High Output Modular CAES (HOMC)

• US 20130042601A1
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powerphase International LLC
• Original Assignee: Powerphase LLC
• Inventors: Kraft, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,863,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/327
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/10 with exhaust fluid of one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle F01K17/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 27/00 Plants for converting heat or fluid energy into mechanical energy, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/16 for storing compressed air
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 1/022 used as an emergency power source, e.g. in case of pump failure
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 15/006 in the form of pneumatic energy, e.g. compressed air energy storage [CAES] accumulators for supplying fluid under pressure F15B1/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/16 Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/50 Energy storage in industry with an added climate change mitigation effect

Abstract

A compressed air energy storage system integrated with a source of secondary heat, such as a simple cycle gas turbine, to increase power production and to provide power regulation through the use of stored compressed air heated by said secondary heat to provide power augmentation.

Claims

1. An energy storage and retrieval system for obtaining useful work from an existing source of secondary heat, said system comprising:

a source of compressed air;

at least one generator;

a plurality of expander stages, each of said plurality of expander stages having an inlet and an outlet, at least a portion of said plurality of expander stages having an outlet flow control, and each of said plurality of expander stages connected to said at least one generator;

a first manifold; and

a first plurality of heat exchangers, including an initial heat exchanger and a first plurality of downstream heat exchangers, each of said first plurality of heat exchangers having a first heat exchange circuit and a second heat exchange circuit;

wherein each of said first heat exchange circuits of said first plurality of downstream heat exchangers is in selective fluid communication with one of said outlets of said plurality of expander stages through one of said outlet flow controls of said plurality of expander stages, and each of said second heat exchange circuits of said first plurality of heat exchangers is in fluid communication with said first manifold, and said first manifold is in fluid communication with said source of secondary heat to receive secondary heat therefrom.

2. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 1 further comprising

a second manifold,

a pre-heater heat exchanger having a first heat exchange circuit and a second heat exchange circuit,

wherein said first circuit of said pre-heater heat exchanger is in fluid communication with said second manifold and said source of compressed air, and said second heat exchange circuit of said pre-heater heat exchanger is in fluid communication with one of said outlets of said plurality of expander stages to receive said compressed air therefrom.

3. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 2 further comprising

a source of coolant with an outlet and an outlet flow control;

wherein, said generator is a combined motor/generator, said source of compressed air includes an air storage, and a plurality of compressor stages driven by said motor/generator, including an initial compressor stage and a plurality of downstream compressor stages, each of said plurality of compressor stages having an inlet and an outlet, each of said plurality of downstream compressor stages having an inlet flow control, and at least a portion of said plurality of compressor stages having an outlet flow control, and a third manifold in fluid communication with said air storage, said third manifold having a plurality of inlets, each of said plurality of inlets of said third manifold having an inlet flow control, and each first heat exchange circuit of said first plurality of heat exchangers is in selective fluid communication with one of said inlets of said plurality of downstream compressor stages through one of said inlet flow controls of said plurality of downstream compressor stages, in selective fluid communication with one of said plurality of inlets of said third manifold through one of said inlet flow controls of said third manifold, and in selective fluid communication with one of said outlets of said portion of said plurality of compressor stages through one of said outlet flow controls of said portion of said plurality of compressor stages, and each second heat exchange circuit of said first plurality of heat exchangers is in selective fluid communication with said outlet of said source of coolant through said outlet flow control of said source of coolant.

4. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 3 wherein said source of secondary heat includes an outlet and an outlet flow control, said first manifold includes a plurality of outlets and outlet flow controls, each of said inlets of said plurality of expander stages includes an inlet flow control, and each first heat exchange circuit of said first plurality of heat exchangers is in selective fluid communication with one of said inlets of said plurality of expander stages through one of said inlet flow controls of said plurality of expander stages and in selective fluid communication with said second manifold through with one of said outlet flow controls of said second manifold, and each second heat exchange circuit of said first plurality of heat exchangers is in selective fluid communication with said outlet of said source of secondary heat through said outlet flow control of said source of secondary heat.

5. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 4 wherein each of said inlet flow controls and outlet flow controls are independently operable to provide a first operating condition in which said plurality of expander stages is fluidly isolated from said first plurality of heat exchangers and each of said first plurality of heat exchangers is in fluid communication with at least one of said plurality of compressor stages, and a second operating condition in which said plurality of compressor stages is fluidly isolated from said first plurality of heat exchangers and each of said first plurality of heat exchangers is in fluid communication with at least one of said plurality of expander stages.

6. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 5 further including a source of hydraulic fluid, and flow control in fluid communication with said source of hydraulic fluid and said air storage for selectively permitting transfer of said hydraulic fluid into said air storage as the mass of compressed air in the air storage is reduced to maintain the pressure of said compressed air in said air storage at a predetermined level, and selectively permitting transfer of said hydraulic fluid from said air storage as the mass of said compressed air in said air storage is increased.

7. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 6 further including a hydraulic pump in fluid communication with said source of hydraulic fluid and said air storage for pumping said hydraulic fluid into said air storage as the mass of compressed air in the air storage is reduced to maintain the pressure of said compressed air in said air storage at a predetermined level.

8. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 6 wherein said source of secondary heat is a gas turbine.

9. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 6 wherein said source of secondary heat is an industrial process.

10. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 6 wherein said source of secondary heat is a steam turbine.

11. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 6 wherein said system is modular and can be transported in preassembled components to be assembled at the site of said source of secondary heat.

12. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 6 wherein said system is assembled on a mobile platform and transported to the site of the source of secondary heat to be connected in fluid communication with said source of secondary heat.

13. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 6 wherein said system further includes an energy battery to provide instantaneous electrical power to provide energy at a predetermined level of power until said generator generates electrical power at said predetermined level of power.

14. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 6 wherein said motor/generator that drives said compressor stages is powered by an intermittent power producing system.

15. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 2 further comprising

a source of coolant;

a third manifold having a plurality of inlets,

a fourth manifold having a plurality of outlets,

a second plurality of heat exchangers, including a second plurality of upstream heat exchangers and a final heat exchanger, each of said second plurality of heat exchangers having a first heat exchange circuit and a second heat exchange circuit;

wherein, said generator is a combined motor/generator, said source of compressed air includes an air storage in fluid communication with said third manifold, and a plurality of compressor stages driven by said motor/generator, including an initial compressor stage and a plurality of downstream compressor stages, each of said plurality of compressor stages having an inlet and an outlet, and a flow control controls flow into the inlet of each of said plurality of downstream compressor stages,

wherein each of said first heat exchange circuits of said second plurality of upstream heat exchangers is in fluid communication with one of said outlets of said plurality of compressor stages, and each of said second heat exchange circuits of said second plurality of heat exchangers is in fluid communication with said first manifold, and said first manifold is in fluid communication with said source of secondary heat to receive secondary heat therefrom, and each first heat exchange circuit of said second plurality of heat exchangers is in selective fluid communication with one of said inlets of said plurality of downstream compressor stages through one of said flow controls that control flow into the inlet of each of said plurality of downstream compressor stages, in fluid communication with one of said plurality of inlets of said third manifold, and in fluid communication with one of said outlets of said portion of said plurality of compressor stages, and each second heat exchange circuit of said first plurality of heat exchangers is in fluid communication with said source of coolant.

16. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 15 wherein said first manifold includes a plurality of outlets and outlet flow controls, and each first heat exchange circuit of said first plurality of heat exchangers is in fluid communication with one of said inlets of said plurality of expander stages and in selective fluid communication with said second manifold through with one of said outlet flow controls of said second manifold, and each second heat exchange circuit of said first plurality of heat exchangers is in selective fluid communication with said source of secondary heat.

17. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 16 further including a source of hydraulic fluid, wherein said air storage is in fluid communication with said source of hydraulic fluid to allow transfer of said hydraulic fluid into said air storage as the mass of compressed air in the air storage is reduced to maintain the pressure of said compressed air in said air storage at a predetermined level and to allow transfer of said hydraulic fluid from said air storage as the mass of said compressed air in said air storage is increased.

18. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 17 further including a hydraulic pump in fluid communication with said source of hydraulic fluid and said air storage for pumping said hydraulic fluid into said air storage as the mass of compressed air in the air storage is reduced.

19. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 18 wherein said source of secondary heat is a gas turbine.

20. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 18 wherein said source of secondary heat is an industrial process.

21. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 18 wherein said source of secondary heat is a steam turbine.

22. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 18 wherein said system is modular and can be transported in preassembled components to be assembled at the site of said source of secondary heat.

23. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 18 wherein said system is assembled on a mobile platform and transported to the site of the source of secondary heat to be connected in fluid communication with said source of secondary heat.

24. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 18 wherein said system further includes an energy battery to provide instantaneous electrical power to provide energy at a predetermined level of power until said generator generates electrical power at said predetermined level of power.

25. The energy storage and retrieval system of claim 18 wherein said motor/generator that drives said compressor stages is powered by an intermittent power producing system.

26. A method for obtaining useful work from an existing source of heat, said system comprising:

providing a source of compressed air;

providing a plurality of expander stages, each of said plurality of expander stages connected to at least one generator;

extracting work by releasing compressed air from said source of compressed air, transferring heat from said source of heat to said compressed air prior to said compressed air entering each of said plurality of expander stages; and

,

expanding said compressed air through said plurality of expander stages to drive said at least one generator.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of further including the step of extracting work by releasing compressed air from said source of compressed air, is followed by the step of

maintaining the pressure of said compressed air in said source of compressed air at a predetermined level by transferring a hydraulic fluid into said air storage as releasing of compressed air is occurring.

28. An energy storage and retrieval system for obtaining useful work from a source of heat, said system comprising:

means for producing compressed air;

means for storing said compressed air;

means for extracting work from said compressed air including a plurality of expanders, a plurality of first conduits, and a plurality of second conduits, each of said expanders having an inlet and an outlet, each of said first conduits connected to one of said inlets of said plurality of expanders to deliver said compressed air thereto, and each of said second conduits connected to one of said outlets of said plurality of expanders to receive said compressed air therefrom; and

,

means for transferring energy between said compressed air and a heat transfer fluid, including

a first manifold, and

a first plurality of heat exchangers, including an initial heat exchanger and a plurality of downstream heat exchangers, each of said first plurality of heat exchangers having a first heat exchange circuit including a first inlet and a first outlet, and a second heat exchange circuit including a second inlet and a second outlet, each of said first outlets of said first plurality of heat exchangers connected to one of said first conduits to deliver said compressed air thereto, each of said first inlets of said plurality of downstream heat exchangers connected to one of said second conduits to receive said compressed air therefrom, and each of said second inlets of said plurality of heat exchangers connected to said first manifold;

wherein said energy is heat from said source of heat, and said first manifold is connected to said source of heat to receive said heat transfer fluid therefrom for transferring said energy to said compressed air.