Water-making essentials

MultiGen is an integrated, quad-gen system comprising a gas-fired microturbine, FireChill ALT chillers and a condenser. The basic science behind the system is as simple as the process which delivers condensation on the side of a glass of cold beer on a summer’s day. When warm humid air passes over a cold surface, the moisture turns from a gas to a liquid and forms as condensation. With MultiGen when warm air is passed in large volume over a sufficiently large cold surface area, then water production occurs in volume. An ionising process makes the water safe to drink. Output does not have to be used immediately and can be stored safely for future use.

Components

At the heart of the MultiGen sits the containerised PowerChill, a combined power and cooling unit which comprises a state of the art microturbine generator and independent FireChill ALT500 chillers, fed by “free” waste heat from the microturbine. Through a heat exchanger, the condenser is then either locally or remotely connected to the PowerChill. This allows the 20ft container to be ground floor-mounted whilst the condenser is located elsewhere, say on a roof, to optimise water capture.

Power, Heating, Cooling or Water-Making?

Versatility of the MultiGen system means all four outputs are possible, individually or in combination. The generator provides up to 65kw of power which can be used locally to meet or supplement current capacity, particularly to peak shave during expensive usage periods. Where local feed-in tariffs allow, excess capacity can be sold back to the grid to create a revenue stream.

During hot months the chiller output can cool the turbine intake and increase its efficiency or be diverted to local air conditioning or process cooling systems. During colder months the system generates hot water for heating systems.