Apparatus for the combined production of electrical energy and heat

A self-contained modular unit for the combined production of electrical energy and heat, comprising

• an internal combustion engine having a coolant jacket for the circulation of liquid coolants and a coolant inlet and outlet communicating with said jacket;
• an electrical generator driven by the engine;
• a primary liquid coolant circuit including said engine coolant jacket, a gas/liquid heat exchanger through which the engine exhaust gases flow to give up heat to coolant flowing out of the jacket outlet, a first liquid/liquid heat exchanger disposed in said primary circuit between said gas/liquid heat exchanger and the jacket inlet and a second liquid/liquid heat exchanger connected in said primary circuit between said first liquid/liquid heat exchanger and the inlet of the engine coolant jacket, said second liquid/liquid heat exchanger being situated in the oil sump of the engine for cooling oil therein;
• a secondary liquid circuit comprising said first liquid/liquid heat exchanger, further heat exchange means to heat the liquid flowing in said secondary circuit by means of the heat dissipated by said generator and a heating apparatus;
• and
• a housing for said unit, said housing having a box-like structure and being comprised of a support framework formed by metal elements positioned to define the edges of a parallelepiped, thermally and acoustically insulating panels cladding the side face and the upper face of the parallelepiped defined by said framework and means releasably attaching said thermally and acoustically insulating panels to said framework.