MICRO CHP PRODUCTS http://www.microchap.

info/

Micro CHP (Combined Heat & Power) is the simultaneous production of useful heat and
power within the home. It works very much like the gas boiler in a central heating
system and heats the home in just the same way. However, at the same time it
generates electricity, some of which you will use in your own home; the remainder is
exported to the grid to be used by your neighbours.
Natural gas is consumed in an engine (or other prime mover) to provide heat and
electricity for use within the home. In the case of engine-based micro CHP a total of
around 70-80% of the energy value of the gas is converted into heat, principally in the
form of hot water which is used for space heating and domestic hot water production as
in a normal central heating system. Between 10-25% is converted into electricity, and
the remainder (5-15%) is lost in the flue gases.
For fuel cell based systems, the electrical efficiency tends to be significantly higher, in
some cases more than 40%, but the total efficiency is roughly the same.
This compares with a conventional gas central heating boiler where around 90% of the
energy in the gas is converted into heat and the remaining 10% is lost in the flue gases.
Although the total "efficiency" of a micro CHP system is similar to a boiler system, the
electricity produced has a much higher value than heat. It is the value of this electricity
which covers the investment cost of the micro CHP unit and provides a net saving.

This section is intended for those who are considering the purchase of a micro CHP system, either for their own home or for clients. Although technical details are
generally available from the links to suppliers' web sites, specifiers and other professionals may wish to consult the Papers section to gain a better understanding
of the wider issues surrounding micro CHP. Products which are available on a commercial basis are clearly identified as such in their descriptions and contain a
link to the supplier. Before considering the purchase of a micro CHP system, however, you should consult the Economics section, or undertake some other
economic viability assessment, to see whether your investment is reasonable.
Information on enabling technologies, which enhance the value of micro CHP, is also included.
EXTERNAL COMBUSTION
ENGINES
INTERNAL COMBUSTION
ENGINES
FUEL CELLS
OTHER MICRO CHP
TECHNOLOGIES
ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES


The first true micro CHP systems
were based on external combustion
technology as their characteristics are
well suited to this stationary, constant
running application.
External combustion engines
separate the combustion process
(which is the energy input to the
engine) from the working gas, which
undergoes pressure fluctuations and

Internal combustion engines inject
fuel and air into the cylinders where
combustion occurs. The resulting
temperature and pressure changes of
the fuel/air mixture (which is also the
working gas) act on the piston to
produce useful work.
As the combustion process is cyclical,
rather than continuous, it is more
difficult to ensure complete
In a fuel cell, the chemical energy
within the fuel is converted directly
into electricity (with by-products of
heat and water) without any
mechanical drive or generator.
In theory this can result in high
electrical conversion efficiencies and
low emissions. However, numerous
additional components are required to
condition the fuel and to convert the
DC electrical output into AC suitable

There are numerous experimental
technologies which may at some
future date result in useable products.
These include thermo-electric
technologies which utilise
temperature difference acting on
metals or semi-conductors to produce
electricity and thermo-photovoltaic
units which convert the radiant energy
emitted by the burner to produce

Micro CHP has implications not only
for the immediate installation, but also
for the electricity system to which it is
connected.
This section, therefore, also covers
related technologies, products and
concepts which are either
essential to enable the operation of
micro CHP within the national
infrastructure, or which enhance the
hence does useful work.
As the combustion process is used to
provide a continuous heat input to the
working gas, it is more controllable
and generally more efficient, cleaner
and quieter than internal combustion
engines.
External combustion engines have
the potential for long life and service
intervals similar to the annual
maintenance of a gas boiler.
However, the inherent benefits of this
technology have yet to be fully
realised. Both Stirling and Rankine
engines have suffered from reliability
problems, and have failed to deliver
the promised efficiencies.
combustion of the fuel, and noise and
pollutant emissions tend to be higher
than for external combustion engines.
Early mini CHP products were derived
from automotive engines converted to
run on Natural Gas and suffered from
very high service costs and unreliable
operation.
Current models, however, have been
specifically developed for extended
operation between services. Contrary
to expectations, the inherent technical
challenges of ICE technology are
being gradually overcome and current
engines outperform external
combustion engines significantly in
efficiency terms.
for domestic installations, adding to
the cost and complexity of fuel cell
micro CHP.
A number of fuel cells have been
developed specifically for micro CHP
applications, with large numbers of
units now installed in Japan, albeit
heavily subsidised by government
and utility grants.
Commercially available domestic
products, based on PEM technology
typically achieve electrical efficiencies
of around 35% whilst SOFC based
products have demonstrated around
40-45% with the CFCL exceptionally
achieving as much as 60%.
Total efficiencies tend to be
somewhat lower than for engine
based technologies.
electricity from infra-red sensitive PV
cells. There are also novel engine
designs such as the MTT pico-turbine
illustrated above.
Although these are relatively
inefficient and produce little power,
there may be applications, for
example, in "self-powered boilers" for
which such concepts are of value.
performance or value of micro CHP
products themselves.
These include thermal and electrical
energy storage systems intended to
optimise self-consumption of
generated electricity as well as
"smart" load management concepts.
In the context of a de-carbonised heat
sector, gas fired micro CHP
technologies have the potential to
play a key role in supporting the
widespread introduction of electrically
driven heat pumps.
For those of you who are not particularly interested in the engine technology and just want to obtain a micro CHP product:
For your home:
WhisperGen (outside EU)
Baxi Ecogen (UK)
Honda Ecowill (Japan, USA)
EHE, European supplier of the WhisperGen unit unfortunately no longer exist.
For very large homes (with swimming pools), small hotels, schools, etc:
Baxi Dachs (UK, Europe)
EC Power (UK, Europe)
Ecopower (EU, USA)


