COGENERATION IN GENERAL
Cogeneration (or combined heat and power; CHP) is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneous generation of both electricity and useful heat. On a regular basis the piston combustion engines serving as the driving units are designed for the combustion of natural gas. However, they may be modified for the combustion of also other liquid or gazeous fuels. The advantage of the cogeneration is the utilization of "waste" heat that, when using the conventional mode of combustion, is released via the chimney into the ambient environment, or taken away through the cooler and passed on into the environment which applies for the combustion engines. The CHP units encompass heat exchangers in which the heat energy from flue gases or the engine cooling liquid is withdrawn and used elsewhere for heating purposes.
CHP UNITS
CHP units offered and delivered by the TENERGO Brno are primarily the product of one of the company shareholders, i.e. the TEDOM s.r.o. company. The latter is focused on the development, manufacture and installation of CHP units since its foundation in 1991. Currently the company has become one of high-ranking suppliers of these units to the domestic market. If requested by the customer TENERGO is able, of course, to deliver CHP units from other renowned manufacturers.
INSTALLATION PLACE OF THE CHP UNITS
Depending on the place of installation the CHP units can be installed either in the inside of a building (in the machinery room) or outdoors in open space.
In the first case the units are installed in sound-protected arrangement. This type of arrangement provides us with the possibility of installation of the units at the premises of the client´s, such as in hospitals (e.g. the "Corn Market" Maternity Hospital in Brno, or the Children´s Hospital at Cerna Pole in Brno).
If it becomes necessary for the client to install the CHP units outdoors we deliver these units built-in into a container. The equipment level of the container depends on the customer requirements, in particular the noise level required, or the temperature or humidity prevailing at the site. As an example, these CHP units can also be installed on dumping sites for domestic waste. In such a particular environment we no more speak about a CHP unit but a power-source set (Czech abbreviation EZA). These units are being installed beyond the reach of heat distributioin mains and the generated heat is drawn off via coolers and released into the environment.
EFFICIENCY OF THE CHP UNITS
Another advantage of the CHP units consists in the fact that the heat energy is generated straight-on at the place of consumption. This provides for the elimination of losses through transformation and transmission. The efficiency of thermal power stations ranges about 30 per cent, and amounts to about 50 per cent for the latest steam-gas power plants. The heat released through the combustion process and taking place in the engine cooling system, in the oil and flue gases is effectively utilized and, as a consequence of this, the efficiency of a CHP unit amounts to about 80 per cent. Depending on the power output the CHP units are divided into two groups: Micro-cogeneration (Micro CHP, with power output of up to 50 kW) and small and medium-sized CHPs (with power output ranging from 50 kW to 2000 kW).
Ztráty = Losses; Teplo = Heat; Elektrárna = Power plant; Elektřina = Electric power; Výtopna = Heat supply station; Množství paliva = Amount of fuel; Kogenerační jednotka = CHP Unit; Úspora paliva = Fuel savings
TRIGENERATION
Trigeneration is a process, in which the combined production of electric power and heat is extended with the production of cold. During the summer months it is sometimes a problem with the use of the heat generated through combustion in reciprocating engines. By addition of an absorption and cooling unit into the cogeneration circuit a trigeneration plant is established, in which the heat energy is used for the production of cold.
POSSIBILITY OF THE USAGE OF FUELS
As concerns the type of fuel the most frequently used power devices in a CHP system are natural gas combustion engines (with the largest number of consumers). Biogas is mostly used at domestic refuse dumping places, in waste water treatment plants and in the agriculture. Other gazeous or liquid fuels (degassed CMM and coke oven gas, light-and heavy fuel oils) are being used either straight on at the manufacturer premises or by those customers who don´t have a connection to a gas pipeline at their disposal and who use liquid fuels for their own CHP purposes.
TO DOWNLOAD
Pricelist of TEDOM CHP units (*.pdf, 180 kB)
Basic overview of the TEDOM CHP units (*.pdf, 4,85 MB)
General catalogue on cogeneration (*.pdf, 950 kB)
and much more about the CHP units at www.tedom.cz