Controlled organic rankine cycle system for recovery and conversion of thermal energy
First Claim
1. A system for controlled recovery of thermal energy from a natural gas compression module powered by a reciprocating engine, the natural gas compression module comprising one or more compression stages for compressing natural gas flowing within a pipeline and conversion of said thermal energy to mechanical energy, the system comprising:
- a. a natural gas compression module and a reciprocating engine operable to provide a primary power source and a one or more sources of thermal energy;
b. a circulating pump, at least one propellant heat exchanger, an expander, and a condenser, arranged to operate an organic Rankine cycle in which thermal energy is collected from the engine and from the natural gas compression module and is transferred to a liquid organic propellant in the at least one propellant heat exchanger to evaporate the propellant, which gaseous propellant then drives the expander in production of mechanical energy to create a secondary power source, for use in powering at least one system parasitic load with spent propellant from the expander condensed back into liquid form by the condenser for reuse within the organic Rankine cycle;
c. a sensor for measuring at least one of;
temperature;
pressure; and
flow of organic propellant within the Rankine cycle;
d. and a control module for regulating operation of the Rankine cycle based on said sensor measurements, to optimize power generation by the secondary power source.
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Abstract
A system for controlled recovery of thermal energy and conversion to mechanical energy. The system collects thermal energy from a reciprocating engine, specifically from engine jacket fluid and/or engine exhaust and uses this thermal energy to generate a secondary power source by evaporating an organic propellant and using the gaseous propellant to drive an expander in production of mechanical energy. A monitoring module senses ambient and system conditions such as temperature, pressure, and flow of organic propellant at one or more locations; and a control module regulates system parameters based on monitored information to optimize secondary power output. A tertiary, or back-up power source may also be present. The system may be used to meet on-site power demands using primary, secondary, and tertiary power.
66 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A system for controlled recovery of thermal energy from a natural gas compression module powered by a reciprocating engine, the natural gas compression module comprising one or more compression stages for compressing natural gas flowing within a pipeline and conversion of said thermal energy to mechanical energy, the system comprising:
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a. a natural gas compression module and a reciprocating engine operable to provide a primary power source and a one or more sources of thermal energy; b. a circulating pump, at least one propellant heat exchanger, an expander, and a condenser, arranged to operate an organic Rankine cycle in which thermal energy is collected from the engine and from the natural gas compression module and is transferred to a liquid organic propellant in the at least one propellant heat exchanger to evaporate the propellant, which gaseous propellant then drives the expander in production of mechanical energy to create a secondary power source, for use in powering at least one system parasitic load with spent propellant from the expander condensed back into liquid form by the condenser for reuse within the organic Rankine cycle; c. a sensor for measuring at least one of;
temperature;
pressure; and
flow of organic propellant within the Rankine cycle;d. and a control module for regulating operation of the Rankine cycle based on said sensor measurements, to optimize power generation by the secondary power source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 32, 33, 34)
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29. A system for providing power at a remote site comprising:
- a reciprocating engine operable to provide a primary power output and one or more sources of thermal energy;
a natural gas compression module powered by said reciprocating engine;
an organic Rankine cycle for collecting thermal energy from the reciprocating engine and converting said thermal energy to secondary power output;
a control module for regulating operating conditions of the engine and organic Rankine cycle to maximize secondary power output;
a tertiary power source; and
a power hub for receiving a combination of primary, secondary, and tertiary power and for supplying power to the site on demand. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
- a reciprocating engine operable to provide a primary power output and one or more sources of thermal energy;
Specification