Benefits of Distributed Power and Cogeneration

摘要

This paper will discuss the benefits and typical applications of distributed power based on larger gas engines. Operating flexibility as well as cogeneration with high total fuel efficiency is investigated. The recent efficiency improvement on larger gas engines has two focus areas: First to improve the electrical efficiency, and secondly to improve the CHP or total efficiency. High electrical efficiency is critical for power generation, not only when gas fuel is expensive, but also to reduce the overall carbon footprint. For cogeneration projects where the exhaust heat from the engine is used in a downstream process, the total efficiency consisting of the electrical plus thermal efficiency is the key parameter. Total Efficiency = Electrical Efficiency + Thermal Efficiency = (Pel)/(Qfuel) + (Qth)/(Qfuel) = η_(tot) Case studies will investigate various applications and show the economic feasibility and advantages in primary energy savings when using combined heat and power (CHP). The CHP application will be investigated with and without heat storage. The gas engine’s operating flexibility is capable of providing grid stability even in CHP applications when used in conjunction with heat storage. This can be very beneficial to the grid operator that must consider the growing unpredictability of renewables and still provide reliable power at a reasonable cost. The paper also discusses larger power plants with high baseload efficiency and high peak load flexibility.