Quote:
Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
I usually see supermarkets often using gensets in order to save on electric bills during peak hours, yet AFAIK co-generation (that heat recovery deal) is not so usual in my country as it should...
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Oh as soon as you use the heat from a ICE the efficiency goes WAY-WAY up!
On the farm the old 2 cylinder Lister genset was made so that the hot cooling water emptied/filled (top/bottom) into a large, high up, metal drum.
Maybe 60-80 gallons (this is ages ago in my youth)
The farm house's hot water all came from there and there was an old style (copper and brass) float valve in the top, to top it up with cold as we used it.
ie; Engine cooling during no water use was just the sides of the metal drum in the breeze and boil-off (unpressurised) if the water ever got that hot.
We ran baths and washed dishes etc as anyone would and I don't recall any issues.
There certainly weren't any efficiency calculations done!
But I do recall it often being the subject of "...very clever..." conversation when we had visitors.
Just an example of a very simple, very easy system, working on one of the simplest and most reliable engines of the (all) time.