Wind & solar powered heat trace with homeostatic control

• US 20120112546A1
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Culver Industries, LLC
• Original Assignee: Culver Industries, LLC
• Inventors: Culver, Brandon
• Granted Patent: US 9,774,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies

Abstract

A homeostatic heat trace powered by wind and solar electrical generators for preventing freeze-up of equipment at remote sites. A heat trace system wherein solar power may be used as backup when wind velocities are too low or high. A heat trace with a UPS backup for preventing freeze-up of equipment at remote sites during power failure. A homeostatic control system for maximizing the utilization of energy stored in a bank of batteries. A programmable logic controller with a homeostatic control system for maintaining battery charge. A homeostatic heat trace system powered by wind and backed up by solar power to prevent freeze-up of equipment at remote sites, including oil and gas wells.

Claims

1. A heat trace system comprising;

a bank of one or more deep cell storage batteries for storing DC power,

an aerogenerator for supplying primary DC power to said battery bank,

at least one solar panel for supplying backup DC solar power to said battery bank,

a plurality of heat trace sections,

a DC to AC inverter for supplying AC power to said heat trace sections,

a plurality of heat trace sections,

a UPS backup system for supplying backup battery power to said battery bank,

a control means for maximizing the utilization of power from said battery bank, and

a means for using power from said aerogenerator, said solar panel(s), said battery bank, and said UPS backup system to power said control means.

2. The heat trace system of claim 1 wherein said control means includes:

a controller for limiting power from said aerogenerator to prevent overcharging said battery bank,

controllers for limiting power from said solar panels to prevent overcharging said battery bank,

a means for monitoring said limited power from said solar panels,

a means for monitoring said limited power from said aerogenerator,

a means for monitoring the voltage of said battery bank and determining that said bank is charged,

a plurality of switching means, each connecting one of said heat trace sections to said AC power,

a means for monitoring the environment for each of said heat trace sections,

a means for maximizing utilization of power from said battery bank while maintaining said battery bank charged by distributing said power to each of said heat trace sections, and

a means for maximizing utilization of said backup battery power by distributing said backup battery power to each of said heat trace sections when said maximizing means cannot maintain said battery bank charged.

3. The heat trace system of claim 2 wherein said means for maximizing utilization of power from said battery bank and from said backup system controls the distribution of said AC power through each of said switching means by turning each of said switching means “

on”

when said environment of said heat trace section requires heat, and “

off”

otherwise.

4. The heat trace system of claim 1 wherein said control means is a homeostatic control mechanism that includes:

a regulated variable,

at least one receptor for monitoring environmental stimuli,

a control center that sets the range for said regulated variable and determines the appropriate response to said stimuli to maintain homeostasis, and

at least one effector to implement said response.

5. The heat trace system of claim 4 wherein said regulated variable is the voltage of said batteries in said battery bank, said control center is a programmable logic controller, said effectors are switches controlled by said programmable logic controller to switch said AC power to each of said heat trace sections on and off, and said receptors include:

an ambient temperature thermocouple sensor with input to said programmable logic controller,

a heat trace temperature thermocouple sensor for each of said heat trace sections with input to said programmable logic controller,

a means for monitoring power from said solar panel with input to said programmable logic controller,

a means for monitoring power from said aerogenerator with input to said programmable logic controller, and

a means for monitoring said voltage of said power stored in said battery bank with input to said programmable logic controller.

6. The heat trace system of claim 5 wherein said means for using power from said solar panel(s), said aerogenerator, and said battery bank to power said control means are voltage transducers.

7. The heat trace system of claim 5 wherein said heat trace sections are used to protect equipment at an oil and gas well from freezing.

8. The heat trace system of claim 7 with one solar panel mounted on a thirty foot teepee-style pole.

9. The heat trace system of claim 7 with two solar panels mounted on a twenty foot teepee-style pole servicing an offshore oil and gas well.

10. The heat trace system of claim 7 with two solar panels mounted on a forty foot pipe-style pole.

11. The heat trace system of claim 7 with three solar panels mounted on a thirty-five foot triangular-style pole.

12. The heat trace system of claim 7 with one solar panel mounted on a thirty foot hinged-style pole

13. The heat trace system of claim 7 wherein said aerogenerator is a 5-blade wind turbine capable of generating 1350 watts of power, said solar panel is capable of generating 200 watts of power, said battery bank contains six (6) 12 VDC 104 aH batteries, said inverter is a 600 watt DC/AC inverter, said heat trace is five twenty (20) foot sections of 5 watt/foot trace, and said inverter and programmable logic controller consume twenty-five watts of DC power.

