Gas delivery system

• US 7,997,081 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OP Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Office Power, Inc.
• Inventors: Pifer, John S., Edwards, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung; Quyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENERLY, TERRANCE L
• Application Number:
  US11/770,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20090000302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 602/43, 602/44, 602/51, 602/52, 602/53, 607/72, 607/73, 607/83, 60/394.65
• US Class Current: 60/772
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/80 Size or power range of the machines
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/82 Micromachines
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/04 for distribution of gas
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86292 System with plural openings, one a gas vent or access opening

Abstract

A gas delivery system includes a gas booster module for delivering natural gas from a utility gas service to power generation equipment installed in or around a building in a manner that meets the minimum volume and pressure requirements of the power generation equipment. The gas delivery system advantageously uses pipe of a relatively small size for delivering gas to the power generation equipment, thereby substantially reducing installation costs and eliminating the need for a welded gas line. The gas delivery system also provides a control system that facilitates close control over the gas flow and ensures compliance with local building codes and safety regulations and requirements.

Claims

1. A gas booster module, comprising:

a common supply pipe;

a common discharge pipe;

a first gas booster having an inlet connected to the common supply pipe and a discharge connected to the common discharge pipe;

a second gas booster having an inlet connected to the common supply pipe and a discharge connected to the common discharge pipe;

a bypass pipe connected between the common discharge pipe and the common supply pipe;

a refrigeration-based cooling system connected to the bypass pipe, the refrigeration-based cooling system adapted to cool natural gas flowing through the bypass pipe; and

a motorized valve connected to the bypass pipe, the motorized valve controllable to adjust an amount of natural gas that will flow from the common discharge pipe to the common supply pipe;

wherein each of the first and second gas boosters is independently operable to receive a flow of natural gas from the common supply pipe and to discharge the flow of natural gas to the common discharge pipe at an elevated gas pressure;

wherein each of the first and second gas boosters includes a variable frequency drive that is automatically controllable, based at least on a signal provided by a pressure transmitter located along the common discharge pipe, to increase or reduce the volume of the flow of natural gas received and discharged by that booster responsive to the requirements of power generation equipment connected to the gas booster module via the common discharge pipe; and

wherein the refrigeration-based cooling system includes;

a chiller;

a heat exchanger connected to the chiller via a refrigerant supply pipe and a refrigerant return pipe;

a thermostatic expansion valve connected to the refrigerant supply pipe and the refrigerant return pipe, the thermostatic expansion valve being controllable to adjust an amount of refrigerant supplied from the chiller to the heat exchanger via the refrigerant supply pipe and an amount of refrigerant returned from the heat exchanger to the chiller via the refrigerant return pipe.

2. The gas booster module of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second gas boosters are single stage gas boosters.

3. The gas booster module of claim 1, wherein the first gas booster is a single stage gas booster and the second gas booster is a multi-stage gas booster.

4. The gas booster module of claim 1, wherein the discharge of the first gas booster is connected to the inlet of the second gas booster, thereby permitting the first and second gas boosters to be operated in series.

5. A power generation system, comprising:

power generation equipment; and

a gas delivery system configured to provide natural gas from a utility gas supply to the power generation equipment, the gas delivery system including;

a gas booster module operable to receive a flow of natural gas from the utility gas supply and to discharge the flow of natural gas to the power generation equipment at an elevated gas pressure, the gas booster module including a supply pipe and a discharge pipe;

a bypass pipe connected between the discharge pipe and the supply pipe;

a chilled water system connected to the bypass pipe, the chilled water system adapted to cool natural gas flowing through the bypass pipe;

a motorized valve connected to the bypass pipe, the motorized valve controllable to adjust an amount of natural gas that will flow from the discharge pipe to the supply pipe; and

a control system electrically connected to a variable frequency drive of the gas booster module, the control system configured to control the volume of the flow of natural gas to and from the gas booster module by automatically controlling, based at least on a signal provided by a pressure transmitter located along the discharge pipe of the gas booster module, the speed of the variable frequency drive responsive to the requirements of the power generation equipment;

wherein the chilled water system includes;

a chilled water supply;

a heat exchanger connected to the chilled water supply via a chilled water supply pipe and a chilled water return pipe; and

a motorized valve connected to the chilled water supply pipe and the chilled water return pipe, the motorized valve being controllable to adjust an amount of water supplied from the chilled water supply to the heat exchanger via the chilled water supply pipe and an amount of water returned from the heat exchanger via the chilled water return pipe.

6. The power generation system of claim 5, wherein the power generation equipment comprises one or more microturbines.

7. The power generation system of claim 6, wherein the power generation equipment further comprises a standby generator for starting the one or more microturbines in the absence of grid-supplied electric power.

