Small scale impact of gas technologies on electric load management – μCHP & hybrid heat pump

To face winter electricity peaking issues the authors proposes an analysis of the potential of distributed gas technologies for demand side management. This impact has to be analysed at small scale before any large scale extrapolation. Bi-energy technologies (gas and electricity) are a path to transfer loads from one system to another. Indeed, the flexible gas infrastructure adapts to load while electricity demand variations cause risk of black-out. The impacts of two hybrid technologies are studied at transformer level with 1-min experimental load profiles of 40 dwellings equipped with micro Combined Heat and Power (μCHP) boilers over a year in France. An absolute peak load reduction by 17% at small scale is found. Different technology mixes are then simulated to assess the effect on local infrastructure. Finally a methodology for temperature dependence analysis of load is used to assess different potential benefits of gas technologies.     

Planning of micro-combined heat and power systems in the Portuguese scenario

High efficiency cogeneration is seen by the European Commission as part of the solution to increase energy efficiency and improve security of supply in the internal energy markets. Portuguese residential sector has an estimated technical market potential of around 500 MW_e for cogeneration of <150 kW_e in size. Additionally, in Portugal there is a specific law for power production in low voltage, where at least 50% of the produced electric energy must be own consumed and the maximum power delivered to the power utility should be less than 150 kW_e. Therefore, generic application tools cannot be applied in this regard. In this work, we develop the MicroG model for planning micro-CHP plants in agreement with the Portuguese energy legal framework. The model is able to design, evaluate and optimize from the techno-economic point of view any micro-CHP plant. MicroG appeals to some data bases, such as micro-cogeneration technologies and power consumption profiles that are also described. In addition, a practical case on a gym is considered to show all the functionalities of the model. The developed model has proven to be extremely useful from the practical point of view. This model could help the development of the micro-CHP Portuguese market, which in turns contributes to accomplish the targets of Kyoto protocol and EU cogeneration Directive. Other improvements to MicroG model can be made in order to enlarge the range of application to other micro-cogeneration technologies and to accomplish with the CO₂ emissions trading.     

Modeling and optimization of a 1 kWe HT-PEMFC-based micro-CHP residential system

A high temperature-proton exchange membrane (HT-PEMFC)-based micro-combined-heat-and-power (CHP) residential system is designed and optimized, using a genetic algorithm (GA) optimization strategy. The proposed system consists of a fuel cell stack, steam methane reformer (SMR) reactor, water gas shift (WGS) reactor, heat exchangers, and other balance-of-plant (BOP) components. The objective function of the single-objective optimization strategy is the net electrical efficiency of the micro-CHP system. The implemented optimization procedure attempts to maximize the objective function by variation of nine decision variables. The value of the objective function for the optimum design configuration is significantly higher than the initial one, with a 20.7% increase.     

Case analyses of heat trading between buildings connected by a district heating network

This study examined the decentralisation of energy production with possibilities of trading not only electricity but also heat. This was carried out with a limited population of buildings connected to the district heating network in a small town in Finland.

The study examined whether a buildings community could be self sufficient with respect to heat by using small CHP plants, and explored the consequences of such an energy system. It also aimed to find an optimal solution. Therefore, it searched in what type of buildings should the micro-CHP plants be installed and with what kind of strategy should they be operated in order for the community to be energetically self sufficient without producing lots of excess heat.     

Solid oxide fuel cell micro combined heat and power system operating strategy: Options for provision of residential space and water heating

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) based micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems exhibit fundamentally different characteristics from other common micro-CHP technologies. Of particular relevance to this article is that they have a low heat-to-power ratio and may benefit from avoidance of thermal cycling. Existing patterns of residential heat demand in the UK, often characterised by morning and evening heating periods, do not necessarily complement the characteristics of SOFC based micro-CHP in an economic and technical sense because of difficulties in responding to large rapid heat demands (low heat-to-power ratio) and preference for continuous operation (avoidance of thermal cycling). In order to investigate modes of heat delivery that complement SOFC based micro-CHP a number of different heat demand profiles for a typical UK residential dwelling are considered along with a detailed model of SOFC based micro-CHP technical characteristics. Economic and environmental outcomes are modelled for each heat demand profile. A thermal energy store is then added to the analysis and comment is made on changes in economic and environmental parameters, and on the constraints of this option. We find that SOFC-based micro-CHP is best suited to slow space heating demands, where the heating system is on constantly during virtually all of the winter period. Thermal energy storage is less useful where heat demands are slow, but is better suited to cases where decoupling of heat demand and heat supply can result in efficiencies.     

Cost-optimized real-time operation of CHP systems

The Cooling, Heating, and Power (CHP) systems have been widely recognized as a key alternative for thermal and electric energy generation because of the outstanding energy efficiency, reduced environmental emissions, and relative independence from centralized power grids. Nevertheless, the total energy cost of CHP systems can be highly dependent on the operation of individual components. This paper presents an energy dispatch algorithm that minimizes the cost of energy (e.g., cost of electricity from the grid and cost of natural gas into the engine and boiler) based on energy efficiency constrains for each component. A deterministic network flow model of a typical CHP system is developed as part of the algorithm. The advantage of using a network flow model is that the electric and thermal energy flows through the CHP equipment can be readily visualized allowing for easier interpretation of the results. This algorithm has been used in simulations of a case study on the operation of an existing micro-CHP system. The results from the simulation are presented in the paper to demonstrate the economical advantages resulting from optimal operation.     

Modeling and off-design performance of a 1 kWe HT-PEMFC (high temperature-proton exchange membrane fuel cell)-based residential micro-CHP (combined-heat-and-power) system for Danish single-family households

A novel proposal for the modeling and operation of a micro-CHP (combined-heat-and-power) residential system based on HT-PEMFC (High Temperature-Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) technology is described and analyzed to investigate its commercialization prospects. An HT-PEMFC operates at elevated temperatures, as compared to Nafion-based PEMFCs and therefore can be a significant candidate for cogeneration residential systems. The proposed system can provide electric power, hot water, and space heating for a typical Danish single-family household. A complete fuel processing subsystem, with all necessary BOP (balance-of-plant) components, is modeled and coupled to the fuel cell stack subsystem. The micro-CHP system is simulated in LabVIEW™ environment to provide the ability of Data Acquisition of actual components and thereby more realistic design in the future. A part-load study has been conducted to indicate performance characteristics at off-design conditions. The system is sized to provide realistic dimensioning of the actual system.     

CFD simulation of Pd-based membrane reformer when thermally coupled within a fuel cell micro-CHP system

In this work, a bi-dimensional CFD simulation investigates a fuel processor for hydrogen production from natural gas or biogas composed by a steam methane reformer coupled with a palladium-based hydrogen permeable membrane, the so-called “membrane reformer” (MREF). The heat required for the endothermic reforming reaction taking place on the MREF is supplied by a stream of hot gas coming from an external source, typically represented by a combustor burning the unconverted fuel and the unpermeated hydrogen. The resulting fuel processor arrangement, which has already been simulated by the point of view of energy and mass balances, may achieve a very high efficiency and is particularly suited for integration with fuel cells. The interest on this configuration relies on the possibility to implement this technology within a PEMFC-based micro-cogenerator (also micro-Combined Heat and Power, or m-CHP) with a net electrical power output in a range of 1–2 kW. In particular, the work focuses on the temperature profiles along the membrane, which should be kept as close as possible to 600 °C to favourite permeation and avoid any damages, and examines the advantages of hot gas on co-current direction vs. counter-current with respect to the reformer flux direction.