Members of the INTENS and LORCA research team attended the eighth international seminar on energy systems based on the organic
Rankine cycle at the University of Lappeenranta in Finland, where they presented the results of their research and development.
The meeting of the international community of experts from academia and industry involved in organic Rankine cycle (ORC)
technology was organized by LUT (Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology) in cooperation with KCORC (Knowledge Centre
on Organic Rankine Cycle technology). Representatives of CTU UCEEB from the INTENS (Industrial Thermal Energy Systems) and LORCA (Laboratory of Organic Rankine Cycles and its Applications) research teams presented several aspects
of our ORC systems research, including the development and testing of various expander technologies, long-term experience
with rotary vane expanders, and the role of ORC in broader energy systems such as Carnot batteries and nuclear microreactors.
For example, our long-term testing confirmed that rotary vane expanders can be a reliable and cost-effective choice for small-scale
ORC, but also highlighted the importance of improving the durability of key components such as vanes and coatings. We also
shared our experimental results on the integration of ORC into a Carnot battery demonstrator and the potential of ORC for
nuclear microreactors, where it can offer a simple and modular solution.