Effects of Coupling Combined Heat and Power Production with District Cooling

Kertu Lepiksaar, Vladislav Mašatin, Igor Krupenski and Anna Volkova ()
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Kertu Lepiksaar: Department of Energy Technology, School of Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia
Vladislav Mašatin: Department of Energy Technology, School of Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia
Igor Krupenski: Department of Energy Technology, School of Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia
Anna Volkova: Department of Energy Technology, School of Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: Over the past decades, combined heat and power production (CHP) has proven itself to be an efficient means of meeting both heat and power demands. However, high efficiency can be achieved with CHP plants when the heat load is sufficient, while lower-priority CHP plants must deal with the excess heat associated with power generation. This excess heat can be used for district cooling with absorption chillers. Although the absorption chiller is an efficient technology for using excess heat for cooling generation, its efficiency is very sensitive to driving hot water temperature. This paper provides a detailed analysis of how cooling generation in CHP plants using absorption chillers affects power generation and primary energy consumption. This study is based on the operational parameters of the Mustamäe CHP plant (Tallinn, Estonia) and the cooling demand of the Tehnopol science and business campus and proposes a sufficient cooling production capacity based on the estimation of the campus’ cooling demand. Additional cooling production opportunities to meet district cooling demand are discussed and compared in this paper in terms of primary energy savings and economic profit. The study finds that for the effective use of CHP excess heat and efficient cooling production, the use of an 0.8 MW absorption cooler and 11.6 MW heat pumps is recommended. This system would use 1.9 times less primary energy for cooling generation than local cooling.

Keywords: absorption chiller; cogeneration; cooling demand; district cooling; energy planning; power generation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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