Cogeneration Plant

ICT was the prime designer responsible for the design of the new cogeneration facility at MTSU. The facility replaced an older coal, natural gas, and fuel oil-fired steam plant that used to serve the campus. The cogeneration facility includes a 5 MW combustion turbine generator with a duct burner and Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) capable of producing 80,000 lb/hr of steam.

The facility was also equipped with a 99 MMBtu/hr natural gas/fuel oil-fired package boiler capable of producing 80,000 lb/hr of steam and includes all water treatment, condensate storage, feed-water, controls, and auxiliary systems. For a secondary fuel supply, an approximately 40,000-gallon fuel oil unloading, storage, and distribution system was provided to serve the package boiler. 

To achieve maximum benefit, the campus's 12.47 kV electrical system was modified and expanded for distributing power from the new generator and distributing power to the chilled water plant and the campus. The generator is connected into the switchgear through a 4.16/12.47 kV step-up transformer and is paralleled with the utility by a synchronizing relay. The generator also has “black start” capability which allows it to run and distribute power through the switchgear without service from the utility.

ICT has been responsible for the design for every major project in this facility since construction. ICT more recently completed projects to replace the water treatment system with a reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment system and to replace the deaerator.