Turboden, S.p.a.

Turboden S.r.l.

Mario Gaia

Roberto Bini

Claudio Pietra

Davide Colombo

Paolo Belotti

Andrea Duvia

Riccardo Vescovo

Isaia Casali

Roberto Bertanzi

Andrea Monterisi

Emma Spagnoli

Andrea Buttani

A regulation system () of an expansion turbine () speed, the system having an organic Rankine cycle system () in turn having at least one expansion turbine (), a control unit () which manages all the control processes of the regulation system (), and regulates the frequency of the electrical energy produced by a generator () operating according to a predetermined management logic on one or more of the following components: at least one inlet valve (AV), at least one by-pass valve (BV), an electrical accumulation system (), a dissipative electrical brake (), a control of interruptible electrical loads () or a system for modulating heat generation or recovery, the predetermined management logic includes a primary regulation that takes place within 10 s and a secondary regulation that takes place in a time between 30 seconds and 30 minutes.

Speed regulation system of a turbine and relevant control method

An organic Rankine cycle system with cascade cycles provided with a first organic Rankine cycle which operates at high temperature, in which a first organic working fluid carries out a heat exchange with a hot source fluid and a second organic Rankine cycle which operates at a temperature lower than the temperature of the first organic Rankine cycle and in which a second organic working fluid carries out a heat exchange with the same hot source. The evaporator of the first organic Rankine cycle is fed by the entire flow rate of the hot source fluid, while the evaporator and the preheater of the second organic Rankine cycle are fed by a first partial flow of the hot source fluid, the remaining second partial flow of the hot source fluid being used to partially carry out the preheating of the organic working fluid of the first organic Rankine cycle.

Cascade organic Rankine cycle plant

A rotating turbomachine provided with a fluid sealing device, comprising an extensible/dilatable bellows piston to make a sealing surface abut against a rotor disc, or against the head of the shaft, therefore confining the working fluid in the turbomachine stopped during the respective maintenance operations, is described. A coolant is supplied inside the bellows piston during the normal operations of the machine.

Turbomachine provided with fluid sealing device

A heat exchange circuit for a geothermal plant comprising a well excavated in the rock, a casing arranged inside the well, integral with it and comprising at least a first perforated section extending along a first portion of the well and at least a second perforated section extending along a second portion of the well, the perforated sections allowing the exit and the entry of a flow of geothermal fluid contained in an aquifer, an internal duct, located inside the casing in which a heat transfer fluid flows, wherein the well, the casing and the internal duct being arranged as a substantially closed ring, except for at least one surface interruption, at least one heat-exchange section at the bottom of the well between the first portion and the second portion of the well within which the geothermal fluid transfers heat to the heat transfer fluid.

Heat exchange circuit for a geothermal plant

A cascade organic Rankine cycle plant comprising a hot source, at least a first high temperature organic Rankine cycle and a second low temperature organic Rankine cycle, said cycles comprising at least one preheater, at least one vaporizer, at least one turbine, at least one condenser, wherein the hot source first supplies a vaporizer of the high temperature cycle, then the vaporizer of the low temperature cycle and finally it is divided into two flows which supply a first preheater of the high temperature cycle and a preheater of the low temperature cycle. The first high-temperature organic Rankine cycle comprises a further vaporizer operating at an intermediate pressure between the vaporizer pressure of the high temperature cycle and the vaporizer pressure of the low temperature cycle.

Optimized cascade organic Rankine cycle

An axial turbine () with two supply levels for the expansion phase of a working fluid in a thermodynamic vapor cycle or in an organic Rankine cycle comprising a shaft (), a plurality of rotor blade arrays (R-Rn) and corresponding support disks (), a plurality of stator blade arrays (S-Sn), further comprising a first inlet opening () and a second inlet opening ('). The second volute () is positioned inside the first volute (), the working fluid of the second supply level reaching upstream of a stator blade (S,Sn) that is are immediately upstream of one of the rotor blade arrays that extends radially into both of the first and second supply levels.

Axial turbine with two supply levels

A binary geothermal system comprising: &#x2014;an organic Rankine cycle having at least one supply pump for feeding an organic working fluid, in liquid phase, of at least one heat exchanger for heating the organic working fluid until its transformation vapor phase and to its eventual overheating, an expansion turbine to expand the organic working fluid vapor, a condenser bringing in a liquid phase the organic working fluid, &#x2014;a geothermal source comprising a geothermal liquid and a geothermal vapor, the organic working fluid is vaporized directly or indirectly through a flow of geothermal vapor in the heat exchanger and is preheated by a flow of geothermal liquid in a first pre-heater, and the organic working fluid is preheated also in a second pre-heater which exploits the thermal energy contained in a flow rate formed by the gas mixture and by the geothermal vapor fraction which is not condensed.

