Analysis of In-Plant Cogeneration Using a Microcomputer

The analysis of in-plant cogeneration opportunities requires quantification of several factors. These include, among others, the profiles of plant steam and electricity usage, the temperature and pressure of primary header steam, the dollar value of all energy (steam or electricity) bought, produced, and sold, and turbine/generator operating efficiencies at various loads. Since all of these factors can be quantified, and because a standard procedure can be defined for evaluating in-plant cogeneration opportunities, this task is ideally suited for a digital computer. This paper discusses the development and methodology of a microcomputer program to analyze in-plant cogeneration opportunities. User-oriented features of the program are highlighted and thermodynamic and financial computational routines are discussed. The results obtained by this program for a case study are presented