ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXERGY EVALUATION OF THE DISTRIBUTED GENERATION WITH FUEL OIL ENGINES IN THE CENTRAL SANCTI SPÍRITUS

Abstract

Due to the need to evaluate the sustainability of distributed generation in Cuba, this work aims to: evaluate the environmental impact and the exergy efficiency of the distributed generation in the Fuel Power Plant Sancti Spíritus. The Life Cycle Analysis methodology was applied to two variants and an exergy balance to the generation area. In engine iswhere the greatest transformation of energy occurs. In exhaust gases of the first variant, 986,32 kW are expelled to atmosphere, which represents 34,80% of the total energy entering at engine, and in the second 1168,57 kW, that represents 40.39%. Likewise, in first variant, the use of energy in electricitygeneration is 35.29% of fuel oil total energy and in the second is 34.56%, demonstrating that the first variant is more energy efficient. The generation process has the greatest responsibility over the impacts generated by the plant and the impactcategory which most impact is the impact on human health. In generation process, the exergy efficiency of the product (1 MWh) in the first variant is 17.60% of the total exergy supplied, and the second variant is 17.37%. The exergy efficiency in the first variant was 67.36% and in the second variant 62.42%. In use of exhaust gases, it was 10.91% for the first variant and 6.06% for the second.