METHOD AND SYSTEMS FOR UTILIZING EXCESS ENERGY GENERATED BY A RENEWABLE POWER GENERATION SYSTEM TO TREAT ORGANIC WASTE MATERIAL

• US 20100138062A1
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bose, Sumit, Zheng, Danian, Grimley, Robert P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/10 from rubber or rubber waste
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/18 storing heat
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/20 Wind motors characterised by the driven apparatus F03D9/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/255 connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/28 the apparatus being a pump or a compressor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/20 using renewable energy

Abstract

A method for using excess energy generated by a renewable power generation system including at least one renewable power generator to treat organic waste material to generate crude oil. The method includes providing a renewable power generation management system operatively coupled to the renewable power generation system. The renewable power generation management system receives operational data from a pump load operatively coupled to the renewable power generator, and/or operational data from an electrical grid operatively coupled to the renewable power generator. Based at least in part on anticipated energy requirements, excess energy is supplied to the pump load to facilitate treating the organic waste material to generate crude oil.

Claims

1. A method for using excess energy generated by a renewable power generation system including at least one renewable power generator to treat organic waste material to generate crude oil, said method comprising:

providing a renewable power generation management system operatively coupled to the renewable power generation system;

receiving at the renewable power generation management system operational data from a pump load operatively coupled to the renewable power generator, the operational data related to at least one of current energy requirements and anticipated energy requirements for treating the organic waste material;

receiving at the renewable power generation management system operational data from an electrical grid operatively coupled to the renewable power generator, the operational data related to at least one of a current electrical distribution load and an anticipated electrical distribution load;

determining based at least in part on anticipated energy requirements an amount of excess energy to supply to the pump load to facilitate treating the organic waste material to generate crude oil; and

,

supplying the determined amount of excess energy to the pump load.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising receiving at the renewable power generation management system operational data from the renewable power generator related to at least one of current power generation and anticipated power generation, a number of operational renewable power generators, a maximum power generation, heating requirements of the renewable power generator, cooling requirements of the renewable power generator, current climate conditions, and a climate conditions forecast.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein receiving operational data from a pump load comprises receiving data related to at least one of current energy requirements and anticipated energy requirements, a quantity of organic waste material, crude oil demand, waste disposal cost, electricity cost, and crude oil pricing.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein receiving operational data from an electrical grid comprises receiving data related to current climate conditions, a climate conditions forecast, a maximum capacity of the electrical grid, energy demands at peak hours and non-peak hours, energy demands at a selected time of day, and energy demands on a selected day.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein determining based at least in part on anticipated energy requirements an amount of excess energy to supply to the pump load comprises:

quantifying an amount of renewable power generated by the renewable power generator;

determining whether the amount of renewable power generated exceeds the current electrical distribution load of the electrical grid; and

,

if the amount of renewable power generated does not exceed the current electrical distribution load of the electrical grid, supplying the amount of renewable power generated to the electrical grid.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein, if the amount of renewable power generated exceeds the current electrical distribution load of the electrical grid, said method further comprises quantifying an amount of energy required by the pump load.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising storing at a thermal energy storage device excess energy not required by the pump load.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein determining based at least in part on anticipated energy requirements an amount of excess energy to transmit to the pump load comprises considering current loads, a load forecast, market conditions, current thermal energy storage, and thermal energy storage capacity.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein supplying the determined amount of excess energy to the pump load comprises operating one of a bi-directional converter and a bi-directional inverter operatively coupled to the renewable power generator to supply the determined amount of excess energy to the pump load.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising converting the excess energy to one of an AC voltage and a DC voltage utilizing one of the bi-directional converter and the bi-directional inverter before supplying the determined amount of excess energy to the pump load.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising generating and transmitting to the renewable power generator command signals to control an amount of power generated by the renewable power generator based at least in part on the anticipated energy requirements and the anticipated electrical distribution load.

12. A renewable power generation management system configured to facilitate utilization of excess energy generated by a renewable power generation system including at least one renewable power generator to treat organic waste material to generate crude oil, said renewable power generation management system comprising a controller programmed to:

receive operational data from a pump load operatively coupled to the renewable power generator, the operational data related to at least one of current energy requirements and anticipated energy requirements for treating the organic waste material;

receive operational data from an electrical grid operatively coupled to the renewable power generator, the operational data related to at least one of a current electrical distribution load and an anticipated electrical distribution load;

determine based at least in part on anticipated energy requirements an amount of excess energy to supply to the pump load to facilitate treating the organic waste material to generate crude oil; and

,

operate the renewable power generator to generate power based at least in part on the anticipated energy requirements and the anticipated electrical distribution load.

13. The renewable power generation management system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the controller is further programmed to supply the determined amount of excess energy to the pump load.

14. The renewable power generation management system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the controller is further programmed to operate one of a bi-directional converter and a bi-directional converter operatively coupled to the renewable power generator to supply the determined amount of excess energy to the pump load.

15. The renewable power generation management system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the controller is further programmed to consider current loads, a load forecast, market conditions, current thermal energy storage, and thermal energy storage capacity to determine based at least in part on anticipated energy requirements an amount of excess energy to transmit to the pump load.

16. The renewable power generation management system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the controller is further programmed to generate and transmit to the renewable power generator command signals to control an amount of power generated by the renewable power generator based at least in part on the anticipated energy requirements and the anticipated electrical distribution load.

17. A renewable power generation system configured to utilize excess energy to treat organic waste material to generate crude oil, said renewable power generation system comprising:

at least one renewable power generator configured to generate electrical energy;

a pump load operatively coupled to the renewable power generator and configured to receive excess energy generated by the renewable power generator; and

,

a controller programmed to;

receive operational data from the pump load related to at least one of current energy requirements and anticipated energy requirements for treating the organic waste material;

receive operational data from an electrical grid operatively coupled to the renewable power generator related to at least one of a current electrical distribution load and an anticipated electrical distribution load;

determine based at least in part on anticipated energy requirements an amount of excess energy to supply to the pump load to facilitate treating the organic waste material to generate crude oil; and

,

operate the renewable power generator to generate electrical energy based at least in part on the anticipated energy requirements and the anticipated electrical distribution load.

18. The renewable power generation system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the controller is further programmed to operate one of a bi-directional converter and a bi-directional converter operatively coupled to the renewable power generator to supply the determined amount of excess energy to the pump load.

19. The renewable power generation system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the controller is further programmed to consider at least one of current loads, a load forecast, market conditions, current thermal energy storage, and thermal energy storage capacity to determine based at least in part on anticipated energy requirements an amount of excess energy to transmit to the pump load.

20. The renewable power generation system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the controller is further programmed to generate and transmit to the renewable power generator command signals to control an amount of electrical energy generated by the renewable power generator based at least in part on the anticipated energy requirements and the anticipated electrical distribution load.