Computer Aided Selection Of Power Generation unit In The Cogeneration Process

The technological process which allows the production of electricity and thermal energy is defined by the CHP - Combined Heat and Power. An example of reason for limiting the efficiency of conventional steam-electric power stations is the group of main losses occurring in the boiler, including: stack, incomplete combustion of the fuel, non-whole combustion in cinder and ashes, radiation and convection. In Poland, the net production efficiency of current coal-fired power engineering is 33-34%. Combined power generation systems are a part of distributed generation which additionally limits transmission losses. The advantages of CHP installations and the support system for co-generation of electricity and heat producers have increased the popularity of cogeneration installations in recent years, which have been applied to various applications, among others small heat and power plants, hospitals, sports centers, office buildings, hotels, airports, sewage treatment plants, greenhouses and dryers, as well as in factories. The selection of a combined power generation unit is a complex task due to technical limitations of the equipment, variable energy demand, forecasted changes in energy prices and CO₂ emission rights.