Portable Cogeneration of Power and Cooling

A program is proposed to demonstrate the feasibility of a Steam Powered Electricity And Refrigeration (SPEAR) system for powering and cooling military electronic equipment shelters. The SPEAR system will utilize a scroll steam expander in a Mesoscale Steam Engine Generator (MSEG) to produce electric power. Yankee Scientific developed the MSEG power cycle for the Army through a DARPA sponsored program. A Steam Jet driven chiller will provide the cooling capability. Yankee has direct experience with the use of Steam Jet chiller technology to provide refrigeration for perishables in Army field kitchens. Steam Jet refrigeration has been used for over a century for large scale cooling processes but small scale use has been limited due to the requirement of a steam supply. The normal operation of the MSEG produces the proper waste steam supply that is needed to implement Steam Jet refrigeration, thereby minimizing the additional hardware required. This proposed program will investigate the feasibility of integrating these power and cooling technologies into a compact, lightweight and quiet package. Sized to deliver 5 kW of electric power and 10 kW of cooling, the SPEAR system will provide load following power, cooling and heating capability for military electronics shelters.