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Our Capabilities
January 08, 2009
The BCHP Screening Tool can be used to estimate the energy consumption and economics of CHP systems in commercial buildings.
February 05, 2009
Learn about Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems, how they operate, and the real-world applications!
December 09, 2008
A. Shipley, A. Hampson, B. Hedman, P. Garland, and P. Bautista, "CHP: Effective Energy Solutions for a Sustainable Future" Sponsored by the DOE December, 2008.
August 22, 2008
Hadley, S. W. and Stovall, T. K., “DER: Hastening Genco Obsolescence?” Public Utilities Fortnightly, May 2005
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Integrated Energy Systems
Background
Integrated energy systems (IES) integrate distributed generation (DE) with
thermally-activated technologies for heating and cooling. IES, also known
as cooling, heating and power (CHP) systems, achieve high energy efficiencies
through the conversion of exhaust or reject heat from power generation into
needed energy services like cooling and heating of buildings. Development
of "packaged" or "modularized" IES for end-use applications,
such as commercial and institutional buildings, is a key part of DOE's DE
strategy.
Traditionally, cogeneration systems have been economically attractive only
in sizes above several megawatts. The emergence of a number of small generation
technologies, including fuel cells, advanced low emissions engines, and small
gas turbines (referred to as microturbines), with outputs in the 20-5000 kW
range, should extend the benefits of CHP to a much larger user base, with a
consequent increase in national energy and environmental benefits. For example,
the application of microturbines combined with absorption cooling equipment
in commercial buildings could reduce commercial building energy consumption
by 30%. Application of such smaller-scale packaged CHP systems constitutes
a major breakthrough in energy efficiency technology. Additionally, by locating
the power generation at or near the end-use building, the difficulties in siting
and building new electric transmission and electric distribution infrastructures
to meet today's increasing power demand are minimized.
The most promising markets for IES appear to be commercial or institutional
buildings, government facilities, and district energy systems that distribute
thermal energy to buildings in a college campus, hospital complex, industrial
park, or city.
Focus
ORNL investigates emerging technologies and characterizes the market potential
and potential energy-use, economics, and environmental benefits of the selected
technologies. The work scope of the IES team includes the following technology
areas:
- Burns
and McDonnell, Solar Turbines Inc. and Broad USA: Provides electricity
from a Taurus 5,200 kW turbine generator, up to 3,000 refrigeration
tons (RT) of waste-heat driven absorption cooling and up to 17,000
RT of additional supplemental gas-fired cooling.
- Capstone
Turbine Corporation: Based on using waste heat from Capstone's
30 kW and 60 kW microturbines coupled with absorption chillers for
air-conditioning.
- Gas
Technology Institute, Waukesha and Trane: Integrates Waukesha
engine generators with Trane absorption chillers. Engine sizes range
from 290 kW to 770 kW (matched to several absorption chillers) producing
a modular range of sizes to match a variety of building types/markets.
- Honeywell
Laboratories: Incorporates a large (5.2 MW) turbine generator
integrated with a 2,000 RT absorption chiller.
- NiSource
Energy Technologies: Integrates three microturbines with heat
recovery heat exchangers, an absorption chiller, a desiccant unit,
and an integrated control system for hotel/motel chains.
- United
Technology Research Center: Uses Capstone's 60kW microturbine
in multiple units coupled to Carrier absorption chillers. The new
200kW Capstone microturbine system (in prototype stage) will also
be developed into an IES.
System Controls
Distributed generation technologies include a wide variety of different technologies
for producing power and utilizing the waste heat in Integrated Energy Systems.
Technologies include reciprocating engines, micro-turbines, turbines, wind
turbine, photovoltaic/thermal solar, fuel cells, combined cycles, absorption
chillers, desiccants and energy storage. Many potential commercial and
industrial customers for Integrated Energy Systems will likely install
multiple systems at a single site. These systems will generally be connected
to the utility grid, potentially be capable of grid support (lessening
the likelihood of grid outages), and also be capable of providing emergency
back-up power to the local customer in case of grid outages. Control of
these IES systems (with both electrical and thermal output) involves optimizing
the operation of the systems to simultaneously maximize efficiency, minimize
cost, support the grid, and provide key emergency back-up for critical
electrical and thermal loads.
Neural network technology potentially offers a new approach to developing
the very complex control interactions between the IES electrical and thermal
outputs coupled with the electric grid. ORNL provides the laboratory platform
to test and verify smart controls algorithms.
Reciprocating Engines Efficiency
Maximization
Combined heat and power systems have been demonstrated to dramatically increase
the energy efficiency of reciprocating engines by recovering some of the
energy as heat to provide heating and cooling to building systems. The use
of efficient lean-burn reciprocating engines may be limited by upcoming emissions
regulations which in turn limit opportunities for combined heat and power
systems and decrease overall energy efficiency for distributed power. Research
and development of existing and new technologies for
emissions control from lean-burn engines is being conducted to facilitate
the continued and potentially growing use of lean engines. The technologies
being investigated for emission control are primarily catalytic, and thermal
management is generally beneficial to catalytic systems. Since exhaust systems
for lean burn engines may contain both catalytic systems for emissions control
and combined heat and power systems for heat recovery, studies of combined
emissions control and heat recovery systems would be useful to optimize system
energy efficiency.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this section or the CHP
Technologies Program in general, please contact
us.
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