Waste Heat to Power

Waste thermal energy is one of the largest sources of inexpensive, clean and fuel free energy available. The vast amount of heat that is discharged into the atmosphere every day is one of the best sources of clean, fuel-free and inexpensive energy.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), up to 50% of all fuels burned in the U.S. goes unused into the atmosphere as waste heat. Research indicates that energy currently wasted by the industrial facilities in the U.S. could produce as much as 20% of total U.S. electrical output with the associated 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.  

Technological innovations in the last decade have made Waste Heat to Power (WHP) generation economically feasible, even for low to mid range temperature sources.  Costs of generating electricity from waste heat may now be even lower than coal fired generation, which historically has been the cheapest fossil fuel. 

The following are some applications of  waste heat to power generation opportunities in the Oil & Gas industry utilizing the Genalta Energy Management (GEM) System. Please contact our Business Development department to discuss your application.

Gas Turbine Exhaust Heat Recovery

Gas turbine driven compressors are  used to ensure that the natural gas flowing through major pipelines remains pressurized. Since they are widely used and typically operate at only 25% to 40% efficiency, they represent a large source of waste heat.

Traditionally, the exhaust heat was recovered through a heat recovery steam generator which produced steam and in turn drove an electrical generator.  These systems are maintenance intensive and require a licensed operator to oversee the process.

The Genalta Energy Management (GEM) System uses new organic working fluids for efficient power generation , eliminating the traditional issues with steam based systems. As a result, Genalta Power's waste heat to power generation units are exceptionally well suited for gas turbine applications.

Amine Facility Heat Recovery

A typical amine gas treatment process includes an absorber unit, a regenerator unit and  accessory equipment. In the absorber, the amine solution is cooled so the down flowing amine solution absorbs H2S and CO2 from the up flowing sour gas to produce a sweetened gas stream (i.e. an H2S-free gas) as a product and an amine solution rich in the absorbed acid gases.

The resultant "rich" amine stream is then routed into the regenerator and heated to allow the contaminates to be released (a stripper and reboiler) and then re-cooled through cooling towers to produce regenerated or "lean" amine,  that is later recycled for reuse in the absorber. The GEM System  allows for the harnessing of the heat prior to the cooling process and the generation of electricity.

Process Hot Water Heat Recovery

Water is often an unwanted and costly by-product of producing oil and gas.  During surface processing it is separated from the hydrocarbons and then re-injected into the reservoir .  In some areas, the water temperature and flow rates are adequate to generate electrical power before it is re-injected. 

The heat available from the process water is captured prior to re-injection and through Genalta's Energy Management (GEM) System  is converted into mechanical power, which drives an electric generator.  Due to the lower temperatures associated with water cut heat recovery, Genalta's  organic rankine cycle (ORC) based GEM system is well suited for heat to power generation in this application. 

Reciprocating Engines

Reciprocating engines are one of the largest consumers of fuel gas in  industrial applications.  Since they typically only operate at 30% - 40% efficiency, reciprocating engines represent a very large source of waste heat.

The main waste heat sources that Genalta Power utilizes are the cylinder cooling, turbo cooling, surface heat loss and exhaust. The waste heat to power generation system does not interfere with the reciprocating engine's performance and backpressure is taken into account in the engineering phase of a project (backpressure is typically less than 1%).  The heat recovery equipment is installed in parallel with the radiator to ensure reliability.

The additional power generated can be used on site or sold to the electrical grid depending on the owners' specific power requirements and the proximity to power lines. The lower temperatures associated with reciprocating engine heat recovery makes the Genalta Energy Management (GEM) System particularly well suited.

For more information on Genalta Power's Waste Heat to Power Solutions, please contact us at info@genaltapower.com.