Organic Rankine Cycle Generator

The University of York ("the Authority") is delivering an exciting deep geothermal energy project as a transformative step in its journey to Net Zero. The project aims to cut fossil fuel consumption by 78% as part of the Authority's Sustainability Plan 2030 targets, and making a substantial contribution to reducing the City of York's overall carbon footprint.

This multi-phased initiative will leverage the Earth's natural heat to provide sustainable energy solutions for the Authority's campus and potentially the wider community. The project positions the University of York, City and region as a leader in sustainable energy innovation, combining geothermal exploration with our renowned research and educational expertise.

The Authority's geothermal project has identified electrical generation as a goal associated with long term success. Of the research done to date the Organic Rankine Cycle machine (ORC) has presented itself as the only viable technology compatible with temperatures and energy demands the Authority will have.

With the geothermal scheme coming online there is the potential for excess heat to be utilized to generate electricity to both offset the running of the geothermal system and provide energy cost savings to the Authority. FeTu is a UK manufacturer that has developed a patented design for an ORC that develops double the efficiency of existing units and can output up to 200kW of electricity, while also addressing operational safety concerns like the removal of flammable working fluids.

The Authority is to procure one of the FeTu generators to run on site as a trial unit to research and test the effectiveness of such a power generating system in the Authority's environment. The Authority shall use the outputs to produce an internal report focussing on the operational efficiency modelling of reciprocal positive displacement turbines, in conjunction with the geothermal scheme at varying temperatures and flow rates.

This will be essential in appraising options for how to utilize the geothermal heat dependent on the results of drilling. The test system shall be installed and operated using unutilized heat in our district heating system at the temperatures likely produced in the geothermal system.

The Authority also has the infrastructure to install, maintain, monitor and optimize this new technology as part of the Authority's living lab of energy technologies. By being presented with an opportunity to install a unit before the geothermal scheme is online the Authority can prove the efficiency of operation of the unit, optimize its installation and control and generate savings immediately by utilizing waste heat.

The Authority's Estates engineering team have visited the manufacturing and test facility and completed site assessments with the manufacturer to confirm the suitability of the prototype and new system for installation. The Authority has researched the market and believes there are no other competing technologies available on the market that offer the same efficiency at present due to the technology being patented technology.

Should this new technology prove effective and the research outcomes favourable this will lead to a future procurement to purchase a number of generators with functionality appropriate to generate power from the waste heat the Authority will have available as it progresses its geothermal project. A future open tender shall therefore be advertised.