How did modern cogeneration technology quietly emerge?

100 years ago, the world's first cogeneration plant was established in New York City, USA, and it continues to operate today. At that time, "cogeneration" was limited to the combined production of heat and power. But in the last 15 years, with the advancement of high technology and the dramatic increase in energy consumption, the concept of "cogeneration" has been developed into a "modern co-generation technology" that refers to the simultaneous production of any two or more energy substances - including the simultaneous production of hot water, steam, electricity, and other energy sources. This includes the simultaneous production of hot water, steam, air-conditioning, electricity, mechanical energy, air-conditioning energy, and so on. The development of modern cogeneration technology, energy conservation, to ensure and improve the ecological environment has an important significance, is one of the important ways to save energy.

Saving energy fundamentally, is to reduce energy consumption and improve the efficiency of energy utilization in two aspects. Often ignored by people is in the process of energy use, the so-called "waste heat" or "waste heat" utilization.

Modern cogeneration technology, that is, the generator, distribution stations, heat exchangers are closely integrated together to take full advantage of the recovery of hot water recycling, you can make the energy utilization rate increased by 15% to 30%. This co-generation technology is highly efficient, low energy consumption, and can save a lot of fuel. Therefore, it is favored by people. At present, modern co-generation technology has been almost all industrialized countries around the world to varying degrees to promote up, received very good results.

The United States in the development of co-generation technology is also in front. After the outbreak of the world energy crisis, the U.S. public sense of the urgency of energy conservation, prompted the U.S. Congress in November 1978 through the Utility Regulatory Policy Act, strongly support and promote the development of cogeneration and the production of alternative energy technologies, so that cogeneration technology in the United States caused a revolution in the electric power industry, the emergence of a power generation to make the traditional utility centers and the coexistence of non-utility power generation situation. Simply put, it is a large power station and non-specialized production of electricity for civil, institutional, commercial, service, industrial enterprises, transportation and other sectors of cogeneration coexist simultaneously, large, medium and small combined, "government-run" and "privately-run" and coexist and the implementation of networking General, so that the electricity sector can make full use of the waste heat generated, plus supplement some coal, electricity, oil, gas and other sources of energy to supply their own heat and power. This is more fully and rationally utilize all the energy without waste.

The United States in recent years, the development of a "pre-installed cogeneration unit" is very popular, characterized by small power, suitable for rapid installation, can serve small decentralized users, for the need for a variety of forms of energy units and departments, and the initial investment is low, the overall efficiency is high. According to the 1989 U.S. "co-generation technology" magazine article estimated that in the next few years, hospitals, restaurants, supermarkets, residential homes, hotels, education units will need 15900 "pre-loaded co-generation unit" to produce heat, electricity, cold, mechanical energy and other forms of energy suitable for their needs.

It is because of this energy-saving, efficient, flexible, convenient modern cogeneration technology has many advantages, has attracted the attention of all countries, in addition to the United States, many European countries, Japan, the "Four Little Dragons of Asia" and other countries and regions in the past 10 years has been the vigorous development of its cogeneration technology is also unique, each with its own unique characteristics.

In China, a large number of industrial sectors that require steam heat, steam waste heat power generation, exhaust steam heating, can save 35% to 60% of the coal. 1978, some experts in Shanghai, Ningbo, Hangzhou, the results of a survey showed that the use of co-generation technology, economic and social benefits are very obvious. For example, Changzhou Dongfeng Printing and Dyeing Plant with two 750-kilowatt turbine generator sets a year of power generation economic benefits of 510,000 yuan. Shanghai Jinshan Petrochemical Plant "Sanlun plant" using co-generation technology, a year of power generation revenue up to 4.45 million yuan. It can be seen that the equipment cogeneration generator sets, the full utilization of steam waste heat, increase power generation, coal saving, reduce costs, has great economic significance and social benefits.