<p>Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems have proven to be more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable compared to centralized power systems in many climate regions of the world. Additionally, meeting energy demands at crucial times can often be jeopardized through unreliable energy grids. Local, on-site power generation may safeguard against grid fluctuations and outages. With a recent increased focus on biomass as an alternative fuel source, biomass driven CHP systems have been recognized as a potential technology to bring increased efficiency of fuel utilization and environmentally sustainable solutions. Biomass as an energy source is already created through agricultural and forestry by-products and may thus be efficient and convenient to be transported to remote rural communities. This paper presents a design and feasibility analysis of biomass (primarily wood pellets)-driven CHP systems for a rural community in the United States. A particular focus was set on rural Mississippi to investigate possible grid independence applications; however, this analysis can be scaled to rural communities across America. The viability of wood pellets as a suitable fuel source is explored by comparing it to a conventional grid-connected system, under two operational strategies, i.e., base loaded and following the electric load (FEL). To measure viability, three performance parameters, i.e., operational costs, primary energy consumption (PEC), and carbon dioxide emission (CDE), are considered in the analysis. The results demonstrate that under the right conditions wood pellet-fueled CHP systems create economic and environmental advantages over traditional systems. When comparing operational strategies, it is evident that the base loaded operation outperforms the FEL regarding cost, PEC, and CDE. Yet, a system that is operated FEL can be set up as grid-independent and although more costly provides greater reliability.</p>

Design and Feasibility Study of Biomass-Driven Combined Heat and Power Systems for Rural Communities

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ES/ES2021/volume/84881

ASME 2021 Energy Sustainability (ES2021)

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