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Summary

Over the years, it has become typical industry practice to use a gas turbine (GT) and heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) for combined heat and power (CHP) applications when significant quantities of process steam are required. The higher gas turbine exhaust temperature and flow lends itself to steam generation, while lower temperature reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE) work well with hot water systems. However, RICE technology performance improvements in recent years have resulted in increased levels of efficiency that can change the equation and outcomes of site-specific CHP analyses. This presentation will challenge the conventional wisdom and show how a RICE and boiler configuration can have better overall system efficiency than a GT and HRSG in variable, low demand steam systems. Included will be an actual site example, a comparison of RICE and GT technology, a system evaluation that defines the application space and a performance and economic analysis that quantifies the benefit and validates the claim.

Session 6B: Design, Modeling & Optimization for Performance

Speakers

Ryan Voorhees, CHA Consulting, Inc. 
Eduardo Alcorta, INNIO