Heliex Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Solutions

The Heliex Power unit produces low-cost electricity or compressed air, with a payback of less than 3 years.

The Heliex Steam Expander

A unique rotary device that converts the expansion energy from wet steam into shaft power, the Heliex Steam Expander is at the core of all Heliex systems.

Acting as a pressure reduction valve (PRV,) it reduces steam pressure but uses the pressure drop to produce highly valued electricity, or compressed air, in addition to regulating your process steam pressure.

While the Heliex package can be located anywhere in your steam system, it is usually placed alongside the boiler.

Converting Steam Energy into Electricity and providing Process Heating

Energy from wet steam is efficiently converted into electricity or compressed air, and lower pressure exhaust steam.

The steam available for the downstream process is unchanged and continues to operate exactly as it did before the Heliex unit was installed, it also remains unaffected even if the Heliex system is turned off. 

• The boiler output is increased slightly to compensate for the energy converted to electricity and maintain downstream process heat requirements.
• The boiler pressure may be increased to best match the CHP system
• The downstream steam system remains at the current operating pressure/temperature.
• The Heliex unit often feeds into an existing steam header also supplied by other boilers, which is then distributed to the production processes.

An Efficient Solution

High efficiency means that the Heliex Power steam expander produces electrical energy at a cost only slightly greater than the boiler fuel cost, thereby offering an attractive low cost and sustainable supply of electricity or compressed air that pays for itself in under 3 years.

Typical example

A process uses saturated steam which is produced and distributed at 6 barg from 2 shell boilers. Steam pressure is then reduced further using local PRVs to meet temperature requirements for the various downstream processes. One of the aged boilers needs to be replaced or additional steam is required for production expansion.  

Heliex presents the opportunity to install a higher pressure boiler and utilise the unique Heliex steam expander technology to generate low-cost electricity.