Combined heat and power systems (CHP) are one of the important technologies for achieving robust production of heat and electricity with high process efficiency. In the future, their use is expected to be desirable in areas where separate systems for the production of heat and electricity, based on internal combustion engines, currently prevail. In this thesis, a numerical model of a CHP system was developed, based on a 100 kW stationary internal combustion engine operating at a constant rotational frequency, coupled with a synchronous electric generator that produces three-phase alternating current at 50 Hz. The excess heat is transferred via the engine’s cooling fluid to water in a plate heat exchanger, which can be used for space heating as well as for domestic hot water needs. Numerical models of all three system components were developed in Python, enabling an analysis of the adaptability and efficiency of the CHP system to the required values of electrical power and thermal load of the consumer. The system operates in a priority mode, meaning that it adjusts its parameters based on the higher of the two demanded values—thermal load or electrical power. Simulation results based on a selected consumption profile of heat and electricity show that the modeled components successfully adapt to consumer demands within all physical constraints of the system, and that the developed model can also operate in transient regimes.
|
