The ORC systems of Zuccato Energia allow the production of electricity up to 500 kW by recovering the waste heat from the Oil & Gas plants.
It is possible to recover heat from each hot source present on the site: the hot water from the oil extraction, the fumes deriving from flaring, the thermal waste from the refineries, and the engines located in the natural gas liquefaction station and the gas station pumping.
The ORC system through an exchanger (evaporator), recovers the heat from these hot sources and heats a non-toxic organic fluid. This fluid, in vapor form, is expanded in the turbine. This fluid expansion spins an impeller inside the turbine, generating mechanical energy which is converted into electricity by a direct-drive turbo-generator. The electricity produced in this way is used on-site or fed into the network. At the turbine outlet, the working fluid enters into a second heat exchanger (condenser), where it transfers its excess heat and condenses back to being a liquid. The working fluid in the liquid phase is then sent back to the exchanger-evaporator by a special pump, thus completing the closed circuit.
Wasted gases are inevitably produced during the oil extraction operations. These gases must be burned using either appropriate torches or incinerators. ORC technology is ideal for converting those wasted gases into electricity. In this case, the ORC is positioned downstream of the gas combustion system and with the addition of a heat exchanger, it produces usable electricity in the entire system.
ZE ORC System – Oil & Gas (Mexico)