Combined Heat and Power Systems
ASHRAE Technical Committee 6.4

Scope of TC 6.4

TC 6.4 is concerned with combined heat and power (CHP) systems, their cycles and components including heat recovery, combustion turbine inlet cooling (CTIC), energy conversion and system integration. The systems provide both electrical/mechanical power and cooling/heating thermal energy and are also known as cogeneration systems; trigeneration systems; and combined cooling heating and power systems.

Handbook

The ASHRAE Handbook is published in a series of four volumes, one of which is revised each year, ensuring that no volume is older than four years.

HVAC Systems and Equipment: Combined Heat and Power Systems
Combined heat and power (CHP) is the simultaneous production of electrical or mechanical energy (power) and useful thermal energy from a single energy source. By capturing and using the recovered heat energy from an effluent stream that would other-wise be rejected to the environment, CHP (or cogeneration) systems can operate at utilization efficiencies greater than those achieved when heat and power are produced in separate processes, thus contributing to sustainable building solutions.

HVAC Systems and Equipment: Combustion Turbine Inlet Cooling
Power output capacity of all combustion turbines (CTs) varies with ambient air temperature and site elevation. The rated capacities of all CTs are based on standard ambient air at 59°F,60% rh, 14.7 psia (15°C, 60 rh, 101.5 kPa) at sea level, and zero inlet and exhaust pressure drops, as selected by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). For all CTs, increased ambient air temperature or site elevation decreases power output; increased ambient air temperature also reduces fuel efficiency (i.e., increases the heat rate, defined as fuel energy required per unit of electric energy produced). How-ever, the extent of the effect of these changes on output and efficiency varies with CT design. This chapter provides a detailed discussion on combustion turbine inlet cooling (CTIC). Additional information on applying CTIC to combined heat and power systems(cogeneration) is provided in Chapter 7.

The ASHRAE HVAC SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT HANDBOOK may be purchased from the on-line bookstore by clicking on the highlighted text.

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Program

Technical committees develop and sponsor technical sessions at the winter and annual conferences. Information about their future technical program is discussed at each TC meeting and at the TC’s Program Subcommittee meeting

ASHRAE publishes papers and transactions from presentations at its conference events. In addition, ASHRAE records most of the seminar sessions from its conferences on DVD. These DVDs are ideal for use at chapter meetings, in university courses, or company lunch and learns. Products available from the most recent conference may be found here.

Research

Technical Committees are responsible for identifying research topics, proposing research projects, selecting bidders, and monitoring research projects funded by ASHRAE.  Information about their specific research program is discussed at each TC meeting and at the TC’s Research Subcommittee meeting.

1592-RP: CHP DESIGN GUIDE - UPDATE TO THE 1996 COGENERATION DESIGN GUIDE

The objective of this project is to update the Cogeneration Design Guide, which was written by Joe Orlando under ASHRAE Research Project 737-RP and published in 1996. The new design guide, re-titled “CHP Design Guide” will contain information on the emerging industry trends and new technologies in the CHP area and will expand on and update the materials within the current edition. This project is to be completed in three phases: (1) reviewing literature and collecting data within a wide field, including the studies made by ASHRAE TRG 4 -  Sustainable Building Guidance and Metrics (SBGM) - and other committees focused on carbon emissions, building metrics, and sustainability, and making a re-collection of all such materials, complete with proper links and associative algorithms, (2) revising the manuscript and incorporating the comments from the voting members of the participating TCs and other experts in the field, and (3) reporting the results to the ASHRAE membership.  

Standards

ASHRAE writes standards for the purpose of establishing consensus for: 1) methods of test for use in commerce and 2) performance criteria for use as facilitators with which to guide the industry. ASHRAE publishes the following three types of voluntary consensus standards: Method of Measurement or Test (MOT), Standard Design and Standard Practice. ASHRAE does not write rating standards unless a suitable rating standard will not otherwise be available. ASHRAE is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and follows ANSI's requirements for due process and standards development. Standards may be purchased at the ASHRAE Bookstore.

FAQs

ASHRAE Technical FAQs are provided as a service to ASHRAE members, users of ASHRAE publications, and the general public. While every effort has been made to ensure their accuracy and reliability, they are advisory and provided for informational purposes only, and in many cases represent only one person’s view. They are not intended and should not e relied on as an official statement of ASHRAE. Technical questions not addressed may be submitted to the ASHRAE Technical Services department at tse@ashrae.net.

Other Activities

Combustion Turbine Inlet Cooling Subcommittee
add description about this subcommittee activities

Multidisciplinary Task Group
TC 1.10 is a member of the following MTG:

Cold Climate Design Guide
MTG.CCDG will coordinate TC/TG/TRG technical activities to help support the technical basis, development, and publication of a “Cold Climate Design Guide” in conjunction with REHVA and SCANVAC. Responsibilities include the development of supporting research, presentations, and content for the “Cold Climate Design Guide” special publication.