C down to 140°C · FP120 needs 716kWth from 225°C down to 140°C.
3. Why are these temperatures slightly higher than the ones shown on the spec sheets? This is to allow for heat loss in the input heat exchanger.
4. How does the heat drive the machine? Click here to see how.
5. Does your equipment come fitted with grid injection capability? Yes, the equipment comes with grid inject capability as part of the package.
6. I don't have a grid near me to connect to; can I use your equipment to deliver electricity directly on site? Yes. With modification you can use the equipment to deliver electricity direct on site either for general use or to drive specific pieces of equipment. You could also put excess electricity into a battery bank for start up procedures.
7. Would this cost me extra? Yes, we would need to quote you when we have a specific understanding of what you are seeking to achieve.
8. I am considering a solar installation; can your equipment deliver electricity to me at any time of the day and night? Yes, you can store heat generated during the day in what is called a heat sink, to use to drive the Freepower equipment for nighttime use.
9. What is a heat sink? Basically a heat sink is a large underground store, which can comprise thermal oil, or a cheaper alternative would be a mixture of stone and thermal oil. This oil is then used to deliver the heat needed for the equipment to operate at times when the main source of heat is not available.
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