Development of a light commercial packaged cogeneration system. Final report, February 1986-August 1989

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6496503

Panora, R; Vasilakis, A; Hatch, W; Neoh, S

The report documents the development of a small, natural gas powered cogeneration system for light commercial service. The developed system consists of a modified automotive derivative 4.3 liter V-6 engine driving an induction generator at 1800 rpm. The unit produces 30 kW of electrical energy and 2.2 therms of thermal energy in the form of hot water (recovered from lubrication oil, engine jacket, and exhaust gas). Also included on the package is a microprocessor-based control system, an acoustic enclosure, and a complete heat recovery package for up to two thermal loads. Connections for a third load are optional. During the second phase of the three-phase program, a laboratory prototype was fabricated and tested extensively. An electrical efficiency and overall efficiency of 26 percent and 81 percent, respectively, were demonstrated while accumulating 4000 hours of reliable operation. In a separate dynamometer setup, a similarly configured engine successfully completed 5000 hours of full-load testing. Presently, the program is in the final part of Phase III; evaluation of a field test unit. The unit is currently being installed at the California test site. The 30-kW system has been commercialized by Tecogen Inc. as a part of its line of cogeneration systems.

• Research Organization: TECOGEN, Inc., Waltham, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6496503
• Report Number(s): PB-90-260548/XAB; TR--6408-160-89; CNN: GRI-5087-293-1484
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
034000 -- Natural Gas-- Combustion
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320304* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Waste Heat Recovery & Utilization
CALIFORNIA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COGENERATION
COMBUSTION
COMMERCIAL SECTOR
COMMERCIALIZATION
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
CONTROL
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DESIGN
DEUS
DOCUMENT TYPES
DUAL-PURPOSE POWER PLANTS
ENERGY RECOVERY
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FEDERAL REGION IX
FIELD TESTS
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HEAT ENGINES
HEAT RECOVERY
HEAT RECOVERY EQUIPMENT
HOT WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
KILOWATT POWER RANGE
MODIFICATIONS
NATURAL GAS
NOISE POLLUTION CONTROL
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POLLUTION CONTROL
POWER GENERATION
POWER PLANTS
POWER RANGE
POWER RANGE 10-100 KW
PROGRESS REPORT
RECOVERY
STEAM GENERATION
TESTING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
USA
WATER