Use of External Air for Closed Cycle Inventory Control

• US 20190162122A1
• Filed: 01/29/2019
• Published: 05/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malta, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Malta, Inc.
• Inventors: Apte, Raj, Larochelle, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 10,907,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/265 by refrigeration (condensation)
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 13/00 General layout or general methods of operation of complete plants
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 13/02 Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/06 using mixtures of different fluids plants using mixtures of steam and gas F01K21/04
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/10 the vapours being cold, e.g. ammonia, carbon dioxide, ether
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/103 Carbon dioxide F01K25/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/02 Use of accumulators and specific engine types; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/06 the engine being of extraction or non-condensing type F01K3/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/10 for vehicle drive, e.g. for accumulator locomotives
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/12 having two or more accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/18 having heaters having both steam accumulator and heater F01K3/14; steam heaters per se F22
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 7/38 the engines being of turbine type
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/04 the working fluid being heated indirectly in a fluidised-bed combustor F02C3/205
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/05 characterised by the type or source of heat, e.g. using nuclear or solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/08 Semi-closed cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/10 Closed cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/105 construction; details
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/14 Gas-turbine plants having means for storing energy, e.g. for meeting peak loads
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/16 for storing compressed air
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/24 Control of the pressure level in closed cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/006 : using solar heat solar heat collectors per se F24S; devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/00 : Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 : Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 : Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 : Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids

Abstract

Systems and methods relating to use of external air for inventory control of a closed thermodynamic cycle system or energy storage system, such as a reversible Brayton cycle system, are disclosed. A method may involve, in a closed cycle system operating in a power generation mode, circulating a working fluid may through a closed cycle fluid path. The closed cycle fluid path may include a high pressure leg and a low pressure leg. The method may further involve in response to a demand for increased power generation, compressing and dehumidifying environmental air. And the method may involve injecting the compressed and dehumidified environmental air into the low pressure leg.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method comprising:

(a) in a closed cycle system operating in a power generation mode, circulating a working fluid through a closed cycle fluid path including, in sequence, a compressor, a hot side heat exchanger, a turbine, and a cold side heat exchanger, wherein the closed cycle fluid path comprises a high pressure leg and a low pressure leg, and wherein the closed cycle system is configured to thermally contact the working fluid circulating through the cold side heat exchanger with a cold side thermal storage (“

CTS”

) medium;

(b) compressing a quantity of environmental air;

(c) thermally contacting the quantity of environmental air with at least a portion of the CTS medium; and

(d) subsequently to steps (b) and (c), injecting the quantity of environmental air into the low pressure leg.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the working fluid circulates through the closed cycle system in the same direction in both the charge mode and the discharge mode.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

extracting working fluid from the high pressure leg of the closed cycle fluid path;

storing the extracted working fluid in a working fluid storage tank; and

injecting the extracted working fluid from the working fluid storage tank into the low pressure leg.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein step (b) occurs before step (c).

26. The method of claim 22, wherein step (b) occurs after step (c).

27. The method of claim 22, wherein thermally contacting the quantity of environmental air with at least the portion of CTS medium causes water to condense out of the quantity of environmental air.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein injecting the quantity of environmental air into the low pressure leg is performed in response to a demand for increased power generation.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the working fluid is air.

30. A method comprising:

in a closed cycle system in a power generation mode, circulating a working fluid through a closed cycle fluid path including, in sequence, a compressor, a hot side heat exchanger, a turbine, and a cold side heat exchanger, wherein the closed cycle fluid path comprises a high pressure leg and a low pressure leg, and wherein the closed cycle system is configured to thermally contact the working fluid circulating through the cold side heat exchanger with a cold side thermal storage (“

CTS”

) medium;

expelling working fluid from the closed cycle fluid path; and

thermally contacting the expelled working fluid with at least a portion of the CTS medium.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising circulating the working fluid through the closed cycle system in the same direction in both the charge mode and the discharge mode.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein expelling the working fluid from the closed cycle fluid path is performed in response to a demand for decreased power generation.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein expelling working fluid from the closed cycle fluid path comprises expelling working fluid from the low pressure leg.

34. A system comprising:

a first compressor;

a hot side heat exchanger;

a turbine;

a cold side heat exchanger;

a working fluid circulating in a closed cycle fluid path through, in sequence, the first compressor, the hot side heat exchanger, the turbine, and the cold side heat exchanger, wherein the closed cycle fluid path comprises a high pressure leg and a low pressure leg;

a second compressor coupled to the low pressure leg and configured to, upon demand, compress environmental air and inject the compressed environmental air into the low pressure leg; and

a cold side thermal storage (“

CTS”

) medium, wherein the system is configured to thermally contact the working fluid circulating through the cold side heat exchanger with the CTS medium, wherein the system is configured to thermally contact the environmental air with at least a portion of the CTS medium.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

a dehumidifier configured to dehumidify the environmental air using at least a portion of the CTS medium,

wherein the dehumidifier supplies dehumidified environmental air to the second compressor for compressing.

36. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

a dehumidifier configured to dehumidify the environmental air using at least a portion of the CTS medium,

wherein the second compressor supplies compressed environmental air to the dehumidifier for dehumidification.

37. The system of claim 34, further comprising a working fluid storage tank containing working fluid at a pressure greater than a pressure of the working fluid in the low pressure leg, wherein the system is configured to, upon demand, inject working fluid from the working fluid storage tank into the low pressure leg simultaneously with the compressed environmental air.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the working fluid circulates through the system in the same direction in both the charge mode and the discharge mode.

39. A system comprising:

a compressor;

a hot side heat exchanger;

a turbine;

a cold side heat exchanger;

a working fluid circulating in a closed cycle fluid path through, in sequence, the compressor, the hot side heat exchanger, the turbine, and the cold side heat exchanger, wherein the closed cycle fluid path comprises a high pressure leg and a low pressure leg; and

a cold side thermal storage (“

CTS”

) medium, wherein the system is configured to thermally contact the working fluid circulating through the cold side heat exchanger with the CTS medium,

wherein the system is configured to expel working fluid from the closed cycle fluid path and thermally contact the expelled working fluid with at least a portion of the CTS medium.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the working fluid circulates through the system in the same direction in both the charge mode and the discharge mode.

41. The system of claim 39, further comprising an auxiliary heat exchanger configured to thermally contact the expelled working fluid with at least the portion of the CTS medium.