Individual cogeneration plant and local network

• US 7,124,586 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MDI Motor Development International S.A.
• Original Assignee: MDI Motor Development International S.A.
• Inventors: Negre, Guy, Negre, Cyril
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang
• Application Number:
  US10/508,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 606/45, 606/70
• US Class Current: 60/645
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 17/02 Engines
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 17/022 with fluid heating
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 23/08 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 29/04 characterised by means for converting from one type to a different one
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/04 of closed-cycle type
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 5/00 Profiting from waste heat of combustion engines, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 27/02 having cylinders arranged oppositely relative to main shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 35/00 Piston pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by the driving means to their working members, or by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/12 Heat utilisation in combustion or incineration of waste
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

The invention concerns a cogeneration plant preferably using a compressor-alternator unit equipped with a thermal heater operating independently, by drawing compressed air supplied by one or several compression stages, which is then heated to increase its temperature and/or its pressure, then re-injected into the expansion chambers of the engine to produce the power stroke, wherein the home heating is used as device for heating the compressed air and usable in a local network where each house of a housing group (40, 40A,) is equipped with such units, interconnected (41) and controlled by a power management station (42) for the supply of electric power to each of the houses from one or more units capable of being activated successively and/or alternately depending on the overall requirements of the houses of the network.

Claims

1. A cogeneration plant comprising:

a compressor-alternator unit comprising a compressor and an alternator, said compressor-alternator unit being arranged to operate independently, by drawing compressed air supplied by one or more compression stages; and

a heating system arranged to heat compressed air from the compressor so as to increase the volume and/or temperature of the compressed air, and arranged to re-inject the compressed air into expansion chambers of master cylinders of said compressor, wherein;

said heating system comprises a heating unit for a house, said heating unit enabling operation of the compressor; and

said alternator supplies electric power to the house.

2. A cogeneration plant according to claim 1, wherein the alternator is integrated on a flywheel of said compressor-alternator unit.

3. A cogeneration plant according to claim 1, wherein the compressor-alternator unit is equipped with a compressed air tank arranged to operate the cogeneration plant during a power failure as an emergency electric power generator and to produce electric power for the house.

9. A cogeneration plant according to claim 1, wherein the alternator comprises a flywheel including permanent magnets arranged to travel past electromagnets to produce the electric power.

10. A cogeneration plant according to claim 3, wherein the alternator comprises a flywheel including permanent magnets arranged to travel past electromagnets to produce the electric power.

4. A local network comprising a power management station, a group of houses and cogeneration plants arranged such that each one of said cogeneration plants is dedicated to one of said houses, wherein:

each one of said cogeneration plants comprises;

a compressor-alternator unit comprising a compressor and an alternator, said compressor-alternator unit being arranged to operate independently, by drawing compressed air supplied by one or more compression stages; and

a heating system arranged to heat compressed air from the compressor so as to increase the volume and/or temperature of the compressed air, and arranged to re-inject the compressed air into expansion chambers of master cylinders of said compressor, wherein;

said heating system comprises a heating unit for an associated one of said houses, said heating unit enabling operation of the compressor; and

said alternator supplies electric power to the associated one of said houses;

each one of said cogeneration plants is linked to other ones of said cogeneration plants by an electrical conductor; and

said power management station enables said cogeneration plants to be activated successively and/or alternately to supply electric power to said group of houses based on overall requirements of said group of houses.

5. A local network according to claim 4, comprising a radio receiving and/or transmitting circuit, said radio receiving and/or transmitting circuit comprising electric or electronic units and a control unit, wherein:

each of said electric or electronic units comprises a radio transceiver, a management and independent dialogue microprocessor and a DC power supply;

said electric or electronic units are arranged to communicate with each other and the control unit via modulated radio waves over a dialogue system radio link established by a conductor interconnecting each of said electric or electronic units and said control unit so as to avoid interference;

each of said electric or electronic units and the control unit are modulated in frequency and have an individual identification code, and a signal to be transmitted by one of said electric or electronic units or the control unit is amplified by an electronic circuit prior to propagation by an antenna to said control unit or other units among said electric or electronic units;

each microprocessor is arranged to construct analog radio signals to be transmitted, analyze received radio signals and construct a digital frame which is decoded so as to obtain various data including;

the identification code of a transmitting unit and a receiving unit among said electric or electronic units and said control unit;

an authorization command;

data and parameters for the digital frame; and

a key for the digital frame; and

said receiving unit is arranged to carry out a command contained in a received digital frame and send a confirmation message to said transmitting unit through the microprocessor of the receiving unit, and the microprocessor of the receiving unit thereafter constructs a confirmation digital frame which is amplified and then propagated by the antenna of the receiving unit to the transmitting unit and remaining ones of said electric or electronic units.

11. A local network according to claim 4, wherein the alternator comprises a flywheel including permanent magnets arranged to travel past electromagnets to produce the electric power.

12. A local network according to claim 5, wherein the alternator comprises a flywheel including permanent magnets arranged to travel past electromagnets to produce the electric power.

6. A local network comprising a power management station, a block of flats, and cogeneration plants arranged such that each one of said cogeneration plants is dedicated to one of said flats, wherein:

each one of said cogeneration plants comprises;

a compressor-alternator unit comprising a compressor and an alternator, said compressor-alternator unit being arranged to operate independently, by drawing compressed air supplied by one or more compression stages; and

a heating system arranged to heat compressed air from the compressor so as to increase the volume and/or temperature of the compressed air, and arranged to re-inject the compressed air into expansion chambers of master cylinders of said compressor, wherein;

said heating system comprises a heating unit for an associated one of said flats, said heating unit enabling operation of the compressor; and

said alternator supplies electric power to the associated one of said flats;

each one of said cogeneration plants is linked to other ones of said cogeneration plants by an electrical conductor; and

said power management station enables said cogeneration plants to be activated successively and/or alternately to supply electric power to said block of flats based on overall requirements of said block of flats.

