Diesel Generator Exhaust Usage 1

[WaleedAhmedRana]

Dear Members,

My company has assigned me the task of increasing Diesel generator efficiency and optimizing its fuel usage and thereby reducing the cost of KW produced. Therefore I need ideas in how to improve generator efficiency and how can we use the exhaust released from these gensets. We are currently planning on using this exhaust for vapour absorption chilling or pre heating the water for boilers. I need some more ideas in how can we utilize this exhaust.
We have 5 CAT Generators of 1275 kva each and each gives out exhaust of 236.8 m3/min at 448 Centigrate.

Thanks

 

[catserveng]

Waste heat recovery for diesel engines is fairly common, although more common on gas fueled engines, at least in my experience.

Here is a link to the Caterpillar A&I Guide for Cooling Systems, there is a section on heat recovery for general guidelines,

http://www.gregorypoole.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/EPG_AI_Guides/LEBW4978-09 Cooling Sytems.pdf

I am most familiar with three companies that provided heat recovery silencers, they are,
Maxim
Cain
Vaporphase

Depending where you are in the world there may be others as well.

Mike L.

 

[racookpe1978]

What latitude and elevation are you?
How regularly do you run your diesels? Same in winter as in summer?
What do you need energy for? Air conditioning? Heating? Lights? AC only a few months of the year?
Can you use low grade (medium temperature) hot air? (Diesel exhaust itself is toxic, but can heat a modest amount of air a little bit above inlet temperatures, can heat water modestly but only when the diesel is running, but is very, very poor at trying to heat a large industrial process like a boiler or chemical tank.

The diesel exhaust is at modest pressure but is filled with toxic fumes and exhaust particles and (possibly) corrosive gasses and particulates. But you can use the pressurized gas to do some things: Most obviously, as a supercharger or turbocharger to use the pressurized gas to run a shaft. That could be expensive of it fouls up the engine controls through.

Waste heat recovery (diesel exhaust to air) for winter use is the simplest.

 

[squeeky]

Your diesel exhuast will definately have nasty stuff in it. Less in some fuels but they are still there. I would look at stainless steel but it may not be the solution due to chloride stress cracking. You would have to talk to your fuel supplier. Stainless Steel has massvely different heat transfere properties to mild steel too. I have just attended a paper where they are heating boiler combustion air from flue gas but the fuel was biomass. They did the pilot project with SS but were going to look for a better material. Purhaps speak to the boiler people who use heavy furance fuel.