Exploitation of Excess Low-Temperature Heat Sources from Cogeneration Gas Engines

Abstract

The chapter presents an innovative technical solution for the use of low-temperature excess heat from the combined heat and power (CHP) of gas engines using gas or liquid fuel for district heating, building heating or industry. The primary fuel efficiency of CHP gas engines for heat production can be significantly increased by using the low-temperature excess heat of the exhaust gasses and the cooling system of the CHP gas engine, which are released into the environment thereby also reducing CO2 emissions. District heating hot water systems generally work with higher temperatures of the heating water, which is transported to the heat consumer via the supply line, and the cooled heating water is returned to the CHP gas engine via the return line. In order to make use of the excess low-temperature heat of the exhaust gasses and the cooling system of the CHP gas engine, a condenser must be installed in the exhaust pipe in which the water vapor contained in the exhaust gasses condenses and a mixture of water and glycol is heated, which later leads to the evaporator of the high-temperature heat pump (HTHP). The cooled heating water is returned from the heat consumer via the district heating return pipe to a condenser of one or more HTHPs connected in series, where it is reheated and then sent to a CHP gas engine, where it is reheated to the final temperature. The Aspen plus software package is used to run a computer simulation of one or more HTHPs connected in series and parallel to the district heating system and to demonstrate the economics of using the excess heat from the exhaust gasses and the cooling system of the CHP gas engine.