Control and Power Management for Combined Heat and Power
CHP – combined heat and power – is increasingly recognised as a more efficient alternative to traditional condensing boilers and central heating systems. Innovation in this field is rapid and one company seeking to meet demand is Disenco with their HomePowerPlant, a microCHP appliance.
In 2007, following successful field trials of the product, Disenco embarked upon its commercialisation programme. The senior management decided to engage with partners in three key areas to drive technical progress in specific areas. Alan Dale, CEO of Disenco comments: “Bringing a new product to market to replace something that people know and are largely comfortable with meant that we had to get the cost and ease of manufacture and installation competitive from the start. We all recognised that it was vital to get the right partners in place, to allow us to follow as smooth a path to market as possible.”
“The relationship with Sentec is a true partnership and its communication, expertise and enthusiasm has been first class from the start. I would not hesitate to recommend Sentec to anybody.”
“Sentec has originated some truly novel ideas in its solution. They have taken power electronics and grid technology forward by an order of magnitude with technology that’s right at the cutting edge.”
The challenge for Disenco was to turn fully-tested, robust science into a viable commercial product, with all the necessary characteristics: mass manufacturing, easy installation and cost competitiveness.
Disenco sought input from a partner specialising in electronic product design and development for two separate parts of the system. First, the power electronics to convert the energy produced by the system into the correct voltage and frequency to feed back to the national grid; and, equally important, the appliance’s user interface and control electronics.
Disenco selected Cambridge-based product design and development consultancy Sentec to address these two areas. Dale explains. “We whittled the possible companies down to a shortlist, but in fact choosing Sentec was relatively easy. Their previous experience demonstrated that their technical knowledge was excellent; we had complete confidence that they could deliver for us on that front. But more than that, they were very enthusiastic about the product – we could see that they really believed in the technology. That was exactly what we were looking for in a partner.”
The functionality of the power electronics system is central to the whole boiler. It controls the water temperature, the engine, the burner and the electrical power output. Without it, the system cannot feed power back to the grid. Dale explains, “Although this isn’t a part of the system that the consumer really sees, it’s fundamental.”
"Their previous experience demonstrated that their technical knowledge was excellent; we had complete confidence that they could deliver for us on that front. But more than that, they were very enthusiastic about the product"
Dale continues, “Traditionally, power electronics has been associated with big, heavy and expensive units, which was obviously the last thing we needed for our domestic system. Whatever we used had to fit inside the appliance, be relatively lightweight for ease of transportation and installation, and be highly efficient.” Using a combination of pre-existing and bespoke technology, the team at Sentec worked with Disenco to develop a state-of-the-art, elegant solution that fulfils all of the criteria.
“Sentec has originated some truly novel ideas in its solution,” comments Dale. “They have taken power electronics and grid technology forward by an order of magnitude with technology that’s right at the cutting edge.”
Sentec also designed the appliance’s user interface. The key was to move away from the traditional complex and difficult to use interfaces that have characterised boilers to date. Dale explains, “We all recognised the opportunity to improve on the interfaces currently available; this is one part of the system that does not seem to have kept pace with other technology developments. We knew that if this appliance is to have mass appeal, it must be easy to use.”
The team took its inspiration from the strides that have been made in the field of touch-screen technology, with the explosion onto the market of affordable satellite navigation systems in cars. By applying the same principles to this interface, Sentec has been able to develop something that adds considerably to the user experience, by giving consumers something that is easy to use and familiar, but without adding significant cost.
Dale adds, “We’re really happy with the way the interface has turned out. We have some display appliances with functional interfaces which we have taken to exhibitions all over Europe and the feedback we have had has been very positive.”
The HomePowerPlant is now a viable product that successfully combines scientific and commercial requirements. Disenco is entering the final rounds of testing on the boiler. There are also plans to move the product forward in new and innovative ways once the standard technology is more established.
Dale concludes, “We’ve had very good results from all the companies we have engaged; they have played a huge role in moving the concept to a real product. Sentec’s design and development work has enabled Disenco to maximise the efficiency of the engine, and will pave the way for domestic energy generation to play a much more significant role in meeting the UK’s power requirements.
“The relationship with Sentec is a true partnership and its communication, expertise and enthusiasm has been first class from the start. I would not hesitate to recommend Sentec to anybody.”
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