8. The power generation system of claim 5, wherein the gas booster module comprises first and second gas boosters each of which is independently operable to receive the flow of natural gas from the utility gas supply and to discharge the flow of natural gas to the power generation equipment at an elevated gas pressure.

9. The power generation system of claim 8, wherein the first and second gas boosters are single stage gas boosters.

10. The power generation system of claim 8, wherein the first gas booster is a single stage gas booster and the second gas booster is a multi-stage gas booster.

11. The power generation system of claim 8, wherein the first and second gas boosters are operable in series to receive the flow of natural gas from the utility gas supply and to discharge the flow of natural gas to the power generation equipment at an elevated gas pressure.

12. The power generation system of claim 8, wherein the control system is further configured to shut off the flow of natural gas from the utility gas supply to the gas booster module responsive to detection of an unsafe operating condition.

13. The power generation system of claim 8, wherein the control system is further configured to control an amount of gas that is recirculated from the discharge pipe of the gas booster module to the supply pipe of the gas booster module responsive to an increase in the temperature of natural gas flowing through the gas booster module.

14. A method for supplying natural gas to power generation equipment, comprising:

receiving in a selected one of a first gas booster and a second gas booster a flow of natural gas from a utility gas supply;

discharging the flow of natural gas at an elevated gas pressure from the selected gas booster to the power generation equipment;

automatically controlling, based at least on a signal provided by a pressure transmitter located along a common discharge pipe connected to respective discharges of the first gas booster and the second gas booster, a variable frequency drive of the selected gas booster to increase or reduce the volume of the flow of natural gas received and discharged by that booster responsive to the requirements of the power generation equipment;

controlling a motorized valve to adjust an amount of natural gas that flows through a bypass pipe that connects the common discharge pipe to a common supply pipe that is connected to respective inlets of the first gas booster and the second gas booster; and

controlling a refrigeration-based cooling system that is connected to the bypass pipe and includes a chiller, a heat exchanger connected to the chiller via a refrigerant supply pipe and a refrigerant return pipe, and a thermostatic expansion valve connected to the refrigerant supply pipe and the refrigerant return pipe, wherein controlling the refrigeration-based cooling system includes controlling the thermostatic expansion valve to adjust an amount of refrigerant supplied from the chiller to the heat exchanger via the refrigerant supply pipe and an amount of refrigerant returned from the heat exchanger to the chiller via the refrigerant return pipe.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the first and second gas boosters are single stage gas boosters.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first gas booster is a single stage gas booster and the second gas booster is a multi-stage gas booster.

17. A method for supplying natural gas to power generation equipment, comprising:

receiving in a first gas booster a flow of natural gas from a utility gas supply;

discharging the flow of natural gas at an elevated gas pressure from the first gas booster;

receiving in a second gas booster the flow of natural gas from the first gas booster;

discharging the flow of natural gas at a further elevated gas pressure from the second gas booster to the power generation equipment;

automatically controlling, based at least on a signal provided by a pressure transmitter located along a common discharge pipe connected to respective discharges of the first gas booster and the second gas booster, a speed of a variable frequency drive in at least one of the first or second gas boosters to increase or reduce the volume of natural gas received and discharged by that booster responsive to the requirements of the power generation equipment;

controlling a motorized valve to adjust an amount of natural gas that flows through a bypass pipe that connects the common discharge pipe to a common supply pipe that is connected to respective inlets of the first gas booster and the second gas booster; and

controlling a chilled water system that is connected to the bypass pipe and includes a chilled water supply, a heat exchanger connected to the chilled water supply via a chilled water supply pipe and a chilled water return pipe, and a motorized valve connected to the chilled water supply pipe and the chilled water return pipe, wherein controlling the chilled water system includes controlling the motorized valve to adjust an amount of water supplied from the chilled water supply to the heat exchanger via the chilled water supply pipe and an amount of water returned from the heat exchanger via the chilled water return pipe.

18. A gas booster module, comprising:

a common supply pipe;

a common discharge pipe;

a first gas booster having an inlet connected to the common supply pipe and a discharge connected to the common discharge pipe;

a second gas booster having an inlet connected to the common supply pipe and a discharge connected to the common discharge pipe;

a bypass pipe connected between the common discharge pipe and the common supply pipe;

a chilled water system connected to the bypass pipe, the chilled water system adapted to cool natural gas flowing through the bypass pipe; and

a motorized valve connected to the bypass pipe, the motorized valve controllable to adjust an amount of natural gas that will flow from the common discharge pipe to the common supply pipe;

wherein each of the first and second gas boosters is independently operable to receive a flow of natural gas from the common supply pipe and to discharge the flow of natural gas to the common discharge pipe at an elevated gas pressure;

wherein each of the first and second gas boosters includes a variable frequency drive that is automatically controllable, based at least on a signal provided by a pressure transmitter located along the common discharge pipe, to increase or reduce the volume of the flow of natural gas received and discharged by that booster responsive to the requirements of power generation equipment connected to the gas booster module via the common discharge pipe; and

wherein the chilled water system includes;

a chilled water supply;

a heat exchanger connected to the chilled water supply via a chilled water supply pipe and a chilled water return pipe;

a motorized valve connected to the chilled water supply pipe and the chilled water return pipe, the motorized valve being controllable to adjust an amount of chilled water supplied from the chilled water supply to the heat exchanger via the chilled water supply pipe and an amount of chilled water returned from the heat exchanger via the chilled water return pipe.

