Modular power plant for the combined production of electrical and thermal energy and installation comprising a plurality of modular power plants

• US 4,527,071 A
• Filed: 05/09/1983
• Issued: 07/02/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fiat Auto S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Fiat Auto S.p.A.
• Inventors: Ausiello, Francesco P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ip, Paul Shik Luen
• Application Number:
  US06/492,754
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1 R, 290/2, 290/4, 290/34, 290/35, 290/40, 307/81, 307/86, 307/51, 307/76, 318/447, 60/709, 364/132, 364/134, 364/133, 364/184-187, 364/492, 364/494
• US Class Current: 290/4.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/04 for electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 73/00 Combinations of two or more engines, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/08 Safety, indicating or supervising devices thermal insulation F02B77/11; rendering engines inoperative or idling F02D17/04; dependent on lubricating conditions F01M1/22; dependent on cooling F01P11/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 5/04 in combination with other waste heat from combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A modular power plant comprises an internal combustion engine coupled to an electrical machine. The electrical machine may be used to start the engine and to generate electrical energy. The power plant is provided with an electronic control and protection system comprising an electronic processing and control unit arranged to operate in a first mode when the power plant is used alone, and in a second mode when the power plant is used together in a coordinated manner in an installation comprising a further n power plants. In this second mode of operation the processing and control unit may act as a master unit for controlling and coordinating the operation of the processing and control units of the other n power plants in a predetermined manner, or as a slave unit controlled by another control and processing unit of one of the other n power plants. Means are provided for assigning the roll of master unit to one of the control and processing units of the n+1 power plants.

Claims

1. A modular power plant for the combined production of electrical and thermal energy, comprising:

(a) a liquid-cooled internal combustion engine;

(b) an asychronous electrical machine coupled to said internal combustion engine and usable both to start the engine and to generate electrical energy,

(c) means for recovering the energy converted into heat in the said internal combustion engine and in said electrical machine,

(d) alarm and signalling devices;

(e) an electronic control and protection system comprising a plurality of electrical sensors each responsive to a respective parameter indicative of the conditions of operation of the power plant, a plurality of actuator devices operable in a predetermined manner to modify the operation of the power plant, and an electronic processing and control unit arranged to operate in a first mode when the power plant is used alone, and to operate in a second mode when the power plant is used together in a coordinated manner with a further n power plants, n being a whole number greater than or equal to 1;

the said control and processing unit in the said first mode of operation, controlling the said actuator devices to operate in a predetermined manner in dependence on information provided by the said sensors and activating the said signalling and alarm devices when the sensors indicate operational anomalies or breakdowns, the said processing and control unit comprising;

a manually-operated activation device arranged to emit an enabling signal when operated;

at least one input/output port connectable via a transmission path to corresponding input/output ports of the processing and control units of the other power plants,

memory means for memorizing coded electrical signals indicative of an integer between 1 and n+1 which is unique to the power plant;

signal generator means arranged, when activated, to feed to the said input/output port coded electrical signals indicative of a randomly chosen number between 1 and n+1; and

detection and comparison means connected to the said input/output port and to the said memory means;

the processing and control unit in the second mode of operation being arranged to

(i) operate as a master unit for controlling and coordinating the operation of the control and processing units of the other n power plants in a predetermined manner when the coded signals received by said detection and comparison means coincide with those stored in the said memory means; and

(ii) operate as a slave unit controlled by another control and processing unit of one of the other n power plants, when the coded signals received by the detection and comparison means do not coincide with those stored in the memory means.

2. An installation for the combined production of electrical and thermal energy, comprising a group of n modular power plants each comprising:

(a) a liquid-cooled internal combustion engine;

(b) an asynchronous electrical machine coupled to said internal combustion engine and usable both to start the engine and to generate electrical energy;

(c) means for recovering the energy converted into heat in the said engine and in the said electrical machine,

(d) alarm and signalling devices;

(e) an electronic control and protection system comprising a plurality of electrical sensors each responsive to a respective parameter indicative of the conditions of operation of the power plant, a plurality of actuator devices operable in a predetermined manner to modify the operation of the power plant, and an electronic processing and control unit connected to said sensors, to said actuator devices and to said signalling and alarm devices, said control and processing unit controlling the actuator devices in said predetermined manner in dependence on information coming from the sensors, and activating the signalling and alarm devices when the sensors indicate operational anomalies or breakdowns, the control and processing unit of each modular power plant comprising;

a manually-operated activation device arranged to emit an enabling signal when operated;

at least one input/output port connectable via a transmission path to corresponding input/output ports of the processing and control units of the other power plants;

memory means for memorizing electrical signals indicative of an integer between 1 and n+1 which is unique to the power plant;

signal generator means activated upon receipt of an enabling signal to feed to said input/output port coded electrical signals indicative of an integer randomly chosen from between 1 and n; and

detection and comparison means connected to the said input/output port and to the said memory means;

the control and processing unit of each power plant being arranged to

(i) operate as a master unit for controlling and coordinating the operation of the control and processing units of the other n-1 power plants in a predetermined manner when the coded signals received by the detection and comparison means correspond with those stored in the memory means;

(ii) operate as a slave unit controlled by another control and processing unit of one of the other n-1 power plants, when the coded signals received by the detection and comparison means do not correspond with those stored in the memory means.