Description of the SMR cycle, which combines fluid elements of steam and organic Rankine cycles

The Rankine cycle is a thermodynamic cycle that is particularly suited for generating electricity from heat. A Rankine cycle with water as the working fluid is the most frequently used process for large-scale electricity generation. For electricity production from low-temperature heat (up to about 400°C), the use of water is less suitable than that of organic media (organic Rankine cycle, ORC). We discuss a Rankine cycle that combines elements of the ORC with a steam cycle, i.e. an SMR Cycle. With this cycle, efficiency improvement up to 5–10% is obtained above comparable steam cycles. Application of the SMR cycle at municipal-waste incineration plants and industrial enterprises (as joint-ventures with utilities) is desirable.