EXTERNAL COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGY
The first true micro CHP systems were based on external combustion technology as their characteristics are best suited to this stationary, constant running
application. External combustion engines separate the combustion process (which is the energy input to the engine) from the working gas, which undergoes
pressure fluctuations and hence does useful work. As the combustion process is used to provide a continuous heat input to the working gas, it is inherently more
controllable and, in theory at least, more efficient, cleaner and quieter than internal combustion engines.
The two most common external combustion micro CHP technologies are the Stirling engine, in which a working gas is alternately heated and cooled to create
pressure changes which in turn drive a power piston, and the Rankine engine in which a fluid is heated to evaporate and expand against a piston or turbine, and
then cooled and condensed prior to the next heating and cooling cycle.
For further discussion of the relative merits of engine types see section on papers; greater detail and description of operating principles can be found in the book,
micro CHP
For information on products under development, click on the respective Rankine and Stirling links below.


STIRLING ENGINES RANKINE ENGINES

STIRLING CYCLE
There are two principal types of Stirling Engine, kinematic and free-piston. All Stirling engines have two pistons (functionally speaking), one of which shuttles the
working gas between the hot and cold zones and is known as a displacer, whilst the other is subject to the resulting pressure changes and does work to drive the
engine. In the kinematic engine, these two pistons are physically connected by a crank mechanism, whereas in the free-piston engine, there is no physical linkage
and the displacer oscillates resonantly. In theory the LFPSE (Linear Free Piston Stirling Engine) is much simpler as it contains fewer moving parts. In practice,
the challenges of differential expansion and linear generator design have so far proved a major obstacle to commercialisation.
Despite expectations of product availability as recently as late 2012, the decision by E.ON to abandon a fully proven product as it no longer fitted
their core strategy, may have been the final nail in the coffin for this technology, particularly given developments in fuel cell based micro CHP
technologies.
WhisperGen MEC (Microgen) Infinia (STC) Disenco (Inspirit)
The WhisperGen micro CHP unit comprises a
four cylinder engine which leads to smooth, low
vibration operation, with noise levels similar to a
domestic freezer.
In January 2008, WhisperGen announced the
establishment of a joint venture (EHE) with
Spanish white goods manufacturer Mondragon
CC to mass produce units for the European
market.
Several hundred units underwent extensive field
trials in Europe and technical issues appeared
to have been fully resolved.
E.ON announced forthcoming product launch in
November 2012, then just prior to actually doing
so, decided to "focus on core business",
whatever that means.
EHE is now in receivership and there seems
little prospect of that technology becoming
commercially available in the foreseeable future.
The Microgen unit, developed by BG Group
from a US (Sunpower) design, is a LFPSE
which is intended for wall-mounting; it contains a
supplementary burner which enables it to meet
the full heating requirements for even larger
homes.
Following disposal by BG Group in 2007,
development of the Microgen unit was taken
over by MEC, a consortium of gas boiler
companies (Viessmann, Baxi, Vaillant, Remeha)
and Sunpower.
Each of the boiler companies has developed
their own variant of micro CHP unit
incorporating the MEC engine, now being
manufactured in China.
The UK variant is manufactured by Baxi, part of
the BDR Thermea Group which also includes
Remeha, De Dietrich and Brtje.
The Infinia (formerly known as STC) LFPSE
was developed for incorporation in micro CHP
products manufactured by Ariston (formerly
MTS) and Bosch in Europe as well as Rinnai in
Japan.
Rinnai will also produce the LFPSE module for
integration into micro CHP packages by the
other partners for the European market, with a
trial of 1000 units planned for 2008-2010.
Although based on a virtually identical core
LFPSE as the MEC derivatives, this unit is more
realistically housed within an integrated floor-
mounted unit incorporating a hot water cylinder.
The Infinia engine previously formed the basis
of the ENATEC micro CHP unit, a joint venture
between the Dutch utility ENECO, ECN and
appliance manufacturer ATAG.
As of 2013, there has still been no commercial
launch and it is believed that development has
been abandoned.
The Disenco unit is a kinematic design with an
electrical output of around 3kWe, significantly
higher than the other products.
In January 2008, Disenco announced a
manufacturing partnership with Autocraft to
produce the core engine, with packaging by
Malvern boilers and recently announced
marketing deals with Endesa and Centrica.
In early 2010 Disenco was placed in
receivership; the design has been taken over by
Inspirit Energy who expect to trial the unit in
2011.
In 2013, Inspirit still seem to be facing funding
difficulties and no product availability has been
announced.

