A low cost microcogeneration system for domestic and industrial applications

The paper deals with design and manufacturing aspects of a small cogeneration unit suitable for domestic and low power industrial applications. It is conceived to meet high global and electric efficiency, high power factor, low pollution emissions, low maintenance and easy use, low industrial cost. These requirements led to select a modern low-cost small utility engine as prime mover base for the development of the cogeneration plant, and to provide it with an electronic fuel feeding apparatus. A three-phase induction machine has been used in the electric generator unit in order to reduce installation and maintenance costs and to improve reliability; if grid-isolated operations are required the electrical machine has to be equipped with a suitable electronic control unit. The performance of the generation unit is analysed by means of a model and the numerical results are compared with the experimental ones, obtained by an investigation on a laboratory cogenerator prototype.