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Walks like, swims like, quacks like a duck...
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But it's really a decoy.
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You could say these folks are out true competitors, but their focus isn't on us. The waste-heat
recovery industry, is well adapted for operations deep within the physical plant of larger industrial
producers. There are a few reasons that we're not on each others radar right now. They generally
operate Organic Rankine Turbines at low delta-T, which limits their thermodynamic efficiency to <20%.
Frequently they will tap high-quality (hi-temperature) heat from a boiler to boost the peak temperature (and the
conversion efficiency). Because of this they generally only operate systems from 1000kW and up (the smallest
system we've been able to find was 250kW).
Their technical focus had been on efficient and reliable heat exchangers. Nobody wants hot industrial
process agents or corrosives entering their turbine or condenser. The consumer for their electric power is
almost universally the industrial plant itself. Since the power never leaves the facility, the need for
precise control of frequency, power-factor, waveform are relaxed or absent.
What this translates into is a very different focus on the market for the equipment. And while either
of us could theoretically make inroads into the others territory, the impetus is not great right now. They
would need to redesign their equipment to what they would consider exceedingly lightweight standards.
While we would in effect be armor-plating our equipment.
Suffice to say, we can tip our hats to each other, confident that we're each fulfilling a distinct, yet
common function.
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