The current need to reduce pollutant emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change requires innovative approaches to power generation. Significant amounts of heat are lost to the environment from energy-intensive industrial processes such as glass, cement, metals, paper and food. This neglected resource could instead make a significant contribution to decarbonisation, with an estimated potential of 5% of the EU’s total electricity demand. This is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 20,000,000 households or the production of 19 large power plants. 

The exploitation of this potential energy source is the objective of the POWHER project, coordinated by Prof. Andrea Spinelli and Alessandro Romei of the Department of Energy of the Politecnico di Milano and funded by the European Union (Next Generation Europe) within the framework of Research Projects of Significant National Interest (PRIN – MUR).

Harnessing waste heat from industry is crucial to a sustainable energy future. POWHER aims to turn this potential into reality with innovative solutions.

explains Spinelli.

The approach used in the POWHER project is based on Organic Fluid Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology, which is similar to traditional steam cycles but uses the evaporation of an organic fluid instead of water. This choice allows the construction of simpler and cheaper plants with good conversion efficiencies.

Researchers at the Politecnico di Milano and the University of Bologna are focusing on the implementation of Partial Evaporation Organic Rankine Cycles (PE-ORCs), an innovative version of ORCs. This solution could increase the efficiency by up to 30% due to the partial evaporation of the organic fluid. The studies, both theoretical and experimental, will focus on overcoming the challenges that have so far hindered the adoption of this technology: the development of efficient turbines for two-phase fluids (liquid-vapour) and the optimisation of plant control strategies.

The experimental activities will take place at the Test Rig for Organic Vapors (TROVA) of the Politecnico di Milano, one of the few experimental facilities in the world capable of studying the movement of organic fluids at high speed and temperature.

The POWHER project therefore promises to be an important step towards a sustainable energy future, making innovative use of an often neglected resource and paving the way for efficient power generation solutions.