13. A local network according to claim 6, wherein the alternator comprises a flywheel including permanent magnets arranged to travel past electromagnets to produce the electric power.

16. A local network according to claim 6, comprising a radio receiving and/or transmitting circuit, said radio receiving and/or transmitting circuit comprising electric or electronic units and a control unit, wherein:

each of said electric or electronic units comprises a radio transceiver, a management and independent dialogue microprocessor and a DC power supply;

said electric or electronic units are arranged to communicate with each other and the control unit via modulated radio waves over a dialogue system radio link established by a conductor interconnecting each of said electric or electronic units and said control unit so as to avoid interference;

each of said electric or electronic units and the control unit are modulated in frequency and have an individual identification code, and a signal to be transmitted by one of said electric or electronic units or the control unit is amplified by an electronic circuit prior to propagation by an antenna to said control unit or other units among said electric or electronic units;

each microprocessor is arranged to construct analog radio signals to be transmitted, analyze received radio signals and construct a digital frame which is decoded so as to obtain various data including;

the identification code of a transmitting unit and a receiving unit among said electric or electronic units and said control unit;

an authorization command;

data and parameters for the digital frame; and

a key for the digital frame; and

said receiving unit is arranged to carry out a command contained in a received digital frame and send a confirmation message to said transmitting unit through the microprocessor of the receiving unit, and the microprocessor of the receiving unit thereafter constructs a confirmation digital frame which is amplified and then propagated by the antenna of the receiving unit to the transmitting unit and remaining ones of said electric or electronic units.

7. A local network comprising a power management station, a block of buildings containing a plurality of flats, and high-powered cogeneration plants arranged such that each one of said cogeneration plants is dedicated to one of said buildings, wherein:

each one of said cogeneration plants comprises;

a compressor-alternator unit comprising a compressor and an alternator, said compressor-alternator unit being arranged to operate independently, by drawing compressed air supplied by one or more compression stages; and

a heating system arranged to heat compressed air from the compressor so as to increase the volume and/or temperature of die compressed air, and arranged to re-inject the compressed air into expansion chambers of master cylinders of said compressor, wherein;

said heating system comprises a heating unit for an associated one of said buildings, said heating unit enabling operation of the compressor; and

said alternator supplies electric power to the associated one of said buildings;

each one of said cogeneration plants is linked to other ones of said cogeneration plants by an electrical conductor; and

said power management station enables said cogeneration plants to be activated successively and/or alternately such that each of said cogeneration plants can supply electric power to one or more of said buildings based on overall requirements of said block of buildings.

14. A local network according to claim 7, wherein the alternator comprises a flywheel including permanent magnets arranged to travel past electromagnets to produce the electric power.

17. A local network according to claim 7, comprising a radio receiving and/or transmitting circuit, said radio receiving and/or transmitting circuit comprising electric or electronic units and a control unit, wherein:

each of said electric or electronic units comprises a radio transceiver, a management and independent dialogue microprocessor and a DC power supply;

said electric or electronic units are arranged to communicate with each other and the control unit via modulated radio waves over a dialogue system radio link established by a conductor interconnecting each of said electric or electronic units and said control unit so as to avoid interference;

each of said electric or electronic units and the control unit are modulated in frequency and have an individual identification code, and a signal to be transmitted by one of said electric or electronic units or the control unit is amplified by an electronic circuit prior to propagation by an antenna to said control unit or other units among said electric or electronic units;

each microprocessor is arranged to construct analog radio signals to be transmitted, analyze received radio signals and construct a digital frame which is decoded so as to obtain various data including;

the identification code of a transmitting unit and a receiving unit among said electric or electronic units and said control unit;

an authorization command;

data and parameters for the digital frame; and

a key for the digital frame; and

said receiving unit is arranged to carry out a command contained in a received digital frame and send a confirmation message to said transmitting unit through the microprocessor of the receiving unit, and the microprocessor of the receiving unit thereafter constructs a confirmation digital frame which is amplified and then propagated by the antenna of the receiving unit to the transmitting unit and remaining ones of said electric or electronic units.

8. A high-powered cogeneration plant adapted for installation in a building, said high-powered cogeneration plant comprising a group of low-powered cogeneration plants linked and interconnected to each other and managed by a power management station, wherein each one of said low-powered cogeneration plants comprises:

a compressor-alternator unit comprising a compressor and an alternator, said compressor-alternator unit being arranged to operate independently, by drawing compressed air supplied by one or more compression stages; and

a heating system arranged to heat compressed air from the compressor so as to increase the volume and/or temperature of the compressed air, and arranged to re-inject the compressed air into expansion chambers of master cylinders of said compressor, wherein;

said heating system comprises a heating unit for the building, said heating unit enabling operation of the compressor;

said alternator supplies electric power to the building; and

each of said low-powered cogeneration plants are arranged to be activated successively, one after another, according to heating requirements of the building.

15. A high-powered cogeneration plant according to claim 8, wherein the alternator comprises a flywheel including permanent magnets arranged to travel past electromagnets to produce the electric power.