End-Use Systems Integration

Background

The Distributed Energy Program of the DOE seeks to encourage further widespread adoption and implementation of distributed power generation. A large portion of the existing distributed generation and the potential for future distributed generation installations is found in the industrial and commercial sectors.

Focus

The foci of the ORNL efforts are to identify and assess promising applications for integrated distributed energy (DE) systems and to conduct projects that validate and demonstrate the benefits of DE technologies in targeted sectors:

A critical need for the test and demonstration projects is to show the economic payback. In support of this need, we are exploring the use of distributed energy systems to supply reactive power and other ancillary services.

Industrial Applications

This project addresses CHP systems and how to integrate DG equipment within manufacturing processes with the greatest opportunity to use waste heat. This program focuses on innovative packaged CHP systems for specific applications that are highly replicable and can be integrated with industrial process energy needs. Two of three test and verification projects are complete: Faith Plating and C&F Packing. At a third project at Higgins Brick in Chiao Hills, California, Bowman 80 kW microturbine generators will provide electricity for peak shaving and redundancy. The microturbine exhaust is ducted through two heat exchangers into combustion air for the brick drying process.

National Accounts

The American Gas Foundation (AGF), a non-profit arm of the American Gas Association, and the Gas Technology Institute have developed the National Accounts Energy Alliance (NAEA), a national DE-based deployment, testing and verification, marketing, and education program. NAEA is focusing directly on Fortune 1000 national chain end-users across the retail, supermarket, food service, hotel, and healthcare industries, along with other national chain industries. The NAEA program partners have thousands of facilities across the nation, are actively engaged in new constructions and retrofits, and typically utilize a "central box" design for most, if not all, of their facilities. NAEA program participants believe that the central box principle is the largest barrier to widespread DE use. NAEA's unique approach will be working with national chains to redesign and reengineer their central boxes, incorporating highly efficient DE systems, thereby creating a paradigm shift in the marketplace. Specific projects in this area include the following:

Applications in Telecommunications Switching Centers

Seven 200-kW IFC fuel cells will be installed at Verizon's Zeckendorf Central Office on Long Island to generate 1.4 MW of power and capture waste heat for CHP systems. The work includes (1) preparation of a detailed design and engineering; (2) review of the options for contracting the construction, operation and/or maintenance of not only the primary hybrid power plant but also the existing building heating, cooling, and emergency power systems; (3) preparation of a detailed commissioning and startup plan; and (4) overall project integration and technology transfer. Construction began in FY04 and will be completed in FY05.

Integrated Packaged Systems Applications

Several projects, that utilize pre-engineered, packaged IES that both generate electricity and make effective use of the thermal energy, are underway:

Healthcare

• Butler Hospital in Providence, RI
  
  
• Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor, Me
  

Educational Facilities

• Floyd County High School, Rome, Georgia
  

Reactive Power

Reactive power is already purchased by many independent system operators (ISOs), such as New England ISO and the California ISO. In addition, reactive power supplied locally, as in CHP projects, will provide much greater value than when supplied from distant generating stations. Many distributed energy systems, such as reciprocating engine generators, already contain the needed equipment to supply reactive power - a synchronous generator. Systems using a microturbine will also be candidates with changes to the inverter design.

Ancillary Services

In the next 20 years, it is probable that Distributed Energy (DE) will comprise 20% or more of our nation's electrical generation supply. The advantages of modern DER are that they are clean, quick to install, can be located near loads because they do not require extensive real estate, and are highly efficient. The disadvantages are that they will have to be controlled in large numbers and they do not behave like conventional large turbine generators. The transmission grid and their control system infrastructures have evolved over the years to handle conventional turbine generators. However, we believe that advances in power electronics and in control theory will enable the connection of large numbers of DER to the grid, and will actually result in greater reliability, improved efficiency and lower grid costs.

Power electronics conversion and conditioning systems will enable DER to appear to the grid like large, high inertia, turbine generators, and to perform all the functions of the large generators. When equipped with energy storage devices such as ultra-capacitors, power electronics conversion systems will be able to provide voltage sag support and other reliability services to the grid and user. In addition, power electronic designs are becoming more reliable because of topologies that incorporate redundant switching sections and lower stress on the switches. Power electronic advances also mean that less fault current will be supplied to the grid in the event of a short circuit, thus allowing the use of much less expensive circuit breakers and other protection equipment.

In addition, power electronics and distributed control will enable DER to provide a range of reliability services. These services will include, in addition to providing uninterruptible power and support of voltage sags, such traditional services as voltage and frequency regulation, control of capacitive resonance, control of subsynchronous oscillation, and other stability problems.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this section or the CHP Technologies Program in general, please contact us.