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Power-first Cogeneration
Heat-first Cogeneration
Cogeneration FAQs
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Cogeneration FAQs
How does "power first" cogeneration work?
Where can "power first" cogeneration be used?
What types of fuel are used?
Are there other reasons, beyond efficiency, to choose cogeneration?How much energy is produced with a cogeneration system?
How does "power first" cogeneration work?
Cogeneration captures and uses the heat produced when a
generator works to make power. This "waste heat" can be
used in boilers or dryers, or to heat the plant or
another nearby facility. It could surprise you to learn
that you may already own a small cogeneration plant in
its simplest form: Automobiles use the heat produced
from the engine to heat the passenger compartment in
cold weather.
Where can "power first" cogeneration be used?
Cogeneration plants can often be found in "district
heating plants" on college or hospital campuses, large
industrial plants and big cities. As a matter of fact,
more than 100,000 buildings in Manhattan are heated
through the city’s utility provider’s seven cogeneration
plants.
What types of fuel are used?
Natural gas and diesel fuel are most frequently used.
With diesel generators or other internal combustion
systems, absorption chillers capture the energy in the
exhaust and jacket water for heating and cooling. With a
gas turbine generator, which produces much higher
exhaust temperatures, the exhaust heat recovery system
can be used to produce steam.
Are there other reasons, beyond efficiency, to choose
cogeneration?
Yes. While efficiency is usually the first reason,
cogeneration systems also allow facilities to generate
power and heat "off the grid," thereby also increasing
reliability. This may be especially important to
entities that operate on a 24/7 basis, since
cogeneration plants normally operate at least 95 percent
of the time. Also remember that cogeneration systems
produce much less pollution.
How much energy is produced with a cogeneration system?
These systems are extremely efficient. A one megawatt
cogeneration plant, for example, could produce more than
500 tons of air conditioning (one ton of air
conditioning is equal to 12,000 BTUs), which is an
important element in data processing and communications
businesses as well as many other types of plants and
buildings.
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