High efficiency binary geothermal system

An organic Rankine cycle system () with direct exchange and in cascade comprising a high temperature organic Rankine cycle () which carries out the direct heat exchange with a hot source (H) and a low temperature organic Rankine cycle (') in thermal communication with the high temperature cycle (). The organic Rankine cycle system () is configured in a way that the thermal communication between the cycles (&#x2032;) takes place through at least one heat exchanger () configured to use at least the condensation heat of the high temperature cycle to vaporize and/or preheat the working fluid of the low temperature organic Rankine cycle fluid and through a heat exchanger () configured to operate as working fluid sub-cooler for the high temperature organic Rankine cycle () and as a working fluid preheater for the low temperature organic Rankine cycle (&#x2032;).

Optimized direct exchange cycle

A method for reducing the leakage of an organic working fluid operating within a turbine () of an Organic Rankine Cycle system, the method comprising the injection of a fluid flow rate (Q) into a volume (I) at a static pressure lower than the total pressure (P) upstream of the turbine and located near of at least one labyrinth seal (L, L) of at least one stage of the turbine (), said fluid flow rate (Q) having an initial exergetic content lower than the initial exergetic content of the organic working fluid located inside the turbine and flowing through said labyrinth seal (L, L).

Method and device for reducing leakage losses in a turbine

A control method of a centrifugal compressor (C) mechanically coupled to an expansion turbine (TorC), the centrifugal compressor (C) being provided with at least a control system () of the absorbed power. The control method of the rotation speed of the turbine-centrifugal compressor group performs the following steps: &#x2014;acting on the centrifugal compressor control system () of the absorbed power by means of a first controller (PID-f), in order to keep constant the rotational speed of the compressor mechanically coupled to the expansion turbine; &#x2014;ensuring that the centrifugal compressor (C) remains in a stable operating condition by means of an admission valve (Vi) of the expansion turbine (TorC).

Control method of a compressor mechanically coupled to a turbine

A mixed flow turbine () for the expansion phase of steam thermodynamic cycles of an organic Rankine cycle provided with a first section (A) in which a first expansion of a main flow of working fluid takes place, in a substantially radial direction having at least one stator stage (S, S, . . . Sn) and at least one rotor stage (R, R, . . . Rn) of a second section (B) in which a second expansion of the main flow of the working fluid takes place in a substantially axial direction having at least one stator stage and at least one rotor stage and, between the first and the second section, with at least one angular stator stage (S) comprising an array of angular blades which deflect the main flow of working fluid from the initial radial direction to a substantially axial direction. The turbine () is provided with means for injection () and/or means for extraction () of a second flow of working fluid, placed in proximity of the stator stage (S).

Mixed flow optimized turbine

Heat exchanger () for cooling contaminated fluids and which are subjected to variable thermal load, by means of heat transfer to a receiving liquid and/or vapor fluid, said heat exchanger comprising a tube bundle consisting of a plurality of independent tubes (), two plenums (), plates (), and characterized in that said independent tubes () comprise an inner tube () in which the contaminated gas flows, and an outer tube () being said inner tube () and outer tube () coaxial and where between the outer surface () of the inner tube () and the inner surface (') of the outer tube () is defined an annular passage G in which flows the receiving fluid and in that said inner tube () is welded to the plate () in a gas inlet section, while a gas outlet section is guided in a corresponding hole of the plate (), so that the inner tube () expansion in an axial direction is not constrained.

Heat exchanger for contaminated fluids and subjected to strong variable heat load

A turbine of an organic Ranking cycle (ORC) is described. The turbine includes a shaft supported by at least two bearings and a plurality of axial stages of expansion, defined by arrays of stator blades alternated with arrays or rotor blades. The rotor blades are sustained by corresponding supporting disks. A main supporting disk is directly coupled to the shaft in an outer position with respect to the bearings, and the remaining supporting disks are constrained to the main supporting disk, and one to the other in succession, but not directly to the shaft. Some of the remaining supporting disks are constrained to the main supporting disk and cantileverly extend from the same side of the bearings that support the shaft, so that the center of gravity of the rotor part of the turbine is shifted more towards the bearings.

Multistage turbine preferably for organic rankine cycle ORC plants

A turbine of an organic Ranking cycle ORC is described, the turbine comprising a shaft supported by bearings and a plurality of seals arranged round the shaft for confining the operating fluid expanding in the turbine. The seals define at least four axially consecutive chambers. The operating fluid, with function of barrier fluid, is fed into one of the chambers adjacent to turbine stages; a gas, preferably inert, is fed into one of the chambers adjacent to the bearings, and the corresponding seals are gas seals. This configuration prevents the operating fluid from any kind of contamination by the lubricant used for the bearings, and avoids polluting the environment.

Seal arrangement in a turbine and method for confining the operating fluid

A method for producing syngas from preferably vegetal biomass is described. The method provides for the use of a fixed bed gasifier, equipped with two reactors. The biomass is fed to both reactors together with a primary flow rate of air. Advantageously, the method according to the present invention is different from the known art since a secondary flow rate of air is withdrawn from the first reactor at the area where the biomass dries, and fed to the second reactor at the area where the biomass dries, and vice versa, alternately during time. Alternatively, an oscillating air flow is created in each reactor. The achievable result is a greater syngas production, but not exclusively. The syngas quality is improved too, since the biomass has a longer time for completing the gasification reactions.

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Brescia, Italy

Mario Gaia