Experimental results of a micro-trigeneration installation

Micro-cogeneration is a well-established technology and its deployment has been considered by the European Community as one of the most effective measure to save primary energy and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Micro-trigeneration systems are also gaining an increasing interest thanks to the availability of small thermally driven cooling systems and the increasing demand for space cooling during the warm season. At the Built Environment Control Laboratory of Seconda Universita degli Studi di Napoli, a micro-cogenerator based on natural gas fuelled reciprocating internal combustion engine that can be coupled with a thermal-chemical absorption system has been set-up in order to experimentally investigate the on-site performances of both micro-cogeneration system and micro-trigeneration system under real operating conditions. This paper deals with the description of experimental plant and the results of first experimental tests. The analysis of the measured data is carried out from an energy, economic and environmental point of view, by comparing the performances of the proposed system with those of the conventional system and the best available technology. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.