Technology Research Area:

Advanced Low-Temperature Power Cycle Technology

What is advanced low-temperature power cycle technology, and what has it got to do with TVA's mission?

Industrial processes often produce heat that escapes into the atmosphere. Waste heat sources could be used by businesses to generate electricity if cost-effective technology was available. Waste heat is often difficult to use because there is not enough heat consistently available year-round to generate power, or the heat is too low to cost-effectively convert into electricity.

The TVA-patented advanced low-temperature power cycle (ALTPC) is specifically designed to solve those problems by converting low-level heat (290 degrees F to 1,000 degrees F — low levels when it comes to power generation) or small amounts of heat into electricity relatively cheaply.

The ALTPC has four characteristics that make it economical to use in small-scale operations or with low temperatures. It is

• simple in design and operation
• compact in size
• modular in design
• comparable or superior to steam generation in power delivered for the heat available.

ALTPC delivers higher efficiency than steam with a lower capital cost, a more compact size and with much less operating labor. TVA's industrial customers could use it to conserve energy and lower their power bills.

What is TVA doing about it?

In 2006, TVA signed a licensed Facilities Management Company Inc. (FMC) of Boston to operate and market the ALTPC technology in the U.S. TVA is evaluating use of the ALTPC at a TVA customer’s facility and providing project development support to FMC.

What are the possibilities for ALTPC?

The TVA ALTPC has the potential to provide economical, clean energy from industrial waste heat. Potential uses of ALTPC are as broad and varied as the different sources of low-level industrial heat. ALTPC is particularly well-suited for small, unusual or low-temperature applications where conventional steam power generation would be uneconomical or impractical.