Absorption chillers improve cogeneration energy efficiency

When power is being generated from fossil fuel and used as shaft horsepower or electrical energy, the process is only 20% to 35% thermally efficient if the waste heat from the prime mover is not effectively utilized. Although there are new gas turbine engines that boast 40% thermal efficiency, they are not only on the market yet. Fortunately, there are many ways to capture and utilize most of the 65% to 80% of the energy wasted in the conventional utility generation of electric energy. This article discusses only those applications where the thermal energy available as waste heat can be converted to chilled water by the absorption process and used either as a commodity beyond the generation process or the enhance the generation process itself.