Cogeneration
Facility
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Cogeneration Systems
Energy Services Department
Tim Aucoin- Regulatory Compliance Coordinator
Bill Lowery- Cogeneration Systems Manager
Overview
Purpose
 History
 Features
 Future

Purpose
Hospital
Research
Steam for the University
Joshua Walker Gore (1852-1908) and Gore Building Cogeneration facility
Renovated in 1992, this building bears the name of Joshua W. Gore,
a science and engineering professor at Carolina.
1978
2005
District Energy = E3
Energy
 Economics
 Environment

UNC-CH District Energy
Campus Steam Distribution
Underground
Steam Tunnel
Cogeneration
or
( Combined Heat and Power )



Simultaneous production of
electricity and steam
High thermal efficiency
Low environmental impact
U.S. Average Generating Efficiencies
100%
80%
UNC Cogen •
60%
40%
20%
0%
1880 1900
1920 1940
1960 1980
1997 2008
UNC-CH Cogeneration
Air
Coal
Boilers
Water
Steam
Generator
150
psi
Heating
Cooling
Hot Water
Sterilization
Cooking/Dishwashing
40 psi
Condenser
Electricity
7/22/11 0:00
7/21/11 23:00
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Generator Dispatch
Hourly Pricing Info
25.00
21.453 cents/ kwh
20.00
15.00
10.00
5.00
0.00
Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler
Circulating Fluidized
Bed Combustion


Clean coal technology
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) -furnace temperature

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) -sorbent
Climate Action Plan
•
•
•
•
UNC was an early adopter of the
American College and University
Presidents Climate Commitment
Pledged climate neutrality by 2050
Climate Action Plan adopted by
University in September 2009
Alternative Energy Study, looked at
alternatives to coal, began 2 years
before Climate Action Plan issued
Biomass Issues
•
•
Fuel supply chain and cost
Front end fuel handling
–
–
•
•
•
Storage
Feed systems
Impact on combustion and heat transfer
surface
Baghouse impacts
Ash disposal impacts
Biomass Plan
•
•
•
•
•
Test protocols – February 2010
Dried wood pellets tests – Spring
2010
Torrified wood tests – Fall to
Winter 2010/2011
Evaluation and implementation
plan development – 2010/2011
Burn 2012 – Dependent upon fuel
supply reliability and extent of
required modifications
Prologue to the Future:
UNC Climate Action Plan and Cogen


Climate Action Plan Published
September 2009
Two Cogen Projects over next 5
years:
 Landfill
Gas to Energy
 Biomass Co-firing at Cogen