Coordinated operation of gas engine and fuel cell cogeneration for reduction of CO ₂ emissions

In recent years, the number of consumers who install cogeneration systems which contribute to the reduction of CO ₂ emissions is increasing. To cope with this growing trend, it is necessary for the customers to pay attention to the strategies in employing multiple generators or sharing generators. In such circumstances, optimal operation methods for multiple generators and the estimation of the proper capacity of generators can become an important role. In our study, new methods to operate these generators and determine the optimal capacity of generators are investigated and the annual running cost and the amount of CO ₂ emissions are calculated. This research supposes the commercial facility as model for case study which equips a gas engine, a fuel cell, a gas chiller, and a gas boiler. In addition, comparison among a conventional system, cogeneration systems and a heat pump system was conducted. The result shows that the proposed operation method for cogeneration system has attained the most CO ₂ reduction.