ISHS Acta Horticulturae 148: III International Symposium on Energy in Protected Cultivation
COGENERATION OF HEAT AND ELECTRICITY FOR GREENHOUSE USE |
| Authors: | M. S. Giniger, David R. Mears |
| Abstract:
Cogeneration units consisting of electric generators driven by a fossil fuel engine with heat recovery can be used to provide energy for greenhouse operations. This concept is particularly attractive when a low grade fuel is readily available. Cogenerators have the ability to transform this low grade fuel into more valuable energy i.e. electricity, as well as provide a good source of hot water for space heating. Greenhouses inherently use large amounts of heat and a substantial amount of electricity. For this investigation a cogenerator has been used in place of a boiler, providing heat when necessary to a research greenhouse and producing electricity. Most of the time the unit was run on heat demand producing electricity as a by-product. Although pipeline natural gas was used in these tests, it would be anticipated that digester gas could be used. In this study conducted at Rutgers, Public Service Electric and Gas Company has provided a cogenerator and the gas supply used in a 558 m2 greenhouse facility. The nominal 30 kw unit has at this writing operated for 2500 hours and can produce a considerable amount of the greenhouse's heat and electrical needs. It is the objective of this paper to review the performance of the cogenerator as matched to the greenhouse's energy requirements. The data on the performance of the unit has been analyzed to enable studies to be conducted on alternate control strategies for the unit. The optimum matching of the unit's capacity and operating time to the heat and electrical demands of a greenhouse facility are necessary if the most economical possible use is to be made of the unit. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
