Award of the Prime Minister to the IMP Group of the Polish Academy of Sciences
The team under the direction of Prof. Dr. hab. Eng. Jan Kiciński received the Prime Minister's Award for scientific and technical achievements. The team included: prof. dr hab. inż. Jarosław Mikielewicz, prof. dr hab. inż. Janusz Gołaszewski, prof. dr hab. inż. Jan Popczyk, dr hab. inż. Adam Cenian, dr hab. inż. Piotr Lampart, mgr inż. Piotr Litwin, mgr inż. Marek Laskowski.
The subject on which the team was working is “New technologies for small-scale and distributed energy in Autonomous Energy Regions“ – development of modern technologies for the acquisition of electricity or heat from renewable energy sources, and development of rules for the functioning of Autonomous Energy Regions (ARE).
The scope of the study includes a technical and economic analysis of the model work of the CHP mini-gym for the use of local biomass, biogas and natural gas sources. Miniturbine and steam turbine powered by biomass combustion are connected to the system of combustion engines fuelled by natural gas or biogas. The whole four modules create a mini power plant with up to several MW and heat output up to a dozen MW, located in the ARE and allows the generation of electricity and heat depending on local needs and existing raw materials and weather conditions. The flexible and rational use of various energy sources is also supported by the CHP method developed by the authors of the proposal.
The launch of local mini-power plants inspires local environments to work on building local biogas plants and modern methods of recycling industrial or agricultural waste. In addition, modern systems for controlling and regulating the rational use of energy, called Smart Gridy, can easily be developed in the ARE system.
The benefit of local CHP plants is also their economic viability and a significant reduction in emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere (e.g. CO2, sulphur and dust), compared with emissions produced in the current heating and energy system. The launch of local mini-power plants also increases the efficiency of the district heating system, creates additional profits for energy companies and stimulates the local community's activity in production, processing and biomass disposal.
The model local mini-gym, based on the ideas and solutions of the awarded team, is currently implemented in the village of Żychlin (Łódź province) as part of Task 4 of the Strategic Programme "Modern Energy Technologies".
Award team, July 2012.