KGRA welcomes the opportunity to help you evaluate your site’s suitability for waste heat recovery and the conversion of this waste heat into electricity.
Generalizations can be made about the amount of power our KGRA systems can make from certain heat sources. Given the prevalence of standard cogeneration and combined heat and power (CHP) systems, most engine suppliers now provide data sheets with the metrics of the energy stream being vented through the cooling system or exhaust stack.
Our business development professionals help you assess the physical and economic viability of your various heat sources. Careful consideration is paid to properly understand all elements of your existing systems, your anticipated duty cycles, and the amount and nature of your electrical consumption. The combination of these factors helps determine the most effective solution for you.
Here are some guidelines to think about when evaluating your site:
- What makes a good heat source?
- How do I determine how much power can be produced from my heat source?
What makes a good heat source?
Although the technology is generally the same from project to project, site-specific characteristics can dramatically alter the quality of a heat source and in turn, alter the financial return of a project. The following attributes are found in excellent projects, though the absence of any of these does not automatically disqualify a site as being a strong candidate:
- Projects with a large flow of heat are stronger (all else equal) than projects with smaller heat flows
- Higher temperature heat sources (all else equal) result in stronger projects than cooler temperatures
- Projects with stable, predictable and high run times/availability (all else equal) result in stronger projects than projects with intermittent, unpredictable, and/or low run times.
- Projects that have the ability to reject large quantities of heat (either through access to cold water for a water-cooled system or cold ambient conditions for an air-cooled system) will (all else equal) generally result in stronger projects than projects with poor heat rejection capabilities.
- Projects in areas of high power prices will (all else equal) generally result in stronger projects than those with relatively lower power prices.
How do I determine how much power can be produced from my heat source?
Generally speaking, the amount of power KGRA can produce from a given heat source can be illustrated with the following formula:
Usable Heat = Flow * ( Thot – Tcold ) * specific heat
The usable heat (measured in BTUs) is then converted into mechanical energy through the turbine generator at the “conversion ratio.” Gross conversion ratios on KGRA projects generally range from 10% to 25% and are affected by a few factors:
- The absolute temperature of the heat source
- The quality of the heat rejection system
- The size of the system
Finally, gross power is reduced by the parasitic loads of the system to arrive at net power for sale. Parasitic loads consist of fluid pumps, condensation system motors, and onboard electronics. Water-cooled systems generally have smaller parasitic loads than air-cooled systems, often resulting in smaller parasitic loads, and therefore higher net power outputs for a given set of inputs.
To have KGRA evaluate your site and contact you with the preliminary findings, please fill out the following information:
