Performance and cost results from a DOE Micro-CHP demonstration facility at Mississippi State University

Abstract

Cooling, Heating, and Power (CHP) systems have been around for decades, but systems that utilize 20kW or less, designated as Micro-CHP, are relatively new. A demonstration site has been constructed at Mississippi State University (MSU) to show the advantages of these micro scale systems. This study is designed to evaluate the performance of a Micro-CHP system as opposed to a conventional high-efficiency Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system that utilizes electrical power from the existing power grid. Raw data was collected for 7months to present the following results. The combined cycle efficiency from the demonstration site was averaged at 29%. The average combined boiler and engine cost was $1.8h−1 of operation for heating season and $3.9h−1 of operation for cooling season. The cooling technology used, an absorption chiller exhibited an average Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 0.27. The conventional high-efficiency system, during cooling season, had a COP of 4.7 with a combined cooling and building cost of $0.2h−1 of operation. During heating mode, the conventional system had an efficiency of 47% with a fuel and building electrical cost of $0.28h−1 of operation.