No longer available although the website still
contains micro CHP information.
Cost and performance data below for historic
record purposes only.
For UK sales contact:
Baxi Ecogen

For further information see:
Baxi
BDR Thermea
Remeha
Vaillant
Viessmann
For further information see:
Rinnai
Bosch
Ariston
Infinia
For further information:
Inspirit


RANKINE CYCLE
The Rankine cycle, like the Stirling cycle is an external combustion cycle; the combustion process is external to the cylinder containing the working gas. The
Rankine cycle is characterised by the working gas undergoing a phase change (from liquid to gas) which can be utilised to achieve high power densities. The
most familiar Rankine engine is the steam engine in which water is boiled by an external heat source, expands and exerts pressure on a piston or turbine rotor and
hence does useful work.
A number of the products below make use of this concept. However, one of them (the Energetix Genlec) is an organic Rankine engine which uses an organic fluid
(a refrigerant) and operates at temperatures and pressures much closer to conventional heating and refrigeration appliances. This has the significant advantage of
allowing the use of conventional, mass produced components and eliminates many of the technical challenges of steam engines. However, the relatively low
temperature differential between hot and cold stages of the cycle, limit the Carnot (theoretical) efficiency; in practice efficiencies in single digits are commonplace.
For further discussion of the relative merits of these engine types see section on papers.
GENLEC CLIMATE ENERGY OTAG ENGINION COGEN MICRO
The Energetix Genlec unit, is currently the
only truly wall-mounted micro CHP
anywhere in the world.
In effect, it is a refrigeration unit working in
reverse, using the expanding working gas
to power a scroll expander (compressor).
In theory, the ORC (Organic Rankine
Cycle) design can be constructed using
off the shelf components for the majority
of the appliance, leading to low production
costs. However, this product now makes
use of bespoke components intended to
optimise the performance.
It's relatively low electrical efficiency
means that it produces less electricity for
a given heat load than some other units,
although this should be compensated for
by the expected low cost.
In 2012, Energetix established an energy
supply company, Flow Energy, which
offers a package including gas and
electricity supply as well as the micro
CHP unit. In July 2013, having gained
40,000 customers, the energy supply
company ceased customer acquisition
activities to focus on product
commercialisation.
The Climate Energy unit also uses a
scroll expander, with benefits of
simplicity and potentially low
manufacturing cost.
However, the use of steam as a
working gas raises technical
challenges regarding reliability and
safety. Against this, the developers
claim that the thermodynamic
properties of steam permit high heat
transfer rates (resulting in compact
heat exchangers), tolerate leakage
and have no inherent material
risks. It is also non-toxic and
thermally stable which, combined
with the zero cost make this a
competitive technology.
Climate Energy LLC have also
launched the Honda ICE based unit
in the USA and it is uncertain as to
whether they intend to continue
development of their external
combustion unit.
Illustration shows the Honda Ecowill
unit.
Otag have developed a steam
powered unit, utilising a single
cylinder with two opposing
pistons. An integral linear generator
converts the reciprocating motion
directly into electrical energy with
variable output 3 phase output.
Further details including an excellent
animation of the cycle are shown on
the Otag website.
Although originally intended to be
wood-pellet fired, the unit is currently
available in Germany as a gas-fired
product only.
The company website provides an
illustration of the economic benefits,
including tax rebates, which deliver
a net benefit of around 1000
annually.
The product has been branded the
"Lion Powerblock".
The Enginion Steamcell unit was
initially developed as a small
commercial unit with a power output
of around 50kWe. It then evolved
into a unit more appropriate for
small apartments and hotels; the
target power output of ~5kWe made
it unsuitable for domestic
installations.
Enginion was placed in receivership
during late 2005.
The Cogen Micro unit, developed by
an engineering consultancy
(Applidyne) in Australia is unusual in
that it uses reciprocating (single
piston) technology.
Historically the very low efficiencies
achievable at reasonable
temperatures and pressures have
not been attractive.
However, novel injector design has
enhanced the performance of
prototype units which may lead to an
ultimately viable product.
In 2011 Cogen Micro appear to have
abandoned this novel design in
favour of an Organic Rankine Cycle
design similar to that from Energetix,
the principle difference being that a
reciprocating rather than scroll
expander is used.




