Combined Power Supply of Decentralized Energy Consumers in Conditions of Extreme Continental Climate

AbstractIn recent years, Kazakhstan has a growing interest in sustainable and energy effective combined supply for decentralized energy consumers. This is due to the development of the regions and the desire of consumers to obtain modern energy services.This paper presents a comparative analysis of the energy efficiency of a combined energy autonomous system constructed on the basis of cogeneration (CHP) and trigeneration (TG) (involving low-potential heat of the earth (LPH)) low and domestic size power plants.Method of the research is mathematical modeling and simulation of combined heating, cooling and power supplying in the system that combines a thermodynamic cycle in the internal combustion engine (ICE) and a geothermal heat pump with direct mechanical drive compressors (DMGHP).Parametric adjustment and calibration of mathematical models are implemented on the basis of experimental research on a prototype for a trigeneration plant.The research has established that the application of cogeneration plants for autonomous objects in extreme continental climate in Kazakhstan with a large seasonal variation in outdoor temperatures are significantly inferior to the energy efficiency of trigeneration plants. Thus, if the average annual energy efficiency of cogeneration systems based on internal combustion engines does not exceed 50–60%, and the usage of TGP, which includes (DMGHP), allows to reduce the consumption of fossil fuel 3–4 times by involving source of renewable energy low-potential heat of the earth. It should be noted, that LPH is available in all regions of Kazakhstan and practically does not depend from climate conditions