Economic boundary conditions for the successful operation of active condensation systems

Published 2012

Citation: Hebenstreit B, Höftberger E. Economic boundary conditions for the successful operation of active condensation systems, World Bioenergy 2012, 29th-31st of May 2012, Jönköping, Sweden.

Abstract

In this study the economic boundary conditions for successful active condensation systems are evaluated.
The concept of active condensation utilizes the flue gas enthalpy exiting the boiler by combining a quench for flue gas condensation and a heat pump. Through the heat pump the flue gas can be cooled down below the dew point of the water vapor. Therefore, the sensible heat as well as the latent heat of water can be recovered. This study evaluates the economic viability  for  different  test  cases.  On  the  one  hand  pellet  boilers  of  small  (10kW)  and  medium  (100kW)  size  are considered. On the other hand wood chip boilers of medium (100kW) and big (10MW) size are studied. The economic analysis shows a decrease in operating costs between 2% and 13%. The payback time is evaluated on a net present value (NPV) method, showing a payback time of 2-10 years for the large scale system and approx. 10-35 years for the medium sized ones.