Heat Pump and Steam Compressor Cascades: Strategic Decision-Making for a Successful Market Entry
Steam is a crucial energy carrier in industrial processes, integral to various heating and process applications. Mechanical vapor compressor (MVC) and vapor compression heat pump (VCHP) cascades have emerged as highly efficient technologies for steam generation, outperforming standalone VCHP systems for steam generation in terms of energy efficiency. This increase in efficiency motivated first industrial implementations of MVC-VCHP cascades that are either in imminent realization or already operational. The three primary MVC technologies—piston, screw, and turbo compressors—exhibit unique performance characteristics and operational limitations, but also show some overlap in their operational margins, complicating the selection process for optimal use cases. This challenge is further intensified under partial load conditions, where performance deviations become increasingly pronounced and technology specific. We present a methodology designed to evaluate industrial site specifications, energy costs and individual equipment capital expenditure as well as performance data. The outcomes of this calculation are then subjected to a sensitivity analysis, allowing for the assessment of variations in input parameters. The levelized cost of heat (LCoH) holds as important metric for long term investment decisions and is therefore chosen as key metric to compare the technologies. This methodology results in a realistic evaluation of optimal operational windows for each technology, allowing for informed decision-making for both VCHP and MVC suppliers. By identifying the machine configurations tailored to the equipment operating windows, these results contribute to minimizing primary energy consumption and optimal LCoH for the steam supply.