Flowline power generator

• US 4,809,510 A
• Filed: 02/25/1987
• Issued: 03/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baker CAC, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Baker CAC, Inc.
• Inventors: Holmes, Lewis D. Jr., Gaspard, Preston T., Theis, James V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ostrager, Allen M.
• Application Number:
  US07/018,596
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 290/43, 290/52, 290/54, 415/144, 415/145, 416/DIG. 4, 60/648
• US Class Current: 60/648
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/602 with energy recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/50 Hydropower in dwellings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 416/04 Fluid current motor and generator

Abstract

A flowline power generator especially adapted for use on a conduit or flowline carrying petroleum or hydrocarbon products is disclosed. A valve body incorporated in the flowline redirects at least a portion of the fluid flowing through the flowline into engagement with a turbine which drives an electrical generator. A gate valve is provided for bypassing the turbine to permit all of the flow in the conduit to bypass the power generator, and yet provide substantially the same pressure drop to protect downstream equipment from high-pressure surges. In the bypass configuration, the power generator can be repaired or completely removed. The valve body can be incorporated into the flowline with no power generator attached, and power generators can be subsequently installed at prescribed locations along the conduit.

Claims

1. The method of selectively driving a fluid pressure engine by fluid pressure derived from a primary conduit comprising:

the steps of inserting in said primary conduit a valve housing having noncommunicating inlet and outlet passages respectively communicating with parallel first and second flow passages terminating in a planar face of the valve housing;

disposing the inlet and outlet passages of a fluid pressure engine in juxtaposed relation to said planar end face;

rotatably and sealably mounting a valving disk intermediate said planar end face and said fluid pressure engine inlet and outlet to initiate fluid flow through the fluid pressure engine in a first angular position and to terminate fluid flow through the fluid pressure engine in a second angular position;

providing a bypass fluid passage in said valving disk operative to interconnect said inlet and outlet passages in said second angular position; and

proportioning said bypass fluid passage to produce substantially the same pressure drop as when fluid flows through said flow pressure engine, thereby protecting downstream apparatus from any pressure surge when fluid flow through said fluid pressure engine is terminated by shifting of said valving disk to said first position.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing an orifice-controlled flow of fluid between said first and second flow passages.

3. Apparatus for use in converting the fluid dynamic energy of fluid flowing in a conduit to mechanical energy, comprising:

fluid pressure engine means for converting fluid dynamic energy into rotary mechanical energy;

said engine means including a housing defining inlet and outlet fluid passages in an end face;

a diverter tube forming a portion of the conduit, said diverter tube having noncommunicating first and second flow passageways at either end, each being aligned with the axis of the conduit, a third flow passageway communicating with the first passageway and extending transverse to the axis of the conduit to a planar external surface on said diverter tube, and a fourth flow passage way communicating with said second flow passageway and extending transverse to the axis of the conduit to said planar external surface on said diverter tube;

means for removably mounting said engine housing on said planar external surface of said diverter tube with said third and fourth flow passageways being respectively alignable with said turbine inlet and outlet fluid passages; and

a disk gate sealingly disposed intermediate said end, face of said turbine means and said planar external surface of said diverter tube, said disk gate being angularly shiftable about its axis between a first position establishing a direct fluid flow path between the third and fourth flow passageways, thereby isolating the turbine inlet and outlet fluid flow passages, and a second position in which said third flow passageway communicates with said turbine inlet fluid passage and said fourth flow passageway communicates with said turbine outlet fluid passage;

said flow path being proportioned to produce a fluid pressure drop substantially equal to the fluid pressure drop across said fluid pressure engine, whereby mechanical power can be generated at any location along the conduit at which a diverter tube is located in the conduit and fluid can flow between sections of the conduit through the diverter tube during attachment or removal of said engine means relative to the conduit without producing any pressure surge downstream of said diverter tube.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising electrical generator means coaxially secured to said rotary fluid pressure engine means and driven thereby.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a constricted orifice communicating between said first and second flow passageways to limit the pressure differential between said third and fourth flow passageways applied to said fluid pressure engine.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a spring-biased check valve interconnecting said first and second flow passages and operative to limit the fluid pressure differential applied to fluid pressure engine.