Steven Pauly, research associate at the TH Mittelhessen in Friedberg, presented the results of his diploma thesis on micro combined heat and power plants at a scientific conference in Havana.
The Conferencia Internacional de Energia Renovable dealt with prospects for energy production in Cuba. Wind energy, photovoltaics and biomass were topics in the workshops. Pauly presented the results of his investigations into the performance and profitability of a micro power plant with fuel cell technology, which is installed in the Friedberg laboratory for heat and power engineering.
This technology generates electricity from natural gas in an electrochemical process. Compared to other technologies, the energy yield, the so-called "electrical efficiency", is very high at around 60 percent.
Prof. Dr. Hans Minkenberg from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Materials Technology accompanied Pauly to the conference. The expert in energy and heat technology sees good opportunities for collaboration with Cuban scientists: “The use of renewable energies offers great potential, especially in sunny and windy regions such as the Caribbean. Current usage is surprisingly low. The share of renewable energies in Cuba is only around 4 percent. With the planned increase in the share to 24 percent by 2030, cooperation with foreign partners from industry and universities is essential,” said Minkenberg.
The THM has been working with the Technical University of Havana in the field of electrical engineering since 2001. A one-week visit by Cuban scientists last autumn served, among other things, to develop project outlines for further joint projects in research and teaching.