New Hospital to Use Recycled Waste Heat

yes can be done depending on your local codes and regulations

crm

This has absolutely nothing to do with local codes and regulations.

I have seen some in the past that were forced to have their own power generators

or something that had water rushing down the sides and big grates with loud

noisey water sounds outside and in the back. I was a Lab Courier.ds

Optimum utilization of available resources in an effective way is one of the major responsibilities of an engineer. Recycling or use of waste heat without creating damage to the environment is always a desirable solution by all.

Hospitals generally have to have emergency power anyway, so I'd see this a policy/administration "waking up" to what engineering has been saying for some time.

Combined cycle cogeneration is nothing new. A combustion turbine (CT) is used to drive the generator and the exhaust is sent to a waste heat recovery boiler that produces either steam or hi temp hot water. When the heating load is high a duct burner is used to add more heat (BTU's) to the exhaust gas stream. The steam or hot water is then used for building or process heat. You can also use this heat for cooling if you have an absorber. You can also sell back (export) power to the grid and of course you have the option of shutting down turbines when it is cheaper to buy power rather than generate your own. If you work with an outfit like PJM http://www.pjm.com/ you can save considerable $$$. The CT also has the ability to run on liquid fuel which could save you even more. In NJ my plant is permitted by the NJDEPE to allow us to run liquid fuel ( ultra low sulfur ) for up 10% of our run time. You need the liquid fuel option especially in the winter because the gas company ( at least in my home state of NJ) may order you to curtail gas usage on the sub zero days because of pipeline delivery issues. You also need a special high pressure gas line connection unless you want to use gas compressors to raise the fuel gas pressure. Gas compressors are typically a headache to run and maintain and are real energy hogs. If you go with one of the newer "recoup" CT designs you can attain efficiencies in the 70% range and higher. I really don't see what all the press is about because I can name several Universities and at least a dozen industrial plants within a 25 mile radius of here that have been doing this for a good 15 years or more ... but then again we are talking about Princeton. Edmund

Most VA Hosptials have been creating their own power for years and running the laundry to from the hot water off the generators.