Power generation system having an external process module

• US 7,221,061 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Liang, Cho Y., Woods, Edward J., Alger, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez; Julio C.
• Application Number:
  US10/307,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,632 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.A, 290/1.R, 290/1.C, 290/2, 123/2, 410/77, 410/46, 410/34, 410/35, 410/82
• US Class Current: 290/1.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/12 with compression ignition with fuel-air charge ignited by compression ignition of an additional fuel F02B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/04 for electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/044 the engine-generator unit being placed on a frame or in an housing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/08 requiring starting of a prime-mover

Abstract

A power generation system includes a power module and an external process module. The external process module may include at least one engine support element. The power module has at least one connection zone, and the external process module has at least one connection zone that is configured to align with the at least one connection zone of the power module. The aligned connection zones of the power module and the external process module permit relatively quick and inexpensive attachment of the external process module to the power module. The at least one engine support element may be an aftertreatment element.

Claims

1. A power generation system comprising:

a power module having a plurality of corners and

an external process module separate from said power module, said external process module housed within a rectangular frame with at least two corners vertically aligned with an equal number of said plurality of corners, and including at least one engine support element, comprising an aftertreatment element having an emissions treating apparatus, connected to said frame, said external process module removably connected to said power module and being configured to reduce or remove a substance from an exhaust of said power module via said aftertreatment element;

wherein said power module has a rectangular housing, said housing having a height dimension and a width dimension;

said frame of said external process module has unequal height, length and width dimensions, said height dimension of the frame of said external process module being less than said height dimension of the housing of said power module and the width dimension of the frame of said external process module being approximately equal to the width dimension of the housing of said power module; and

four corners of said external process module vertically align with four corners of said power module.

2. The power generation system of claim 1 wherein said external process module is sized and shaped to be stacked on an international standardization organization container, said emissions treating apparatus comprises at least one of, a catalytic NOx reduction device, an oxidation catalyst, an emissions monitoring device, a urea tank, a urea injection module, and a particulate trap.

3. A power generation system comprising:

a power module having a plurality of corners and

an external process module separate from said power module, said external process module housed within a rectangular frame with at least two corners vertically aligned with an equal number of said plurality of corners, and including at least one engine support element, comprising an aftertreatment element having an emissions treating apparatus, connected to said frame, said external process module removably connected to said power module and being configured to reduce or remove a substance from an exhaust of said power module via said aftertreatment element;

wherein said frame has a width dimension and a length dimension approximately equal to a corresponding dimension of an international standardization organization container;

wherein said power module has a rectangular housing, said housing having a height dimension and a width dimension;

said frame of said external process module has unequal height, length and width dimensions, said height dimension of the frame of said external process module being less than said height dimension of the housing of said power module and the width dimension of the frame of said external process module being approximately equal to the width dimension of the housing of said power module; and

four corners of said external process module vertically align with four corners of said power module.

4. The power generation system of claim 3 wherein said emissions treating apparatus comprises at least one of, a catalytic NOx reduction device, an oxidation catalyst, an emissions monitoring device, a urea tank, a urea injection module, and a particulate trap.

5. The power generation system of claim 3 wherein said power module has at least one connection zone and said external process module has at least one connection zone configured to vertically align with said at least one connection zone of said power module, said system further comprising a separate fastener interconnecting the power module to the process module at each connection zone and configured to engage each of the respective connection zones.

6. The power generation system of claim 3 wherein

said power module includes a plurality of connection zones and said external process module includes a plurality of connection zones;

said plurality of connection zones of said external process module includes a first connection zone and a second connection zone spaced a defined distance relative to a length dimension of said external process module from said first connection zone and at least a third connection zone spaced a defined distance relative to a width dimension of said external process module from said first connection zone; and

said plurality of connection zones of said power module includes at least three connection zones configured to align one with each of the first, second and third connection zones of said external process module.

7. The power generation system of claim 3 wherein

said power module has at least one connection zone and said external process module has at least one connection zone configured to align with said at least one connection zone of said power module;

said system further including a fastener connecting said at least one connection zone of said power module with said at least one connection zone of said external process module; and

said fastener is a locking assembly having at least one rotatable member and is configured to engage with each of said at least one connection zones of said power module and said external process module.

8. The power generation system of claim 3 wherein said exhaust aftertreatment element comprises an oxidation catalyst, a urea tank, a muffler and an air compressor.

9. The power generation system of claim 3 wherein said height dimension of said frame is approximately half of said height dimension of said power module.

10. The power generation system of claim 3 wherein said external process module includes a connection with said power module via exhaust aftertreatment ductwork.

11. An external process module comprising:

a frame having a rectangular bottom side defining an international standardization organization container footprint;

at least one engine support element housed within said frame, said at least one engine support element comprising an aftertreatment element that includes an emissions treating apparatus configured to reduce or remove a substance from exhaust within said external process module; and

means, including a fastener with a locking/unlocking assembly, for removably coupling the support element to an exhaust duct of a power module; and

the external process module being connectable to another external process module in a stacking configuration that includes vertically aligned corners.

12. The external process module of claim 11 wherein said frame has a height dimension that is less than a height dimension of an international standardization organization container.

13. A plurality of removably connected external process modules including at least two external process modules being in contact and stacked one on top of the other with vertically aligned corners;

and each external process module comprising;

a frame having a rectangular bottom side defining an international standardization organization container footprint;

at least one engine support element housed within said frame, said at least one engine support element comprising an aftertreatment element that includes an emissions treating apparatus configured to reduce or remove a substance from exhaust within said external process module; and

means, including a fastener with a locking/unlocking assembly, for removably coupling the support element to a power module.

14. The plurality of removably connected external process modules of claim 13 wherein said at least two stacked external process modules are sized and shaped to occupy the space of one international standardization organization container.

15. A method of assembling a power generation system comprising:

separately transporting an external process module and a power module to a location;

vertically aligning at least two corners of the external process module with an equal number of corners of at least one of the power module and a second external process module;

positioning the external process module in contact with at least one of the power module and the second external process module; and

connecting the external process module with the at least one of the power module and the second external process module at least in part by moving a fastener locking assembly; and

connecting an emissions treating apparatus of the external process module with the power module.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the positioning step comprises stacking the external process module on top of one of, the power module and the second external process module.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the transporting step comprises transporting the external process module via international standardization organization compatible transport, and wherein the step of connecting an emissions treating apparatus of the external process module with the power module further comprises connecting at least one of, a catalytic NOx reduction device, an oxidation catalyst, an emissions monitoring device, a urea tank, a urea injection module, and a particulate trap with the power module.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of connecting the external process module with the power module comprises connecting the external process module to the power module via exhaust aftertreatment ductwork, the method further comprising a step of decoupling the external process module from the at least one of the power module and a second external process module prior to connecting the external process module to the power module via exhaust aftertreatment ductwork.