Experimental investigation of a micro-combined cooling, heating and power system driven by a gas engine

An experimental investigation of the performance of a micro-combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system is described. The natural gas and LPG-fired micro-CCHP system uses a small-scale generator set driven by a gas engine and a new small-scale adsorption chiller, which has a rated electricity power of 12 kW, a rated cooling of 9 kW and a rated heating capacity of 28 kW. Silica gel–water is used as working pair in the adsorption cooling system. The refrigeration COP of the adsorption chiller is over 0.3 for 13 °C evaporation temperature. The test facility designed and built is described, which supplies better test-rig platform for cooling, heating and power cogeneration. Experimental methodology of this system is presented and the results are discussed. An energetic analysis of micro-CCHP system is performed as well. The overall thermal and electrical efficiency is over 70%.