Cogeneration system

• US 7,718,290 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yukimasa, Akinori, Ueda, Tetsuya, Ohara, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US11/578,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20090020281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 429/22, 429/24, 429/26, 165/247, 165/253
• US Class Current: 429/434
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 11/005 with recuperation of waste heat
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 18/00 Small-scale combined heat and power [CHP] generation systems specially adapted for domestic heating, space heating or domestic hot-water supply
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2101/30 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2101/70 Electric generators driven by internal combustion engines [ICE]
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2103/13 characterised by their heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2103/17 Storage tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/16 Waste heat
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/26 Internal combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/18 Water-storage heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/0034 using liquid heat storage material
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 21/0007 Water heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2265/10 for preventing overheating, e.g. heat shields thermal insulation F28F2270/00
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/00 Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus control arrangements in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/10 Fuel cells in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/402 Combination of fuel cell with other electric generators combination of fuel cells with other electrochemical generator H01M16/003
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/405 Cogeneration of heat or hot water
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• 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 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/15 : On-site combined power, heat or cool generation or distribution, e.g. combined heat and power [CHP] supply

Abstract

A cogeneration system of the present invention includes: an electric power generator (5); a cooling circuit (10) configured to cool the electric power generator (5) with a first heat transfer medium; a heat exchanger (16) provided on the cooling circuit (10); an exhaust heat recovery circuit (12) through which a second heat transfer medium that exchanges heat with the first heat transfer medium via the heat exchanger (16) flows; a heat storage unit (20) connected to the exhaust heat recovery circuit (12) and configured to store the second heat transfer medium that has undergone a heat exchange by the heat exchanger (16); and a controller (21), wherein a first temperature sensor (17), and a heater to which electric power is supplied from the electric power generator (5), are connected, in this order, downstream of the heat exchanger (16) in a direction in which the second heat transfer medium flows, and the controller (21) controls a flow rate of a circulating pump (13) so that, based on a temperature detected by the first temperature sensor (17), the detected temperature becomes a predetermined target temperature. In addition to preventing water temperature decrease in heat recovery and ensuring safety, this configuration can keep water temperature high at all times.

Claims

1. A cogeneration system comprising:

an electric power generator;

a cooling circuit configured to cool said electric power generator with a first heat transfer medium;

a heat exchanger provided on said cooling circuit;

an exhaust heat recovery circuit through which a second heat transfer medium that exchanges heat with the first heat transfer medium via said heat exchanger flows;

a heat storage unit connected to said exhaust heat recovery circuit and configured to store the second heat transfer medium that has undergone the heat exchange by said heat exchanger; and

a controller, wherein;

a first temperature sensor and a heater to which electric power is supplied from said electric power generator are connected, in this order, downstream of said heat exchanger in a direction in which the second heat transfer medium flows;

a circulating pump configured to circulate the second heat transfer medium is further connected to said exhaust heat recovery circuit; and

said controller controls a flow rate of said circulating pump so that, based on a temperature detected by said first temperature sensor, the detected temperature approaches a predetermined target temperature.

2. The cogeneration system according to claim 1, wherein said controller stops an operation if the temperature detected by said first temperature sensor is a first determination temperature or higher.

3. The cogeneration system according to claim 1, further comprising a second temperature sensor provided downstream of said heater in the direction in which said second heat transfer medium flows, and wherein said controller increases flow rate of said circulating pump if the temperature detected by said second temperature sensor is a first threshold value or higher.

4. The cogeneration system according to claim 3, wherein said controller stops an operation if the temperature detected by said second temperature sensor is a second threshold value or higher, the second threshold value being higher than the first threshold value.

5. The cogeneration system according to claim 3, wherein said controller increases the flow rate of said circulating pump further if the temperature detected by said second temperature sensor is a second threshold value or higher, the second threshold value being higher than the first threshold value.

6. The cogeneration system according to claim 5, wherein said controller stops an operation if the temperature detected by said second temperature sensor is a third threshold value or higher, the third threshold value being higher than the second threshold value.

7. The cogeneration system according to claim 1, wherein said heater is supplied with excessive electric power of the electric power generated by said electric power generator that is not supplied to an external load.

8. The cogeneration system according to claim 1, wherein said electric power generator is a fuel cell.

9. The cogeneration system according to claim 1, wherein:

said electric power generator is a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell;

said heat storage unit is a hot water storage tank; and

water in said hot water storage tank is heated to a temperature higher than the predetermined target temperature by electricity supplied from a power supply system to said heater according to control by said controller.