Optimization of a Cogeneration System in the Automotive Industry

As more electric utilities deregulate, the economic benefits of using cogeneration systems as an energy asset need to be fully understood by the owners and operators of large manufacturing plants to maximize reliability and profitability. Multiple prime movers (generator sets) are becoming commonplace in large industrial facilities. The power requirements for a manufacturing plant and the plant's ability to match the thermal load of the cogeneration system to the thermal requirements of the plant become even more critical, and consequently more complicated, in the case where multiple prime movers are present. This paper will discuss the benefits of cogeneration in the automotive industry and examine one such case, a large industrial manufacturer with several cogeneration prime movers of differing capabilities at a single site.