ea technology

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ea technology
DCHP Field Trials Practical Experiences with the
WhisperGen Project Manager Rob
Green Presented by Yvonne Dickson
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Overview

• Introduction to the WhisperGen
• History of EA Technologys involvement
• WhisperGen the Stirling Cycle
• Field trials
• Performance
• Does it save money?
• Does it reduce CO2 emissions?

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What is the WhisperGen

• Floor-mounted boiler replacement
• External combustion
• Stirling cycle

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WhisperGen in the home
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Project History

• 1999 - studies of commercial viability
• 2000 - lab demo of Mk I WhisperGen
• 2001 - Mk I
• 3 trial houses test house lab endurance
• 2002 - alpha trial Mk II
• 13 houses lab endurance (4)
• 2003 - beta trial Mk III
• 15 Chester 13 Ipswich lab (Mk II III)
• 2003 / 4 - Mk IV
• pre-launch checks - 3 Chester houses

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Project History (2)

• Powergen market launch 2004
• EA Technology training of installers
• Monitoring for Carbon Trust DTI

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The Stirling Cycle
Piston
Gas Flame
Regenerator
Cooling Circuit
Gas
Piston
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The Stirling Cycle
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The Stirling Cycle
compression at constant temperature
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The Stirling Cycle
displacement / regeneration at constant volume
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The Stirling Cycle
expansion at constant temperature
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The Stirling Cycle
displacement / regeneration at constant volume
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WhisperGen the Stirling Cycle
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WhisperGen

• Mk IV current
• 0.85 kWe / 6 kW t
• 1.2 kWe / 8 kW t
• Mk V soon
• 1 kWe / 7 kW t
• to 1 kWe / 15 kW t

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The need for field trials

• Prototype
• Ease of installation
• Reliability
• Operational experience
• Control systems
• User acceptability
• Performance / Economics
• Improvements

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The need for field trials (2)

• Market ready
• Carbon Trust
• CO2 emissions
• Product accreditation
• DTI / electricity suppliers
• Electricity metering / settlement

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EA Technology Field Trials
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What to measure?

• Electricity kWh
• Generation
• House in and out
• Heat output
• Gas input
• Temperatures?

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Findings

• Range of house types occupancy patterns
• Both affect run hours
• Occupant behaviour big variable
• Sales Accreditation?
• User acceptability
• Noise
• Speed of response

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Economics does it save money?

• Well matched (application engine)
• 150 to 200 / year ( 250 / year)
• Need long run hours
• Occupancy pattern
• House heat loss (need large houses)
• Mk V

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Carbon Trust Monitoring Trial

• Government targets CO2
• Global warming / Kyoto
• dCHP high priority
• dCHP in context of house
• 60 WhisperGen sites to be monitored
• 40 Powergen
• 20 Northern Ireland

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Carbon Trust Method
Telemetry system
GSM
Logger / receiver
Temperatures
Pulses (Gas, electric, heat)
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Does it save CO2?

• Comparing against?
• Boiler (B rated 86, A rated 93)
• Central power station
• If dCHP overall efficiency gt boiler efficiency
• Obviously reduces CO2 emissions
• If dCHP overall efficiency lt boiler efficiency
• Not so clear cut

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Conclusions

• WhisperGen is commercially available
• Stirling Cycle, External Combustion
• Field trials are essential to prove
• Customer acceptability, reliability, use patterns
  export (utilisation) etc. etc.
• Occupant behaviour has a big effect
• Mk V should expand market for WhisperGen
• Saves CO2?

rob.green_at_eatechnology.com