Cogeneration & CHP
Cogeneration (cogen) through combined heat and power (CHP) is the simultaneous production of electricity with the recovery and utilization heat. Cogeneration is a highly efficient form of energy conversion and it can achieve primary energy savings of approximately 40% by compared to the separate purchase of electricity from the national electricity grid and a gas boiler for on site heating. Combined heat and power plants with waste heat boiler are typically embedded close to the end user and therefore help reduce transportation and distribution losses, improving the overall performance of the electricity transmission and distribution network (see district energy for more details). For power users where security of supply is an important factor for their selection of power production equipment and gas is abundant, gas-based cogeneration systems are ideally suited as captive power plants (i.e. power plants located at site of use).
Benefits of Gas Engine CHP
The high efficiency of a CHP waste heat boiler plant compared with conventional bought in electricity and site-produced heat provides a number of benefits including
On site production of power
Reduced energy costs
Reduction in emissions compared to conventional electrical generators and onsite waste boilers
Heat Sources from a Gas Engine
The engine exhaust gases typically leave the engine at between 400 and 500˚C. This can be used directly for drying, in a waste heat boiler to generate steam, or via an exhaust gas heat ex-changer combining with the heat from the cooling circuits. The heat from the second stage inter-cooler is also available for recovery as a lower grade heat. Alternatively new technologies are available for the conversion of heat to further...