The engine was designed and constructed at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, and is the first of its kind to deploy the company’s proprietary technology. It will be shipped to California in January of 2018.
The technology utilizes supply heat at temperatures below 200 degrees F – ‘ultra-low-grade heat’. The hot spring water in California’s Surprise Valley comes to the surface at temperatures of approximately 190 degrees F. PwrCor’s engine is expected to supply power to the resort using just a fraction of the heat capacity of the geothermal resource.
PwrCor will be paid directly by Modoc County from funding that was arranged via a grant from the California Energy Commission, which PwrCor is helping to develop alternative energy technology.
“Modoc County has abundant geothermal resources, including above surface low temperature reservoirs” said Chester Robertson, County Administrative Officer. “The County seeks to be a leader in application of new technologies for geothermal energy, and is excited to have the initial installation using PwrCor's unit in a geothermal application. It will enable clean electrical power generation from existing surface waters at a site where there has historically been only direct heat utilization.”
Tom Telegades, CEO of PwrCor, added that the engine is the first of its kind and that its successful development marks a major accomplishment for the company, which is currently working on additional project initiatives in the Oil and Gas, Solar Thermal, Reciprocating Engines and Turbines, Fuel Cell, and Data Centre markets, all of which have enormous amounts of wasted ultra-low-grade heat that can be converted to useful power.
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