ABSTRACT
This chapter describes various cogeneration systems. It includes the first and second law analyses. The chapter focuses on the total system, which is defined as the cogeneration unit plus standby boilers and the utility network. Cogeneration is the simultaneous production of more than one form of useful energy. In industry, cogeneration has been used as a means of producing both electric and thermal energy. The cogeneration system sometimes is referred to as the total-energy system or waste heat-utilization system. A cogeneration system requires equipment that burns fuel to produce shaft work and thermal energy. There are two basic arrangements for cogeneration systems. One is a topping cycle, and the other is a bottoming cycle. In the topping cycle, the prime mover is used to generate electric power, and the waste heat and the by-product steam from it are used for plant processes. Topping cycles are significantly more fuel-efficient than are conventional systems that generate electric energy and thermal energy separately.
