Methodology to Reach Optimal Design of CHP Plants Available to Purchase

A methodology to reach the best CHP plant design is proposed. The standard method to choose the best fit in the process design of a CHP plant is improved considering off-design simulation of the pre-selected schemes. The off-design simulation deals specifically with economic dispatch optimization applied on each pre-selected plant to calculate the operation performance under well-known heat and power loads. The economic dispatch include fuel, uniform series payments related with investment and operation & maintenance costs and evaluates the variable behavior for power and heat along time with a scenario that takes into account transactions with the utility grid as well as auxiliary or back up boilers. It is shown the different result reached in each approach and the new point of view gotten with the use of the methodology proposed.