Questar Gas will assist in conducting cogeneration studies for interested customers. Cogeneration refers to the simultaneous production of two forms of energy (electrical and thermal) from one fuel source, natural gas.

Questar Gas's Salt Lake Operation Center and Questar's downtown office building use cogeneration to provide heat and electricity.

Natural gas is used to drive an engine (either turbine or reciprocating), which in turn spins an electric generator. Of the fuel used in the engine, about one third is transformed into electrical energy and about two thirds becomes heat. If most of the heat created can be recovered and used, the efficiency of the cogeneration facility can be very high.

In the case of a turbine engine, the exhaust at about 900 degrees Fahrenheit is run through a heat- recovery boiler, providing steam or hot water for heating, absorption cooling or various process requirements. In a reciprocating engine, both the exhaust heat and the jacket-water heat are recovered.

Normally, two or more engine generator sets are installed to provide flexibility in supplying varying electrical loads as well as standby capacity during maintenance periods.

Any degree of automation can be installed. Some facilities add extra units to the line automatically as loads increase and drop them off as requirements decrease.

If you are interested in knowing more about cogeneration, please contact a representative from the Questar Gas group.