SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LIQUID AIR PRODUCTION, POWER STORAGE AND POWER RELEASE

• US 20090293503A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Expansion Energy, LLC
• Original Assignee: Expansion Energy, LLC
• Inventors: Vandor, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,821,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/45.1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/005 Adaptations for refrigeration plants
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/14 Gas-turbine plants having means for storing energy, e.g. for meeting peak loads
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/61 for hydrogen and/or oxygen production
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0012 Primary atmospheric gases, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/004 by flash gas recovery F25J1/0267 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0045 by vaporising a liquid return stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/005 by expansion of a gaseous refrigerant stream with extraction of work
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/007 Primary atmospheric gases, mixtures thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0204 as a single flow SCR cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0227 within a refrigeration cascade
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0242 Waste heat recovery, e.g. from heat of compression
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0251 Intermittent or alternating process, so-called batch process, e.g. "peak-shaving"
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0268 using a dedicated refrigeration means F25J1/0296 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0284 Electrical motor as the prime mechanical driver
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0288 using work extraction by mechanical coupling of compression and expansion of the refrigerant, so-called companders
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2205/66 Regenerating the adsorption vessel, e.g. kind of reactivation gas
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/02 Compressor intake arrangement, e.g. filtering or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/04 Compressor cooling arrangement, e.g. inter- or after-stage cooling or condensate removal
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/20 Integrated compressor and process expander; Gear box arrangement; Multiple compressors on a common shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/22 Compressor driver arrangement, e.g. power supply by motor, gas or steam turbine
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/30 : Compression of the feed stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2235/02 : using a pump in general or hydrostatic pressure increase
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2240/80 : Hot exhaust gas turbine combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2240/90 : Hot gas waste turbine of an indirect heated gas for power generation
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2245/40 : the recycled stream being air
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2260/30 : Integration in an installation using renewable energy
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2270/16 : with mutliple gas expansion loops of the same refrigerant
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2270/906 : by heat driven absorption chillers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0033 : for cryogenic applications air separation F25J3/04, cold heat exchange systems F25J1/0262
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 : Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/16 : Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 : Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis

Abstract

Systems and methods for storing and releasing energy comprising directing inlet air into a vertical cold flue assembly having an air inlet at or near its top into which inlet air is directed and an exit at or near its bottom. The air is cooled within the cold flue assembly and a portion of moisture is removed from the air within the cold flue assembly. The air is directed out the exit of the cold flue assembly and compressed. The remaining moisture is substantially removed and the carbon dioxide is removed from the air by adsorption. The air is cooled in a main heat exchanger such that it is substantially liquefied using refrigerant loop air, the refrigerant loop air generated by a refrigerant loop process. The substantially liquefied air is directed to a storage apparatus. The refrigerant loop air is cooled by a mechanical chiller and by a plurality of refrigerant loop air expanders. In energy release mode, working loop air warms the released liquid air such that the released liquid air is substantially vaporized, and the released liquid air cools the working loop air such that the working loop air is substantially liquefied. A portion of the released liquid air is directed to the at least one generator and used as bearing air for the at least one generator. The substantially vaporized air is directed to a combustion chamber and combusted with a fuel stream. Combustion gas may be directed from the combustion chamber to at least one expander and expanded in the expander, the expanded combustion gas split into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being relatively larger than the second portion. The first portion may be directed to a first heat exchanger, and the second portion may be directed to a second heat exchanger such that the second portion heats and substantially vaporizes the released liquid air.

Claims

1. A method of producing liquid air comprising:

directing inlet air into a vertical cold flue assembly having an air inlet at or near its top into which inlet air is directed and an exit at or near its bottom;

cooling the air within the cold flue assembly and removing a portion of moisture from the air within the cold flue assembly;

directing the air out the exit of the cold flue assembly;

compressing the air;

substantially removing the remaining moisture and carbon dioxide from the air by adsorption;

cooling the air in a main heat exchanger such that the air is substantially liquefied using refrigerant loop air, the refrigerant loop air generated by a refrigerant loop process; and

directing the substantially liquefied air to a storage apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the refrigerant loop process comprises:

compressing the refrigerant loop air to a first pressure and recovering the heat of compression;

compressing the refrigerant loop air to a second pressure and recovering the heat of compression;

splitting the refrigerant loop air such that a first portion is directed to a mechanical chiller and a second portion is directed to a refrigerant loop air cryogenic expander;

cooling the refrigerant loop air in the mechanical chiller and the refrigerant loop air cryogenic expander; and

directing the refrigerant loop air to the main heat exchanger.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising directing refrigerant from an absorption chiller to the mechanical chiller to cool the mechanical chiller.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

recovering the heat of compression from the compressed air and directing the recovered heat of compression to an absorption chiller to drive the absorption chiller;

directing refrigerant from the absorption chiller to the cold flue assembly to cool the air entering the cold flue assembly, the absorption chiller being fluidly connected to the cold flue assembly.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the adsorption step is performed by a molecular sieve assembly and further comprising:

using recovered cold from a vapor portion of the substantially liquefied air to further cool the inlet air;

warming the vapor portion of the substantially liquefied air by using heat from the inlet air and recovered heat of compression; and

directing the warmed vapor portion of the substantially liquefied air to the molecular sieve assembly such that the vapor portion of the substantially liquefied air removes carbon dioxide and moisture from the molecular sieve assembly.

