Engineering the right solution
August 1st 2005 Taj Heer, managing director of Wellman Thermal Products states:“There is no doubt that CHP can effectively improve energy efficiencies within organisations as a result of recycling ‘energy waste’ from one process to provide fuel into another, which then in turn is used to simultaneously generate electricity and usable heat from the same plant.” Here he takes a look at how the CHP market is going to evolve he market for Combined Heat and Power is evolving with developments within processes and equipment, coupled with a macro environment that has become more liberal in terms of integrated energy services as opposed to simple fuel and power supply. Wellman Robey, (a Wellman Thermal Products company) and one of Europe’s leading boiler design, engineering and manufacturing organisations, are keeping a keen eye on the ever evolving CHP market place.
However the potentially high initial costs of a CHP plant can often be a barrier to progress, albeit attractive business models showing favourable returns on investment. Add to this the relative low costs of utility supply (gas and electric) and a general lack of awareness and we have a potential customer market that is still waiting to expand in terms of number of installations. Recent developments however, within the political and social-environmental arena seem to be changing the negative outlook.
There is no doubt that alternative technologies (such as developments within fuel types) will need to be considered in order for organisations to comply with ever changing legislation and internal cost/profit drivers. Plant design will invariably undergo re-engineering in order to minimise ‘process waste’, in whatever guise that may be (e.g. efficiency, thermal transfer, yield and so on).
Nevertheless, in order to achieve this, not only will industry need to focus on renewable/recyclable energy projects, but also on development of the ‘back end’ technology in order to develop and distribute electricity and wherever possible, back into the National Grid.
This is very much the larger scale for CHP and although Wellman Robey have been successful in design through to installation for the larger end, it is in the middle to smaller end of the market where expansion seems to be occurring at a rapid rate.
A good example of this comes from hospitals and universities where self part-generation is desirable for obvious reasons (cost savings, and so on). A typical type of installation across these sectors involves a Wellman Robey European Combination steam boiler (see illustration). The key concept is that it takes waste gasses from the electrical generator along with a standard fuel (e.g. gas, oil, etc) in order to produce the required steam output. Each installation is based upon the amount of waste gasses available in relation to the output steam requirement. This is where the Wellman Robey design adds value as the waste gasses have their own entry into the boiler along with their own fire tubes and chimney exits. This also applies to the burner and its own set of boiler apparatus; quite simply two boilers in one.
A key factor in the success of CHP plants is to ensure that suppliers of the process design and equipment are at the leading edge of innovation and development. In support, the commercial terms of the solution still need to remain attractive but if the supplier gets it right, the payback for the customer is not only in financial terms but also in relationship terms; as the supplier–customer work together to produce a complete, cost effective and forward thinking solution.
In order to help the potential CHP market evolve, it is imperative that the market drivers which shape purchasing decisions are understood, and consequentially, the right solutions are put forward. More articles from Wellman Robey: | 
