Dr.

Walid Abdelghaffar
 Cogeneration

Introduction
Types of cogeneration systems
Assessment of cogeneration systems
Energy efficiency opportunities

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Background

™ Cogeneration first appeared in Europe

and in the U.S.A. during the early parts
of the 20th century.

™ In addition to decreased fuel

consumption, cogeneration results in a
decrease of pollutant emissions.

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 What is Cogeneration?

™ Cogeneration is on-site generation and

utilisation of energy in different forms
simultaneously by utilising fuel energy at
optimum efficiency in a cost-effective and
environmentally responsible way.

™ Cogeneration systems are of several

types and almost all types primarily
generate electricity along with making the
best practical use of the heat, which is an
inevitable by-product.

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 What is Cogeneration?
™ The most prevalent example of
cogeneration is the generation of electric
power and heat.
™ The heat may be used for generating
steam, hot water, or for cooling through
absorption chillers.
™ In a broad sense, the system, that
produces useful energy in several forms by
utilising the energy in the fuel such that
overall efficiency of the system is very
high, can be classified as Cogeneration
System or as a Total Energy System.
Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar
 What is Cogeneration?

™ Conventional utility power plants utilise the high

potential energy available in the fuels at the end
of combustion process to generate electric
power.
™ However, substantial portion of the low-end
residual energy goes to waste by rejection to
cooling tower and in the form of high
temperature flue gases.

™ On the other hand, a cogeneration process

utilises first the high-end potential energy to
generate electric power and then capitalises on
the low-end residual energy to work for heating
process, equipment or such similar use.
Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar
 Introduction

Benefits of Cogeneration / CHP)

• Increased efficiency of energy conversion and
use
• Lower emissions, especially CO2
• Ability to use waste materials
• Large cost savings
• Opportunity to decentralize the electricity
generation
• Promoting liberalization in energy markets

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Cogeneration

Introduction
Types of cogeneration systems
Assessment of cogeneration systems
Energy efficiency opportunities

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Type of Cogeneration Systems

• Steam turbine
• Gas turbine
• Reciprocating engine
• Other classifications:
- Topping cycle
- Bottoming cycle

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Type of Cogeneration Systems

Steam Turbine Cogeneration System

• Widely used in CHP applications
• Oldest prime mover technology
• Capacities: 50 kW to hundreds of MWs
• Thermodynamic cycle is the “Rankin cycle”
that uses a boiler
• Most common types
• Back pressure steam turbine
• Extraction condensing steam turbine

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Type of Cogeneration Systems

Back Pressure Steam Turbine

• Steam exits the turbine at a higher pressure

that the atmospheric
HP Steam
Advantages:
-Simple configuration
-Low capital cost
Boiler Turbine -Low need of cooling water
-High total efficiency
Fuel

Disadvantages:
Condensate LP
Process Steam
-Larger steam turbine
-Electrical load and output
can not be matched
Figure: Back pressure steam turbine

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Type of Cogeneration Systems

Extraction Condensing Steam

Turbine
HP Steam
• Steam obtained by
extraction from an
intermediate stage Boiler Turbine
Fuel
• Remaining steam is
exhausted Condensate
LP Steam

Process
• Relatively high capital
cost, lower total
efficiency Condenser

• Control of electrical
power independent of
thermal load
Figure: Extraction condensing steam turbine
Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar
 Type of Cogeneration Systems

Gas Turbine Cogeneration System

• Operate on thermodynamic “Brayton cycle”
• atmospheric air compressed, heated,
expanded
• excess power used to produce power
• Natural gas is most common fuel
• 1MW to 100 MW range
• Rapid developments in recent years
• Two types: open and closed cycle

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Typical Heat-to-Power Ratios for Energy
Intensive Industries

Industry Minimum Maximum Average

Breweries 1.1 4.5 3.1

Pharmaceuticals 1.5 2.5 2.0

Fertilizer 0.8 3.0 2

Food 0.8 2.5 1.2

Paper 1.5 2.5 1.9

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Gas turbine based cogeneration system

™ This type of system works on the basic principle of

Bryton cycle of thermodynamics.
™ Air drawn from the atmosphere is compressed and
mixed in a predetermined proportion with the fuel in a
combustor, in which the combustion takes place.
™ The flue gases with a very high temperature from the
combustor are expanded through a gas turbine, which
drives electric generator and air compressor.
™ A portion of mechanical power is used for compression
of the combustion air: the balance is converted into
electric power.
™ The exhaust flue gases from the gas turbine,
typically at a high temperature of 480-540 C, acts as
a heat source from which the heat is recovered in
the form of steam or hot air for any desired
industrial application.
Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar
 Gas turbine based cogeneration system
™ Industrial gas turbine based power plants installed to
generate only electric power operate at the thermal
efficiency of 25-35% only depending of type and size of
gas turbine.
™ Aero derivative gas turbines operate at marginal higher
efficiency than the conventional industrial heavy-duty
machines.
™ With recovery of heat in exhaust flue gases in a waste
heat recovery boiler (WHRB) or heat recovery steam
generator (HRSG) to generate the steam, overall plant
efficiency of around 85-90% is easily achieved.
™ As an alternative, the heat of exhaust flue gases can
also be diverted to heat exchanger to generate hot water
or hot air (District Heating purpose in foreign countries)
instead of generating steam. The Figure shows a
schematic of Gas Turbine based cogeneration system.

