Power supply of responsible facilities should be carried out in a continuous and uninterrupted mode. For this, designers of power plants are developing ever new, more efficient and reliable designs, optimizing the filling of power plants and selecting the most economical types of fuel. One way to solve the problem of uninterrupted power supply is to connect redundant stations. In particular, the mini-CHP (cogeneration plant) allows, at low cost, to provide support for power supply to consumers in the conditions of temporary shutdown of the main source. Depending on the version, such facilities can be used both in industry and in servicing public facilities, as well as in everyday needs of ordinary consumers.
Purpose of CHP
Cogeneration plants perform the tasks of providing consumers with electricity. The latter may include industrial facilities, medical facilities, private homes, individual units and technical installations. Standard thermal power plants are rarely used as the main source of energy. They can perform the task of energy supply temporarily, but even in this case, a complete replacement of the main power supply network is not always guaranteed.
Despite the modest potential for generating electricity, TPPs are widely used as relatively small-sized, convenient in operation, undemanding in maintenance, and economical generators. In many ways, these qualities justify the use of such stations for private needs. For example, with the help of mini-thermal power plants, they provide electricity not only to residential buildings, but also to separate utility rooms, garages and bathhouses.
Gas turbine power plants
The very idea of autonomous power plants determines their independence from main energy sources. Nevertheless, gas-fired CHP plants that are connected to the central gas pipeline are the most economical in operation. This solution is the least costly, safe and effective in terms of maintaining performance. If there is no possibility of connecting to the highway, then cylinders filled with liquefied gas can be used . Such models work on the principle of converting heat generated during fuel combustion into mechanical and electrical energy. Thanks to the addition of gas-fired mini-CHPs with a turbine generator, they can generate large volumes of energy. While maintaining the small size of the structure, the station is capable of servicing industrial equipment that requires the connection of considerable energy resources under high voltage.
Cogeneration plants with internal combustion engines
In one form or another, the power plant responsible for generating electricity through the combustion of the main fuel is present in any thermal power plant. But there are units in which the internal combustion engine performs the universal function of converting thermal energy. These are stations working with almost any type of fuel. This includes traditional liquid, gas, and solid-state fuels. Energy-efficient mini-CHP plants operating on biofuel are also distributed. For such plants use pellets, granular materials and even some types of industrial waste. However, the cost of cogeneration plants of this type is much higher than the price of conventional generators.
Steam mini-CHP
The features of steam power generation stations include low power, environmental friendliness, a high level of safety and economy in operation. In this case, the source of energy for the conversion is water, which, as a result of high heating, passes into steam, and then into condensate. The main disadvantage that a steam mini-CHP possesses is the complexity of its structural device. The fact is that the station is a complex that includes several separate components. Unlike the same gas-turbine cogeneration plants, steam plants include a boiler, which also acts as a steam generator. Also, communication with the generator set is formed through a network of pipes that circulate water and steam. But the inconvenience of using the design is practically offset by the lack of fuel costs.
What is the difference between TPPs and TPPs?
Classic thermal power plants (TPPs) perform one task, which is to generate electricity. In turn, combined heat and power plants can generate heat, carrying out the heating function. Accordingly, the CHP is a multitasking energy facility, which, however, can lose to stations in terms of generator power. Therefore, questions about how TPP differs from TPP and what equipment is preferable should be considered from different perspectives. If the priority is the generation of electricity, then it is better to focus on conventional thermal power plants. Cogeneration plants are more likely to come up in cases where it is necessary to provide combined generation of energy resources.
CHP advantages
The design and construction of mini-cogeneration plants is justified by various operational factors. First of all, it is low financial costs of maintenance. Moreover, even the use of liquid fuel allows us to count on significant savings compared with full-size power plants. Also, despite their small size, thermal power plants provide good performance and productivity indicators, especially for gas turbine models. True, thermal power plants still benefit from such heat and power plants in terms of energy return. On the other hand, the CHP plant is distinguished by environmental safety and the ability to work with a wide range of fuel resources.
Conclusion
The domestic industry produces electric power generators of various types and modifications. You can find a suitable model for critical production tasks, and for private needs. The main thing is to decide on the functions that a particular mini-CHP will perform. The price of the simplest and low-power units is 10-15 thousand rubles. These are small installations, the potential of which is enough for heating and power supply of a small house. For 30-40 thousand, you can purchase a cogeneration plant to service a large country house or industrial facility. At the same time, it is important to take into account the need for additional equipment, which can include both mounting components and equipment controls.