New heat and power (CHP) system

Citation

(1999), "New heat and power (CHP) system", Facilities, Vol. 17 No. 5/6. https://doi.org/10.1108/f.1999.06917eab.012

New heat and power (CHP) system

New heat and power (CHP) system

Keywords Electricity, Energy, Heating/ventilation, Plant efficiency

Peterborough-based Brotherhood Aircogen, a supplier of combined heat and power (CHP) systems, has introduced a range of AirCHP products. The units will be of special interest to architects when they are considering a building's heating and electrical requirements.

AirCHP is unique in directly heating air with the waste heat from electricity generation. The equipment is simular to other modern packaged CHP systems but the power generation system, usually based on a reciprocating natural gas engine, is placed within the building's recirculated/fresh air stream. This approach enables power, conditioned air and hot water to be produced at energy efficiencies of up to 95 per cent ­ compared to the 80 per cent typically achieved by a water-based CHP system ­ and high fresh air flow rates to improve building air quality.

The flexibility of AirCHP schemes allows them to be configured as total energy centres. They can supply all of a building's power and heating needs and, potentially, all its cooling requirements. AirCHP schemes eliminate the need for a range of traditional plant room equipment including boilers, air handling plant and stand-by power generators. This has significant economic advantages and offers the convenience of a packaged plant room.

AirCHP can be used for any building where air is employed as a heating medium and when the operating profile of the building allows the equipment to be employed for significant periods of time.

Brotherhood Aircogen has ten long-term installations running at various locations throughout the UK, generating between 145kW and 636kW of electricity. These sites include the Safeway supermarket at Milton Keynes and several automated Royal Mail processing centres.

A free initial energy and financial evaluation of a proposed scheme can be carried out by Brotherhood Aircogen, using tailored software which provides a profile of energy inputs and outputs. Site utility prices are added to this evaluation to provide an estimate of energy savings and a financial analysis, detailing such things as payback at net present values (NPV) and internal rates of return (IRR). The program takes account of maintenance costs and engine availability.

For further company information contact: Duncan Scott, Brotherhood Aircogen, Werrington Parkway, Peterborough PE4 5HG. Tel: 01733 292458.