COGENERATION NETWORKS
First Claim
1. A cogeneration network comprising(i) a plurality of cogeneration systems, wherein each cogeneration system comprises a cogeneration plant operably connected to a host facility that receives a thermal product and/or mechanical work product and, optionally, electrical power from the cogeneration plant, and wherein at least one of the cogeneration plants comprises a plurality of operably connected modular transportable units;
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(b) processes the inputs to determine a plurality of outputs, and(c) transmits the outputs to a plurality of actuators in the plurality of cogeneration systems, whereby the operation of the network of cogeneration systems is optimized.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides systems and methods for a network of cogenerations systems. In some cases, each system includes at least one cogeneration plant and at least one host facility, where the systems in the network are under the control of a common control system that optimizes a result for the network as a whole. In some cases, each cogeneration system in the network has an individual profile that is used by the control system for controlling that individual cogeneration system. In some cases, one or more of the cogeneration plants is assembled from a set of at least two modular transportable units where the modular units contain sensors that are configured to be ready for transmission of inputs to the common control system with little or no modification when the units are assembled into the final cogeneration plant and actuators or actuator systems that are configured to be ready for reception of outputs from the common control system with little or no modification when the units are assembled into the cogeneration plant.
55 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A cogeneration network comprising
(i) a plurality of cogeneration systems, wherein each cogeneration system comprises a cogeneration plant operably connected to a host facility that receives a thermal product and/or mechanical work product and, optionally, electrical power from the cogeneration plant, and wherein at least one of the cogeneration plants comprises a plurality of operably connected modular transportable units; - and
(ii) a common controller for optimizing the operation of the cogeneration network that is operably connected to the plurality of cogeneration systems wherein the common controller (a) receives inputs from a plurality of sensors in or near each of the plurality of cogeneration systems; (b) processes the inputs to determine a plurality of outputs, and (c) transmits the outputs to a plurality of actuators in the plurality of cogeneration systems, whereby the operation of the network of cogeneration systems is optimized. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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4. (canceled)
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7-8. -8. (canceled)
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12. (canceled)
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14. (canceled)
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16. (canceled)
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18. (canceled)
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24-28. -28. (canceled)
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29. A system comprising
(i) a first cogeneration plant that produces electrical power and a first thermal product and/or a first mechanical work product, operably connected to a first facility that utilizes at least a portion of the electrical power from the first cogeneration plant and to a second facility that utilizes at least a portion of the first thermal product and/or the first mechanical work product, wherein the first facility and the second facility may be the same or different; -
(ii) a second cogeneration plant that produces electrical power and a second thermal product and/or a second mechanical work product, operably connected to a third facility that utilizes at least a portion of the electrical power from the second cogeneration plant and to a fourth facility that utilizes at least a portion of the second thermal product and/or second mechanical work product, wherein the third facility and the fourth facility may be the same or different; and (iii) a control system operably connected to the first and second cogeneration plants and the first, second, third, and fourth facilities, wherein the control system is configured to (a) receive inputs from the first and second cogeneration plants, the first, second, third, and fourth facilities, and indicators of expenses or potential expenses for the first and second cogeneration plants, indicators of revenues or potential revenues for the first and second cogeneration plants, or for any combination thereof; (b) calculate a setpoint for an actuator or actuator system in the first cogeneration plant, the second cogeneration plant, the first facility, the second facility, the third facility, or the fourth facility, or any combination thereof, wherein the setpoint is based on the inputs, and is calculated to optimize a result for the first and second cogeneration plants in a time period,; and (c) if the setpoint calculated in (ii) is different from the current setpoint for the actuator or actuator system, send output to the controller to modulate the activity of the actuator or actuator system to approach the setpoint. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A network of cogeneration systems comprising
a first cogeneration system and a second cogeneration system, wherein the first cogeneration system includes a first cogeneration plant that includes a plurality of modular transportable units that are operably connected and a first host facility that receives electric power, a thermal product, or a mechanical work product, or any combination thereof, from the first cogeneration plant under a first agreement, and the second cogeneration system includes a second cogeneration plant that includes a plurality of modular transportable units that are operably connected and a second host facility that receives electric power, a thermal product, or a mechanical work product, or any combination thereof, from the second cogeneration plant under a second agreement, and a common controller that comprises a receiving system configured to receive inputs from a plurality of sensors in a plurality of the modular transportable units in the first cogeneration plant and the second cogeneration plant, from the host facilities, and from external sources, a processing system configured to process the inputs to achieve an optimal operating result for the network while meeting an obligation in the first agreement and an obligation in the second agreement, and a transmitting system configured to transmit a plurality of outputs to a plurality of actuators or actuator systems in a plurality of the modular transportable units in the first cogeneration plant and the second cogeneration plant so as to achieve the optimal operating result for the network.
Specification