Electrical output
1kWe
Electrical output
3kWe
Electrical output
0.3-2.0kWe
Electrical output
5kWe
Electrical output
2.5kWe
INTERNAL COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGY
Internal Combustion Engines offer significant advantages over external combustion in many applications, particularly automotive where there is a need for rapid
variation in power output, which can be achieved by changing the fuel supply rate.
However, for continuous operation with extended service intervals, as required for domestic heating systems, the challenges facing ICE are formidable; until
recently it was considered that the cost of the components required to achieve the appropriate emissions reduction, sound attenuation, efficiency and reliability
parameters would be excessive. Early products, based on automotive ICE technology, operated with some success in niche applications, but were unable to
overcome these technical challenges and were beset with high service and operating costs.
The products mentioned below, however, have primarily been developed for long life with relatively low service intervention and incorporate a range of features
aimed at achieving the performance desirable for domestic and small commercial applications. They are divided into three nominal power ranges, 1kWe, 5kWe
and 10kWe matching applications including typical family homes, guest houses and commercial buildings respectively.



Family Homes (1kWe) Guest Houses (5kWe) Commercial (10kWe) Commercial (100kWe)
FAMILY HOMES 1Kwe Class
With electrical outputs around 1kWe and thermal outputs around 3kWt, these products are suited to homes with an annual thermal demand of around 20,000kWh,
typical for family homes in most North European countries. Generally with electrical efficiencies of around 25%, the relatively low heat output (compared with
Stirling engines) means that, if properly controlled, they will operate for several thousand hours annually, greatly enhancing their electricity production and thus
shortening payback times.
However, the need to incorporate an additional heat source for periods of high peak thermal demand, means that it is very important to ensure the engine is
controlled so as to maximise its operating hours, otherwise the potential benefits of higher electrical output can be lost.
ECOWILL 1.0kWe VAILLANT 1.0kWe PROENVIS 2.0kWe KIRSCH 1.9kWe
Hondas 1kWe cogeneration unit was the worlds first
practical micro CHP unit for home use; the majority of
installations globally (i.e. those in Japan) are external to
the home. The incorporation of catalytic converters and
an elaborate acoustic attenuation system, together with
novel engine design, have overcome the principle
limitations of ICE design, namely noise, emissions and
service intervals.
However, the inclusion of these additional components
results in a very high installed cost, which is difficult to
justify on economic grounds. In the Japanese market,
high electricity prices and capital grants greatly improve
the economic viability for the end user.
With nearing 100,000 units installed in Japan since
2003, the Ecowill is now being marketed by Climate
Energy in the USA.
Launched onto the German market in early
2011, also based on the successful Honda
ICE. Similar in performance to the Ecowill, but
differing in significant respects:
1) It is suitable for indoor installation, although
rather bulky when account is taken of the
numerous additional components required to
complete the installation.
2) It has a slightly higher electrical and overall
efficiency (26% & 92% LCV respectively),
compared with an overall efficiency of 85% for
the Ecowill.
Not surprisingly this enhanced performance
comes at a price, more than double that of the
Japanese product!
The Proenvis prio 5.2,
(presumably indicating its nominal
thermal and electrical outputs
respectively) and designated by its
manufacturer as "nano-CHP" is
another German ICE based micro
CHP product. It is capable of
modulating its electrical output
between 1.3-2.0kWe.
At the same time it produces
between 3.0-5.5kWt of heat with
an overall efficiency of 93%, 25%
electrical and 68% thermal.
The floor-mounted product is
66x66x115cm with a weight of
185kg.
Kirsch have developed a range of small CHP
systems with electrical outputs up to 50kW. Kirsch
nano, the smallest is based on Briggs & Stratton ICE
technology with a power output of 1.9kWe.
However, with an electrical efficiency of only 19%
and thermal output of 9kWt, it is unlikely to achieve
significant running hours in any but the largest family
homes, so that payback will be challenging. It is
configured to run in thermally led mode.
Evidence of an "off the shelf" engine rather than a
bespoke micro CHP design, is clear from the service
requirement every 2,500 hours and a major overhaul
at 20,000 hours. It is of course also apparent from
the efficiency, well below its competitors.
It is currently only available in Germany.

Electrical output
1.2kWe
Electrical output
1kWe
Electrical output
1.3-2kWe
Electrical output
1.9kWe