TurboSphere - Multistage micro turbine for secondary energy sources recovery

Authors

K. Levkov - National Technical University, Minsk, Belarus

Abstract

The TurboSphere is a new type of micro turbine that recovers secondary energy sources. This innovative turbine performs the following tasks:
1) Power generation from waste heat using the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC);
2) Electricity production from low-potential fuel, such as trash and wood;
3) Recovery of natural gas overpressure at gas stations;
4) Conversion of steam overpressure energy into electricity during steam throttling, minimizing energy loss.
The TurboSphere simultaneously combines several units, such as a turbine, a heat exchanger, and a power generator. It has only one blade wheel, and its multistage gas-flow expansion is performed by heating gas between the stages. The turbine’s original design and concept allow for earlier implementation of complicated power cycles. Allowing the use of any type of steam or gas as a working fluid, this process creates a wide spectrum of input and output characteristics, including flow rate, pressure, and temperature. Currently, the innovative project is at the prototype-creation stage. It was decided to concentrate on the application of TurboSphere as a turboexpander at natural gas letdown stations. Future works will describe other applications.