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Gas turbine based cogeneration system
with supplementary fired WHRB

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Gas turbine based cogeneration system

™ Compared to steam turbine based cogeneration system,

the gas turbine based cogeneration system is ideal for the
chemical process industries where the demand of steam is
relatively high and fairly constant in comparison to that of
steam.

™ Gas turbine based cogeneration system gives a better

performance with clean fuels like natural gas, or non-ash
bearing or low ash bearing liquid hydrocarbon fuels like
Naphtha, High speed Process Consumer diesel, etc.
Though high ash bearing hydrocarbon based fuels like fuel
oil, crude oil or residual fuel oil can also be fired in the gas
turbines, but with some inherent problems like frequent
cleaning of gas turbine, more maintenance and spares,
etc.

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Type of Cogeneration Systems

Open Cycle Gas Turbine

Exhaust
• Open Brayton cycle: Gases

atmospheric air at Condensate

from Process
increased pressure to HRSG
combustor
Steam to
Process

• Old/small units: 15:1 Combustor

Fuel
New/large units: 30:1
• Exhaust gas at 450-
600 oC G

Generator
• High pressure steam Compressor Turbine

produced: can drive Air

steam turbine
Figure: Open cycle gas turbine cogeneration

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Type of Cogeneration Systems

Closed Cycle Gas Turbine

Heat Source

• Working fluid circulates in

a closed circuit and does Heat Exchanger
not cause corrosion or
erosion G

Generator
• Any fuel, nuclear or solar Compressor Turbine

energy can be used

Condensate
from Process

Steam to
Process

Figure: Closed Cycle Gas Turbine Cogeneration System

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar
 Type of Cogeneration Systems

Reciprocating Engine Cogeneration

Systems
• Used as direct mechanical drives

• Many advantages:
operation,
efficiency, fuel
costs
• Used as direct
mechanical drives
• Four sources of
usable waste heat

Figure: Reciprocating engine cogeneration system (UNESCAP, 2000)

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar
 Type of Cogeneration Systems

Topping Cycle

• Supplied fuel first produces power

followed by thermal energy
• Thermal energy is a by product used for
process heat or other
• Most popular method of cogeneration

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Type of Cogeneration Systems

Bottoming Cycle

• Primary fuel produces high

temperature thermal energy
• Rejected heat is used to generate
power
• Suitable for manufacturing processes

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Cogeneration

Introduction
Types of cogeneration systems
Assessment of cogeneration systems
Energy efficiency opportunities

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Assessment of Cogeneration
Systems

Performance Terms & Definitions

• Overall Plant Heat Rate (kCal/kWh):
Ms x (hs − hw)
Power Output (kW )

Ms = Mass Flow Rate of Steam (kg/hr)

hs = Enthalpy of Steam (kCal/kg)
hw = Enthalpy of Feed Water (kCal/kg)

• Overall Plant Fuel Rate (kg/kWh)

Fuel Consumption * (kg / hr )
Power Output (kW )
Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar
 Assessment of Cogeneration
Systems
Steam Turbine Performance
• Steam turbine efficiency (%):
Actual Enthalpy Drop across the Turbine (kCal / kg )
x 100
Isentropic Enthalpy drop across the Turbine (kCal / kg )

Gas Turbine Performance

• Overall gas turbine efficiency (%) (turbine
compressor):
Power Output (kW ) x 860
x 100
Fuel Input for Gas Turbine (kg / hr ) x GCV of Fuel (kCal / kg )

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Assessment of Cogeneration
Systems
Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG)
Performance
• Heat recovery steam generator efficiency
(%):
M s x ( hs − hw )
x 100
[ M f x Cp (t in − t out )] + [ M aux x GCV of Fuel (kCal / kg )]

Ms = Steam Generated (kg/hr)

hs = Enthalpy of Steam (kCal/kg)
hw = Enthalpy of Feed Water (kCal/kg)
Mf = Mass flow of Flue Gas (kg/hr)
t-in = Inlet Temperature of Flue Gas (0C)
t-out = Outlet Temperature of Flue Gas (0C)
Maux = Auxiliary Fuel Consumption (kg/hr)

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Cogeneration

Introduction
Types of cogeneration systems
Assessment of cogeneration systems
Energy efficiency opportunities

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

 Energy Efficiency Opportunities

Gas Turbine Cogeneration System

Gas turbine – manage the following parameters:

• Gas temperature and pressure

• Part load operation and starting & stopping
• Temperature of hot gas and exhaust gas
• Mass flow through gas turbine
• Air pressure

Thermal Equipment/Cogeneration Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar

Dr. Walid Abdelghaffar