- Ormat’s equipment at Chingshuei Geothermal Power Plant in Taiwan utilises their proprietary ORC system called Ormat Energy Converter (OEC).
- This system is designed to convert geothermal heat into electrical energy efficiently. In the Chingshuei plant, geothermal water with temperatures up to 180°C is extracted from depths between 1,200 and 2,100 meters. This hot water transfers its heat to a secondary organic working fluid within the OEC via heat exchangers. The vaporized organic fluid then drives a turbine connected to a generator, producing electricity. Afterward, the cooled geothermal water is reinjected into the reservoir.
- Some features include: (1) integrated turbine-generator where the equipment is integrated into a single, hermetically sealed unit – reducing mechanical losses, improving efficiency, and minimising maintenance; (2) no superheater – uses two-phase flow design in the heat exchanger, enhancing energy conversion while reducing complexity and costs; and (3) self-regulating, adapting to input variations (i.e., flow rate, temperature) without manual intervention – ensuring stable power generation over a wide range of operating conditions.