14. The heat trace system of claim 13 wherein said battery bank is “

charged”

when the voltage of said batteries in said battery bank exceeds 11.4 volts.

15. The heat trace system of claim 7 wherein said aerogenerator is a 5-blade wind turbine capable of generating 2000 watts of power, said solar panel is capable of generating 200 watts of power, said battery bank contains four (4) 24 VDC 205 aH batteries, said inverter is a 600 watt DC/AC inverter, said heat trace is five twenty (20) foot sections of 5 watt/foot trace, and said inverter and programmable logic controller consume twenty-five watts of DC power.

16. The heat trace system of claim 15 wherein said battery bank is “

charged”

when the voltage of said batteries in said battery bank exceeds 22.8 volts.

24. The process of erecting the heat trace system of claim 7 on top of a thirty foot hinged-style pole comprising:

lowering the mast top of said hinged-style pole,

attaching the base pole of said hinged-style pole to a foundation,

attaching the aerogenerator for said heat trace system to said mast top,

attaching the control enclosure and its contents, battery enclosure and its contents, and at least one solar panel for said heat trace system to said base pole,

winching the mast bottom inside said base pole, thereby elevating the mast top, and

securing the mast bottom inside said base pole.

25. The process of servicing the aerogenerator for the heat trace system of claim 7 on top of a thirty foot hinged-style pole comprising:

releasing the mast bottom from inside the base pole of said hinged-style pole,

winching said mast bottom from inside said base pole, thereby lowering said aerogenerator,

accessing said aerogenerator,

winching the mast bottom inside said base pole, thereby elevating said aero generator, and

securing said mast bottom inside said base pole.

17. A heating process wherein:

an aerogenerator generates primary DC power from wind,

one or more solar panels generate backup solar DC power from sunlight,

power from said solar panel(s) and said aerogenerator is stored in a bank of batteries,

power stored in said battery bank is converted into AC power, and

AC power is distributed by a programmable logic controller to one or more heat traces, each of which may have a plurality of sections to protect equipment from freezing.

18. The process of claim 17 wherein said programmable logic controller sets the voltage range for homeostasis of said battery bank,

a thermocouple sensor transmits ambient temperature information to said programmable logic controller,

a plurality of heat trace temperature thermocouple sensors transmit temperature information for each heat trace section to said programmable logic controller,

voltage transducers transmits information about the power output from each solar panel to said programmable logic controller,

a voltage transducer transmits information about the power output from said aerogenerator to said programmable logic controller,

a voltage transducer transmits information about the voltage of said battery bank to said programmable logic controller, and

said programmable logic controller controls the distribution of said AC power to said heat trace sections.

19. The process of claim 18 wherein said heat trace sections are used to protect oil and gas well equipment from freezing.

20. A homeostatic control system for maximizing the utilization of electrical power by a plurality of heat trace sections wherein the variable being controlled is the voltage of said storage batteries, and the value of said variable for homeostasis (V) is the voltage of said batteries when said batteries are fully charged, comprising

one or more DC power generators,

a bank of one or more storage batteries,

a control center for setting the homeostatic range for the voltage of said batteries, receiving information from receptors, and sending information to effectors,

a means for limiting input power from said generator(s) to prevent overcharging of said batteries,

at least one input receptor for monitoring said input power and transmitting information about said power to said control center,

an output receptor for monitoring said voltage of said batteries and sending information about said voltage to said control center,

a means for converting DC power from said storage batteries into available AC power,

a plurality of environmental receptors and heat trace sections wherein each of said receptors monitors the environment of one of said heat trace sections,

a plurality of effectors wherein each of said effectors may supply AC power to one of said heat trace sections when the environment of said section requires heat, and

a program in said control center that maintains homeostasis by distributing said available AC power to said heat trace sections.

21. The homeostatic control system of claim 20 wherein a UPS backup system provides at least twenty-four hours of emergency DC power, and said input receptors also include a UPS backup power receptor for monitoring said emergency power and sending information about said emergency power input to said control center.

22. The homeostatic control system of claim 20 wherein:

said generators includes one or more primary generators and one or more backup generators,

said input receptors include primary and backup power receptors for monitoring said DC power to said battery bank, and for transmitting information about said DC power to said control center,

said effectors include a plurality of switches through which AC power flows to said heat trace sections when said control center switches the switch for a heat trace section “

on”

, and

said control center maximizes the utilization of said available AC power by turning said switches “

on” and

“

off.”

23. The homeostatic control system of claim 22 wherein said primary generator includes at least one aerogenerators and said backup generator includes at least one solar panel.