Flexible Combined Cycle: The Flexicycle Power Plant
The Flexicycle power plant is a combined cycle power plant with unique characteristics based on Wärtsilä gas or dual-fuel combustion engines. Because combustion engines convert more of the fuel energy into mechanical work, they have higher simple cycle efficiencies, averaging near 50 percent. The exhaust gases from reciprocating internal combustion engines are around 360ºC, much lower temperature than GT exhaust. Due to the lower exhaust gas temperatures, HRSGs designed for combustion engine power plants are much simpler in design, creating steam at one pressure level – approximately 15 bar. The steam turbine process adds approximately 20% to the efficiency of the Flexicycle power plant.