Implementation of heat storage and network water cooler for improvement of energy and economic performance of municipal heating plant with biomass fired cogeneration module

Many fossil fuel fired municipal heating plants have been upgraded to cogeneration systems through installation of biomass fired cogeneration modules. This paper shows the effects of installing an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology based module in a plant with coal fired water boilers. Current problems related to operation of the integrated system are presented and discussed. Special attention is given to the volatility of the main operational parameters, which impacts the economic performance of the project. With a view to enhancing performance, new equipment such as heat storage and a district heating water cooler are proposed and examined. A mathematical simulation model and optimization algorithm for thermal energy storage capacity sizing were developed using the commercial software EBSILON (R) Professional. The model was calibrated and validated with real measurement data from the SCADA system of the plant. Results of simulations revealed potential annual financial benefits related to savings of chemical energy of fuels and selling excess electricity on the balancing market. The results of these simulations prove that proposed modifications of the technological system structure could be a good option for increasing investment profitability at the current level of fuel and energy prices.