6. A liquid air production system comprising:

one or more inlet air compressors;

a molecular sieve assembly fluidly connected to a first inlet air compressor;

a vertical cold flue assembly fluidly connected to the molecular sieve assembly and to a second inlet air compressor, the vertical cold flue assembly having an air inlet at or near its top into which inlet air is directed and an exit at or near its bottom;

one or more inlet air heat exchangers including a main heat exchanger fluidly connected to at least one of the plurality of inlet air compressors;

a storage apparatus fluidly connected to the main heat exchanger;

an absorption chiller using a working fluid, the absorption chiller being fluidly connected to the cold flue assembly; and

a mechanical chiller containing refrigerant fluid, the mechanical chiller being fluidly connected to the absorption chiller; and

a refrigerant loop air assembly fluidly connected to the mechanical chiller.

7. The liquid air production system of claim 6 wherein the refrigerant loop air assembly comprises:

one or more refrigerant loop air compressors, at least one of the plurality of refrigerant loop air compressors being fluidly connected to the main heat exchanger;

one or more refrigerant loop air cryogenic expanders;

wherein the mechanical chiller is fluidly connected to at least one refrigerant loop air compressor, at least one refrigerant loop air cryogenic expander, the absorption chiller, and to the main heat exchanger; and

wherein refrigerant loop air flows from the refrigerant loop assembly to the main heat exchanger to cool the inlet air.

8. The liquid air production system of claim 7 wherein the refrigerant loop air is compressed by the one or more refrigerant loop air compressors and the heat of compression is recovered by at least the absorption chiller.

9. The liquid air production system of claim 8 wherein the refrigerant loop air is split such that a first portion is directed to the mechanical chiller and a second portion is directed to at least one refrigerant loop air cryogenic expander;

the refrigerant loop air is cooled by the mechanical chiller and by the one or more refrigerant loop air cryogenic expanders and is directed to the main heat exchanger; and

the refrigerant fluid within the mechanical chiller is condensed by cold working fluid sent to the mechanical chiller from the absorption chiller.

10. The liquid air production system of claim 6 wherein recovered cold from a vapor portion of the substantially liquefied air further cools the inlet air in the main heat exchanger;

the vapor portion of the substantially liquefied air is warmed by heat from the inlet air and recovered heat of compression; and

the warmed vapor portion of the substantially liquefied air is directed to the molecular sieve assembly such that the vapor portion of the substantially liquefied air removes carbon dioxide and moisture from the molecular sieve assembly.

11. A method of releasing stored energy comprising:

releasing stored liquid air;

pumping the released liquid air to pressure;

directing the released liquid air through at least one heat exchanger in a first general direction;

directing working loop air through the at least one heat exchanger such that the working loop air flows in a second general direction, the second general direction being substantially opposite to the first general direction;

warming the released liquid air with the working loop air such that the released liquid air is substantially vaporized; and

cooling the working loop air with the released liquid air such that the working loop air is substantially liquefied.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

directing a portion of the released liquid air to at least one generator; and

using the released liquid air as bearing air for the at least one generator;

wherein the released liquid air cools the generator and the generator warms the released liquid air.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

pumping the substantially liquefied working loop air to pressure;

vaporizing the pressurized liquid working loop air by heat exchange with hot combustion gas;

expanding the pressurized working loop air in a generator-loaded hot-gas expander such that the generator produces electric power.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

directing the substantially vaporized and pressurized air to a combustion chamber; and

combusting the substantially vaporized air with a fuel stream.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

directing combustion gas from the combustion chamber to a first generator-loaded hot-gas expander; and

expanding the combustion gas in the at least one generator-loaded hot-gas expander.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

splitting the expanded combustion gas into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being relatively larger than the second portion;

directing the first portion to a main heat exchanger to warm a cold pressurized air stream;

directing the second portion to a second heat exchanger such that the second portion heats and substantially vaporizes the liquid air in the loop that is used to recover the cold from the main released air, where the loop air is heated and expanded in a second generator-loaded hot-gas expander.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

directing the formerly hot exhaust stream from the main heat exchanger to a moisture separator;

recovering moisture from the hot exhaust stream in the moisture separator;

pumping the recovered liquid moisture to pressure;

warming the moisture by recovered heat in a warm heat exchanger; and

directing the recovered moisture to the first generator-loaded hot-gas expander.

18. An energy release system comprising:

a storage apparatus;

one or more heat exchangers, at least one of the heat exchangers being fluidly connected to the storage apparatus;

at least one combustion chamber fluidly connected to at least one of the heat exchangers;

one or more generator-loaded hot-gas expanders fluidly connected to the at least one combustion chamber and at least one of the heat exchangers; and

at least one generator fluidly connected to at least one of the hot-gas expanders, the generator producing electric power;

wherein liquid air released from the storage apparatus flows in a first general direction, and working loop air flows in a second general direction, the second general direction being substantially opposite to the first general direction; and

the working loop air warms the released liquid air such that the released liquid air is substantially vaporized, and the released liquid air cools the working loop air such that the working loop air is substantially liquefied.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein a portion of the released liquid air is directed to the at least one generator and used as bearing air for the at least one generator.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the substantially vaporized air is directed to a combustion chamber and combusted with a fuel stream.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the substantially liquefied working loop air is pumped to pressure and vaporized by hot combustion gas;

and

the vaporized high pressure working loop air is expanded in a generator-loaded hot-gas expander, wherein the generator produces electric power.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein combustion gas is directed from the combustion chamber to at least one generator-loaded hot gas expander and expanded in the generator-loaded hot-gas expander;

the expanded combustion gas is split into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being relatively larger than the second portion;

the first portion is directed to a first heat exchanger; and

the second portion is directed to a second heat exchanger such that the second portion heats and substantially vaporizes the released liquid air.