19. A power generation system, comprising:

power generation equipment; and

a gas delivery system configured to provide natural gas from a utility gas supply to the power generation equipment, the gas delivery system including;

a gas booster module operable to receive a flow of natural gas from the utility gas supply and to discharge the flow of natural gas to the power generation equipment at an elevated gas pressure, the gas booster module including a supply pipe and a discharge pipe;

a bypass pipe connected between the discharge pipe and the supply pipe;

a refrigeration-based cooling system connected to the bypass pipe, the refrigeration-based cooling system adapted to cool natural gas flowing through the bypass pipe;

a motorized valve connected to the bypass pipe, the motorized valve controllable to adjust an amount of natural gas that will flow from the discharge pipe to the supply pipe; and

a control system electrically connected to a variable frequency drive of the gas booster module, the control system configured to control the volume of the flow of natural gas to and from the gas booster module by automatically controlling, based at least on a signal provided by a pressure transmitter located along the discharge pipe of the gas booster module, the speed of the variable frequency drive responsive to the requirements of the power generation equipment;

wherein the refrigeration-based cooling system includes;

a chiller;

a heat exchanger connected to the chiller via a refrigerant supply pipe and a refrigerant return pipe;

a thermostatic expansion valve connected to the refrigerant supply pipe and the refrigerant return pipe, the thermostatic expansion valve being controllable to adjust an amount of refrigerant supplied from the chiller to the heat exchanger via the refrigerant supply pipe and an amount of refrigerant returned from the heat exchanger to the chiller via the refrigerant return pipe.

20. A method for supplying natural gas to power generation equipment, comprising:

receiving in a selected one of a first gas booster and a second gas booster a flow of natural gas from a utility gas supply;

discharging the flow of natural gas at an elevated gas pressure from the selected gas booster to the power generation equipment;

automatically controlling, based at least on a signal provided by a pressure transmitter located along a common discharge pipe connected to respective discharges of the first gas booster and the second gas booster, a variable frequency drive of the selected gas booster to increase or reduce the volume of the flow of natural gas received and discharged by that booster responsive to the requirements of the power generation equipment;

controlling a motorized valve to adjust an amount of natural gas that flows through a bypass pipe that connects the common discharge pipe to a common supply pipe that is connected to respective inlets of the first gas booster and the second gas booster; and

controlling a chilled water system that is connected to the bypass pipe and includes a chilled water supply, a heat exchanger connected to the chilled water supply via a chilled water supply pipe and a chilled water return pipe, and a motorized valve connected to the chilled water supply pipe and the chilled water return pipe, wherein controlling the chilled water system includes controlling the motorized valve to adjust an amount of chilled water supplied from the chilled water supply to the heat exchanger via the chilled water supply pipe and an amount of chilled water returned from the heat exchanger via the chilled water return pipe.

21. A method for supplying natural gas to power generation equipment, comprising:

receiving in a first gas booster a flow of natural gas from a utility gas supply;

discharging the flow of natural gas at an elevated gas pressure from the first gas booster;

receiving in a second gas booster the flow of natural gas from the first gas booster;

discharging the flow of natural gas at a further elevated gas pressure from the second gas booster to the power generation equipment;

automatically controlling, based at least on a signal provided by a pressure transmitter located along a common discharge pipe connected to respective discharges of the first gas booster and the second gas booster, a speed of a variable frequency drive in at least one of the first or second gas boosters to increase or reduce the volume of natural gas received and discharged by that booster responsive to the requirements of the power generation equipment;

controlling a motorized valve to adjust an amount of natural gas that flows through a bypass pipe that connects the common discharge pipe to a common supply pipe that is connected to respective inlets of the first gas booster and the second gas booster; and

controlling a refrigeration-based cooling system that is connected to the bypass pipe and includes a chiller, a heat exchanger connected to the chiller via a refrigerant supply pipe and a refrigerant return pipe, and a thermostatic expansion valve connected to the refrigerant supply pipe and the refrigerant return pipe, wherein controlling the refrigeration-based cooling system includes controlling the thermostatic expansion valve to adjust an amount of refrigerant supplied from the chiller to the heat exchanger via the refrigerant supply pipe and an amount of refrigerant returned from the heat exchanger to the chiller via the refrigerant return pipe.