Kalina cycle

The Kalina cycle is a thermodynamic process for converting thermal energy into usable mechanical power.

It uses a solution of 2 fluids with different boiling points for its working fluid. Since the solution boils over a range of temperatures as in distillation, more of the heat can be extracted from the source than with a pure working fluid. The same applies on the exhaust (condensing) end. This provides efficiency comparable to a Combined cycle, with less complexity.

By appropriate choice of the ratio between the components of the solution, the boiling point of the working solution can be adjusted to suit the heat input temperature. Water and ammonia is the most widely used combination, but other combinations are feasible.

Because of this ability to take full advantage of the temperature difference between the particular heat source and sink available, it finds applications in reuse of industrial process heat, geothermal energy, solar energy, and use of waste heat from power plants (Bottoming cycle).

Reuse of Industrial Process Heat

The Kalina cycle has been shown to increase thermal power output efficiencies by up to 50% in suitable installations, such as Steel, Coal, Oil refineries and Cement production plants.

Several proof of concept power plants using the Kalina cycle have now been built including two Kalina cycle power plants currently operating in Japan:

• The Kashima Steel Works operated by Sumitomo Metals
• The Tokyo Bay Oil Refinery operated by Fuji Oil

Use in geothermal power

The Kalina cycle is particularly useful in geothermal power plants, where the hot fluid is very often below 100°C.^{[citation needed]}

Geothermal plants exist in Husavik, Iceland, and Unterhaching, Germany. Two Eco-Gen Kalina cycle units will soon to be installed at additional separate hot-spring sites in Japan.

Power Plants

Up until recently, in the heat converters are heat exchangers used to produce steam, and the most common cycle used is the Carnot Cycle. An example of the recent use of Kalina cycle is the Wasabi Energy Facility, Husavik Power Plant in Northern Iceland, rated 2MW electric power output and 20MW heat power.

Licensing

The Kalina cycle trademark and all global patents are owned by Wasabi Energy plc. owner of Global Geothermal Ltd., parent company of Recurrent Engineering Inc.

Global Geothermal Ltd. (parent company: Wasabi Energy Ltd.) owns all the worldwide entities licensed to deploy the Kalina Cycle process.^{[citation needed]} As a result GGL controls the Kalina cycle rights and over 200 international patents associated with this technology. The process is currently used via licensing deals with Siemens and Shanghai Shenge New Energy for all their Chinese applications. FLSmidth has the exclusive right in most countries to offer Kalina cycle technology to the cement and lime industries.

References

• link2@www.geothermie.de
• public patent