The objective was to develop a small independent power generating plant, using biomass fuel, which could be used in local biomass-fired heat stations found in Central and Eastern Europe. In this demonstration plant, hot gas (circa 1,000 C) from a combustor fired by wood chips was passed to the heat exchanger of a Stirling engine (10 kWe), whose working fluid was pressurised helium. The hot outlet gas from the engine was used elsewhere in the heat station.
Combined heat and power (CHP) offers opportunities as a considerable energy resource in many communities, including Central and Eastern Europe where there is a large installed base of small-scale CHP plants. This project was concerned with the development of a biomass-fired small-scale combined heat and power plant suitable for the integration of biomass as a regional energy source for district heating and electric power generation.