Cogeneration system

• US 20090045626A1
• Filed: 08/04/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yuri, Nobuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,093,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/2
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 11/002 water heating system
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 11/006 air heating system
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1009 for central heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1084 for air heating systems
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 5/04 with return of the air or the air-heater
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/15 On-site combined power, heat or cool generation or distribution, e.g. combined heat and power [CHP] supply

Abstract

In a cogeneration system having at least with a generation unit comprising a generator connectable to an AC power feed line between a commercial power network and an electrical load, an internal combustion engine for driving the generator, and a battery, the cogeneration system producing hot air/water through exchange heat generated by the engine to supply to a thermal load, it is determined whether it is a predetermined self-diagnosis time, and when the result is affirmative, the generation unit is operated by an output of the battery and self-diagnoses is made on at least one of output voltage of the battery, a speed of the engine and an output of the generator, when it is determined to be the predetermined self-diagnosis time.

Claims

1. A cogeneration system having at least with a generation unit comprising a generator connectable to an AC power feed line between a commercial power network and an electrical load, an internal combustion engine for driving the generator, a battery and a power controller, the cogeneration system producing hot air or water through exchange heat generated by the engine to supply to a thermal load, comprising:

a self-diagnosis time determiner that determines whether it is a predetermined self-diagnosis time; and

a self-diagnoser that operates the generation unit by an output of the battery and self-diagnoses on at least one of output voltage of the battery, a speed of the engine and an output of the generator, when it is determined to be the predetermined self-diagnosis time.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined self-diagnosis time is one from among a time when a predetermined time period has lapsed, a time when a number of operations of the generation unit has reached a predetermined number, and a time when a total operating time period of the generation unit has reached a predetermined time period.

3. The system according to claim 1, further including:

an indicator that indicates a result of self-diagnosis by the self-diagnoser.

4. The system according to claim 2, further including:

an indicator that indicates a result of self-diagnosis by the self-diagnoser.

5. A method of self-diagnosing a cogeneration system having at least with a generation unit comprising a generator connectable to an AC power feed line between a commercial power network and an electrical load, an internal combustion engine for driving the generator, a battery and a power controller, the cogeneration system producing hot medium through exchange heat generated by the engine to supply to a thermal load, comprising the steps of:

determining whether it is a predetermined self-diagnosis time; and

operating the generation unit by an output of the battery and self-diagnosing on at least one of output voltage of the battery, a speed of the engine and an output of the generator, when it is determined to be the predetermined self-diagnosis time.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined self-diagnosis time is one from among a time when a predetermined time period has lapsed, a time when a number of operations of the generation unit has reached a predetermined number, and a time when a total operating time period of the generation unit has reached a predetermined time period.

7. The method according to claim 5, further including the step of:

indicating a result of self-diagnosis by the step of self-diagnosing.

8. The method according to claim 6, further including:

an indicator that indicates a result of self-diagnosis by the step of self-diagnosing.