This paper describes a study that starts with an analysis of typical energy demand profiles in a hospital setting followed by a case study of a cogeneration system (CGS) under an energy service company (ESCO) project. The CGS idea is of an autonomous system for the combined generation of electrical, heating, and cooling energy in a hospital. The driving units are two high-efficiency gas engines that produce the electrical and heat energy. A gas engine meets the requirement for high electrical and heating energy demands; a natural gas-fuelled reciprocating engine is used to generate 735 kW of power. In our case, the electrical energy will be used only in the hospital. A deficit in electricity can be covered by purchasing power from the public network. Generated steam drives three steam-fired absorption chillers and is delivered to individual heat consumers. This system can provide simultaneous heating and cooling. No technical obstacles were identified for implementing the CGS. The average ratio between electric and thermal loads in the hospital is suitable for CGS system operation. An analysis performed for a non-optimized CGS system predicted a large potential for energy savings.

Volume Subject Area:
Sustainable Environment
Topics:
Combined heat and power, Heat, Heating and cooling, Steam, Absorption, Engines, Gas engines, Heating, Piston engines, Stress
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 by ASME
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