Neptune Protects Rivers and Oceans from Power Plants
Electrical power production is an extraordinarily wasteful process. For each BTU of fuel in a steam power plant, two-thirds negatively impact local waterways as waste heat (thermal pollution) while one-third produces electricity. Power plant thermal pollution causes algae blooms, decline of wildlife populations and habitat destruction downstream of each location.
The negative effects are most noticeable during summer as power plants are vulnerable to droughts and high ambient temperatures. Reduced electrical output can shut plants down when the need for electricity is greatest, power prices are highest and power grids are at maximum capacity.
Cherokee Energy’s patent pending solution addresses all of these issues simultaneously with a heat recovery technology we respectfully call “Neptune”. Neptune protects rivers and oceans by recycling a portion of the thermal pollution back into the plant it came out of.
Neptune connects directly to existing power plants and allows 100% electrical output regardless of ambient water temperatures, availability or flow. Neptune reduces Green House Gases for the same amount of electrical generation, improves efficiency of thermal power production, reduces emissions, and keeps power plants at maximum output when the value of the power is greatest.
Neptune does require an energy input. However, the majority of the input energy goes into the working fluid to raise pressure and temperature. (Entropy) This allows what was previously a waste product to be efficiently recycled as feed water pre-heat. Neptune is extraordinarily efficient as each unit of input energy performs a minimum of two functions:
1. Remove thermal pollution prior to entering waterways
2. Recycle and concentrate waste to use constructively as feed water pre-heat
Cherokee Energy has years of experience creatively using waste heat in both the federal and private sector. One of our Navy clients was awarded a FEMP Presidential award in 2009 for a heat recovery project. https://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/oceana_water_cs.pdf
Engineering calculations predict Neptune’s Coefficient’s of Performance (COP) to be greater than 5 as the majority of the input energy to operate the system raises the entropy of the working fluid.
Stanford University is using a similar concept in their new Central Energy Facility and regularly experiences high COP performance. http://sustainable.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/technical_brochure_web_4.16.pdf
The potential impact of Neptune is immense, increasing efficiency of thermal power production, reducing the need for cooling water, increasing the reliability of power production and limiting the need for future peaking plants.
