Cogeneration options for industrial power

Selection of the most effective turbine to use in conjunction with co-generation depends largely on the amount of process steam required for plant operations relative to the power demand. Back-pressure and extraction-condensing machines are the two main types used industrially. Back-pressure turbines in parallel with public power supply are determined to be the most efficient as well as being reliable, simple to operate, and of low initial cost. Extraction-condensing turbines are appropriate for factories with widely fluctuating steam demands of when power requirements are substantially higher than steam requirements. The relative merits and applications for these turbines are described and recommendations for selection are made.