This post is a part of the Early Stage Climate Startup series from Climafix 2024
Highlights
- Wankel’s Pressure to Power System™ converts wasted low-pressure steam into electricity.
- Delivering better performance in handling variable loads, with significant efficiency at peak loads.
1. Value Proposition
- Pressure to Power System™: Traditional industrial systems often lose significant energy when steam pressure is reduced through pressure-reducing valves (PRVs). Wankel’s technology captures this lost potential, converting it into electricity.
- Saturated Steam: Their system is capable of handling saturated steam offering superior efficiency with 5x better performance while handling variable loads.
2. Pain Points
- Wasted Steam Energy: Traditional Pressure Reducing Valves in steam systems waste energy. Wankel’s system captures this energy, converting it into usable electricity.
- Limited Efficiency of Current Systems: Existing systems often struggle to handle variable loads and saturated steam, resulting in inefficient performance. Wankel’s solution offers superior efficiency under fluctuating load conditions.
3. Climate Impact
- By recovering energy from steam that would otherwise go to waste. Wankel’s technology reduces the reliance on fossil fuels.
4. Current & Future Target Segments
- Current Target Segments: Industries that use steam-intensive processes, particularly those in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and food processing.
- Future Target Segments: District heating systems, microgrids, refrigeration, and heat pumps. In the long term, Wankel envisions its technology being applied to combustion engines running on flex fuels like hydrogen, ethanol, and ammonia.
5. USPs
- The Pressure to Power System™ expands its applicability in a wide range of industries and steam processes.
- Can handle variable loads and deliver up to 80% efficiency at peak performance, ensuring that industries can capture and convert more energy under fluctuating conditions.
6. Team Profiles
- Balachandran Raju (Co-Founder & Product Development Head): With over 21 years of experience in product development, Balachandran oversees the design and manufacturing processes, ensuring that Wankel’s systems are both high-performing and easy to integrate into existing industrial operations.
- Dr. Vipin V Gopal (Co-Founder & CEO): Specializes in execution, finance, and business development, with 15+ years of experience in engine development. Experienced in Thermal, kinematics, and dynamics of machinery.
- Prof. S. Satyanarayanan (Co-Founder & Head of R&D): Academic and Technical Expertise from IIT Madras, specializing in applied mechanics. His academic work in steam and energy systems has laid the foundation for Wankel’s technology, particularly in designing high-efficiency energy conversion systems.
7. Startup Headquarters
- India: Chennai