Dynamically responsive high efficiency CCHP system

• US 10,644,338 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Combined Energies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Combined Energies, LLC
• Inventors: Staudt, Rhonda Lee, Rohr, Donald Frank, Vogel, John Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Takeuchi, Yoshitoshi
• Application Number:
  US16/401,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20190260052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/108 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/302 Sulfur oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/304 Hydrogen sulfide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/306 Organic sulfur compounds, e.g. mercaptans
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/308 Carbonoxysulfide COS
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40056 Gases other than recycled product or process gas
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40098 with other heating means
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/02 by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0454 Controlling adsorption controlling temperature swing adsorption B01D53/0462, controlling pressure swing adsorption B01D53/047
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0462 Temperature swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04007 related to heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04097 with recycling of the reactants H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0618 Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0675 Removal of sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A highly efficient combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system is capable of providing 100% utilization of an energy generator used by the system by distributing thermal and electrical outputs of the energy generator to loads and/or other storage apparatuses. The CCHP system includes an energy generator, which can be a fuel cell and a waste heat recovery unit that assists in recovering thermal energy from the energy generator and returning it to the energy generator, and/or providing it to a thermal load, or a storage as needed or desired.

Claims

1. A combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system for delivering thermal energy and electrical energy to a structure in need thereof, the CCHP system comprising:

an energy generator that simultaneously produces electrical energy and thermal energy as an output;

a waste heat recovery system thermally coupled to the energy generator and including;

a distribution system for delivering thermal energy to the structure; and

a cooling system for providing conditioned air to the structure;

wherein the waste heat recovery system is configured to;

recover thermal energy from the energy generator;

return a first portion of the recovered thermal energy to the energy generator; and

deliver a second portion of the recovered energy to the distribution system or the cooling system depending on present or future needs of the structure;

a DC to DC boost converter (DDBC) electronically coupled to the energy generator and configured to condition the electrical energy for use by the structure, the DDBC including a plurality of interleaved, isolated, full-bridge DC-DC converters arranged in a Delta-Wye configuration and a multi-leg bridge; and

a control system configured to manage the energy generator and the waste heat recovery system by;

collecting at least one internal input;

collecting at least one external input;

determining operating parameters for the CCHP system based on the internal input and the external input; and

generating data for use in evaluating the efficiency of the CCHP system based on the internal input and the external input.

2. The CCHP system according to claim 1, wherein the energy generator is a fuel cell.

3. The CCHP system according to claim 2, wherein the control system monitors a load demand of the structure, monitors an output power of the fuel cell, and estimates fuel and air flows required to generate the output power to satisfy the load demand.

4. The CCHP system according to claim 2, wherein the control system is configured to control the fuel cell and the waste heat recovery system such that the structure utilizes about 100% of the electrical and thermal energy produced by the fuel cell.

5. The CCHP system according to claim 1, wherein the energy generator is a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell.

6. The CCHP system according to claim 3, wherein the control system collects multiple internal inputs that include a reactant processing temperature, a FAWD blower/pump speed, a TMM temperature, a TMM pump speed, a stack inlet temp, a stack outlet temp, a valve setting, a stack voltage, a stack DC power output, an inverter power output, an air mass flow rate, and a fuel mass flow rate.

7. The CCHP system according to claim 6, wherein the control system collects multiple external inputs that include a heat demand, a cooling demand, a hot water demand, and the load demand.

8. The CCHP system according to claim 1, wherein the energy generator uses natural gas or propane as a fuel.

9. The CCHP system according to claim 1, wherein the system further includes an auxiliary burner, wherein the auxiliary burner is used to meet a thermal load of the structure when there is no electrical load needed by the structure.

10. The CCHP system according to claim 1, wherein the CCHP system is sized and configured as a drop-in replacement for an existing residential or light commercial heating, cooling, and hot water system.

11. A combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system for use in a residential or light commercial structure having electric and thermal loads, the CCHP system comprising:

a fuel cell system having a thermal output and an electrical output;

a waste heat recovery system including;

a thermal management module;

a storage system;

a distribution system; and

a cooling system;

a DC to DC boost converter (DDBC) electronically coupled to the electrical output and configured to condition the electrical output for use by the structure, the DDBC including a plurality of interleaved, isolated, full-bridge DC-DC converters arranged in a Delta-Wye configuration and a multi-leg bridge; and

a control system in communication with the fuel cell system and the waste heat recovery system, the control system configured to;

receive a signal representative of a required electrical load and a required thermal load;

determine whether any additional loads are required by the structure after receiving the signal;

collect at least one internal input from the fuel cell system;

collect at least one external input that is external from the fuel cell system; and

determine operating parameters for the fuel cell system and the waste heat recovery system based on the internal input and the external input so as to maximize the utilization of the electrical output and the thermal output of the fuel cell system.

12. The CCHP system according to claim 11, wherein the control system generates data for use in evaluating the efficiency of the CCHP system based on the internal input and the external input.

13. The CCHP system according to claim 11, wherein the control system collects multiple internal inputs that include a reactant processing temperature, a FAWD blower/pump speed, a TMM temperature, a TMM pump speed, a stack inlet temp, a stack outlet temp, a valve setting, a stack voltage, a stack DC power output, an inverter power output, an air mass flow rate, and a fuel mass flow rate.

14. The CCHP system according to claim 13, wherein the control system collects multiple external inputs that include a heat demand, a cooling demand, and a hot water demand.

15. The CCHP system according to claim 11, wherein the waste heat recovery system is configured to recover thermal energy from the fuel cell system and to return a first portion of the recovered thermal energy to the fuel cell system and a second portion of the recovered energy to the distribution system, the storage system, or the cooling system.

16. The CCHP system according to claim 11, wherein the fuel cell system includes a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell.

17. The CCHP system according to claim 11, wherein the control system is configured to control the outputs of the fuel cell system and the waste heat recovery system so as to utilize about 100% of the electrical and thermal energy produced by the fuel cell system after receiving the signal.

18. The CCHP system according to claim 11, wherein the fuel cell system uses natural gas as a fuel.

19. The CCHP system according to claim 11, wherein the fuel cell system is electronically coupled to an external power grid and wherein the control system determines whether the fuel cell produces electric power for the external power grid.

20. The CCHP according to claim 11, wherein a first portion of the CCHP system resides within one of a plurality of enclosures, the first portion including the fuel cell system and the thermal management module.