New materials for an internal combustion co-generator prototype

Research directed to innovative solutions for the national electric system are carried out in many CNR Institutes. In this project, many CNR research groups collaborated to develop a small cogeneration system, environmentally and economically sustainable, which could be integrated into the National grid. For the CHP cogenerator, we have opted for the internal combustion engine that is one solution with highest possibilities of success, thanks to the maturity and reliability of these systems. A prototype engine (15-25 kWe) has been designed deriving from an automotive engine of the latest generation, fuelled by very robust but low cost industrial natural gas. The CHP generator has been improved with unconventional technology and plant solutions that allow increasing the life service, heat and electrical performance, reducing noise and size. More in detail, the studies have been devoted to the w ear reduction through the development of special nanolubricants and of protective hard coatings; to the heat recover by means of innovative metallic foam heat exchangers; to improve the heat and acoustic insulation by means of low-cost geopolymers. The work is funded by the Project MATEC in the framework of a Research Program for the National Electric System.