ASHRAE-Boston observes the cogeneration plant equipment hut.
Boston – The Boston ASHRAE Chapter hit the road recently to the Seaport District where they gathered to learn about the combined heat and power cogeneration plant at the Harpoon Brewery. The evening started in the brewery’s tasting room where a maximum capacity crowd of some 60 people gathered to socialize and enjoy appetizers and beer samples. The crowd was split into three groups to tour the plant led by Harpoon engineer, Brian Donovan.
Donovan started the tour in the brewery’s control room where he used the plant automation system diagrams shown on a series of computer screens to describe how the cogeneration plant operates. There is a 225-kilowatt reciprocating engine that burns natural gas to power an electrical generator. The hot engine exhaust then enters a shell and tube heat exchanger where it transfers energy to the glycol water system before the exhaust exits to the atmosphere. The heated glycol water then enters a plate and frame heat exchanger to transfer energy to the processed hot water system used for the brewery.
Donovan then brought the tour through the brewery before heading outside to get a live look at the cogeneration plant in operation. The tour groups were able to enter the equipment hut to view the reciprocating engine and glycol water pumps among other things.
