Tri-generation system to couple production to demand in a combined cycle

In the need to find efficient manageable and available energy, economically and environmentally, there is a clear shift to renewable energy sources, but currently it does not seem to provide the final solution. Cogeneration, in all its variations, has to be a part of the solution to this approach through the strategy of optimizing the management of excess thermal energy for the production of electrical energy. Consumption of other fuels for various uses which cover heating, cooling, water desalination, many industrial processes, etc. may be avoided. By means of this policy, with all the associated complexity, the total fuel consumption can be reduced to about 60% from the recovered energy through the condensers of the electrical plants. This work aims to apply a statistical methodology in order to distribute the consumption during the production cycle so that it is affected as less as possible. The inclusion of water distillation allows the system to manage the residual thermal energy in order to transfer energy from peak to off-peak periods, flattening global demand curve and giving solution to the stationary quality.

► Rationalization in electricity generation is a key point to save energy. ► This rationalization is based on getting demand and production coupled. ► Heat demand is based on statistical analysis of climatologic data. ► Electrical production is modulated combining sun-power, gas and steam turbines. ► Multieffect distillation is the mean to match demand curve to production.