Micro-CHP (Cooling, Heating, and Power): Not Just Scaled Down CHP

The paper will introduce the research community to the Mississippi Micro-CHP (Cooling, Heating, and Power) and Bio-fuel Center, a unique research, demonstration and education center combining the resources and expertise from Mississippi State University Engineering, Agriculture, and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES). The center is a vertically integrated program to study and demonstrate the entire bio-fuel utilization cycle from “woodchips to micro-CHPs”: feedstock production, conversion to bio-fuel/biogas, conversion to onsite electrical power, and utilization of the resulting waste heat to provide the site’s cooling and heating needs. The “micro” designates a focus on residential, small commercial and rural applications. The coupling of micro-CHP with bio-fuels has to do with addressing regional and demographic consideration of successful micro-CHP implementation as opposed to a one-strategy-fits-all approach. The paper will contrast characteristics of residential and small commercial establishments versus commercial/industrial CHP systems and form a list of desirable characteristics for micro-CHP components and overall micro-CHP system design. Based on these evaluations, future research plans for the Center will be suggested. Another factor that will be stressed is that Micro-CHP will best be utilized if designed as part of a whole building system. The characteristics of the building are as important as the characteristics of the equipment, and both should be designed to work together synergistically.