Automated mass management control

• US 8,813,497 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Echogen Power Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Echogen Power Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Hart, Katherine, Held, Timothy James
• Primary Examiner(s): Bomberg, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wan, Deming
• Application Number:
  US13/590,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20130036736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 606/45, 606/54, 60682-683, 606/60, 60666-667
• US Class Current: 60/645
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 11/00 Plants characterised by the engines being structurally combined with boilers or condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 13/02 Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/103 Carbon dioxide F01K25/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/185 using waste heat from outside the plant F02G5/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0617 specially adapted for fluid materials

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a heat engine system, a mass management system (MMS), and a method for regulating pressure in the heat engine system while generating electricity. In one embodiment, the MMS contains a tank fluidly coupled to a pump, a turbine, a heat exchanger, an offload terminal, and a working fluid contained in the tank at a storage pressure. The working fluid may be at a system pressure proximal an outlet of the heat exchanger, at a low-side pressure proximal a pump inlet, and at a high-side pressure proximal a pump outlet. The MMS contains a controller communicably coupled to a valve between the tank and the heat exchanger outlet, a valve between the tank and the pump inlet, a valve between the tank and the pump outlet, and a valve between the tank and the offload terminal.

Claims

1. A method for regulating pressure in a heat engine system, comprising:

sensing a low-side pressure proximal an inlet of a pump; and

comparing the low-side pressure to an acceptable range to determine if the low-side pressure is above the acceptable range, below the acceptable range, or within the acceptable range, wherein, when the low-side pressure is below the acceptable range;

fluidly communicating a working fluid at a storage pressure from a tank to the inlet of the pump, when the storage pressure is greater than or about equal to the low-side pressure;

fluidly communicating the working fluid at a system pressure from an outlet of a waste heat exchanger to the tank, when the storage pressure is less than the system pressure; and

heating the working fluid in the tank with a heater when the storage pressure is greater than or equal to the system pressure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the low-side pressure is within the acceptable range:

isolating the tank from the pump and the waste heat exchanger; and

powering down the heater.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising fluidly communicating the tank with the inlet of the pump when the low-side pressure is above the acceptable range and the storage pressure is less than the low-side pressure.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, when the low-side pressure is above the acceptable range, and the storage pressure is greater than or about equal to the low-side pressure:

fluidly communicating the working fluid from the tank to an outlet of the pump, when the storage pressure is greater than a high-side pressure of the working fluid proximal the outlet of the pump; and

offloading the working fluid from the tank when the storage pressure is less than or about equal to the high-side pressure.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising isolating the tank from the inlet of the pump when the low-side pressure is below the acceptable range and is greater than or about equal to the storage pressure.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising isolating the tank from the outlet of the waste heat exchanger and powering down the heater, when the low-side pressure is below the acceptable range and the storage pressure is greater than or about equal to the system pressure.

7. A mass management system for a heat engine system, comprising:

a tank fluidly coupled to a pump, a turbine, a heat exchanger, and a offload terminal, the tank being configured to contain a working fluid at a storage pressure, the working fluid being at a system pressure proximal an outlet of the heat exchanger, at a low-side pressure proximal an inlet of the pump, and at a high-side pressure proximal an outlet of the pump;

a first valve configured to open to allow and close to prevent fluid communication between the tank and the outlet of the heat exchanger;

a second valve configured to open to allow and close to prevent fluid communication between the tank and the inlet of the pump;

a third valve configured to open to allow and close to prevent fluid communication between the tank and the outlet of the pump;

a fourth valve configured to open to allow and close to prevent fluid communication between the tank and the offload terminal; and

a micro-processor controller communicably coupled to the first, second, third, and fourth valves, wherein the micro-processor controller is configured to execute a program to determine an acceptable range for the low-side pressure and, once the low-side pressure is less than the acceptable range, the micro-processor controller is configured to execute a program to close the third and fourth valves, compare the storage pressure to the low-side pressure, close the second valve if the storage pressure is less than the low-side pressure and open the second valve otherwise, and open the first valve to pressurize the tank if the storage pressure is less than or equal to the system pressure and close the first valve if the storage pressure is greater than the system pressure.

8. The mass management system of claim 7, wherein the micro-processor controller is configured to execute a program to determine ends of the acceptable range by adding a first safety margin to the target pressure and by subtracting a second safety margin from the target pressure.

9. The mass management system of claim 7, wherein the micro-processor controller is configured to execute a program to close the first, second, third, and fourth valves when the low-side pressure is within the acceptable range.

10. The mass management system of claim 7, wherein, when the low-side pressure is above the acceptable range, the micro-processor controller is configured to execute a program to close the first valve, and compare the storage pressure to the low-side pressure, wherein, when the storage pressure is less than the low-side pressure, the micro-processor controller is configured to execute a program to open the second valve, close the third valve, and close the fourth valve.

11. The mass management system of claim 7, wherein, when the low-side pressure is above the acceptable range and the storage pressure is greater than or about equal to the low-side pressure, the micro-processor controller is configured to execute a program to:

compare the storage pressure to the high-side pressure;

open the third valve and close the second and fourth valves when the storage pressure is greater than the high-side pressure; and

open the fourth valve and close the second and third valves when the storage pressure is less than or equal to the high-side pressure.

12. The mass management system of claim 7, further comprising a heater thermally coupled to the tank and communicably coupled to the micro-processor controller, wherein the micro-processor controller is configured to execute a program to turn on the heater to heat the tank when the low-side pressure is below the acceptable range, and the storage pressure is greater than or equal to the system pressure.

13. The mass management system of claim 12, wherein the micro-processor controller is further configured to execute a program to turn off the heater when the low-side pressure is within or above the acceptable range and when the low-side pressure is below the acceptable range and the storage pressure is less than the system pressure.

14. A heat engine system, comprising:

a first waste heat exchanger configured to receive a waste heat stream and to transfer heat therefrom to a working fluid;

a first turbine fluidly coupled to the waste heat exchanger and configured to receive the working fluid therefrom;

a condenser configured to cool the working fluid;

a pump fluidly coupled to the condenser, the pump being configured to receive the working fluid from the condenser and to pressurize the working fluid;

a first recuperator fluidly coupled to the first turbine and to the pump and configured to receive the working fluid from both, the first recuperator being configured to transfer heat from the working fluid received from the first turbine to the working fluid received from the pump; and

a mass management system comprising;

a tank fluidly coupled to a first point downstream from the waste heat exchanger via a first valve, a second point upstream from an inlet of the pump via a second valve, a third point downstream from an outlet of the pump via a third valve, and an offload terminal via a fourth valve, the tank being configured to hold the working fluid therein at a storage pressure;

a heater thermally coupled to the tank; and

a micro-processor controller communicably coupled to the first, second, third, and fourth valves, the micro-processor controller being configured to execute a program to compare a low-side pressure of the working fluid between the condenser and the pump with an acceptable range, wherein, when the low-side pressure is below the acceptable range, the micro-processor controller is configured to execute a program to;

close the third and fourth valves;

open the second valve when the storage pressure is greater than the low-side pressure;

close the second valve when the storage pressure is less than or about equal to the low-side pressure;

open the first valve and turn off the heater when a system pressure of the working fluid downstream from the first waste heat exchanger is greater than the storage pressure; and

close the first valve and turn on the heater when the storage pressure is greater than or about equal to the system pressure.

15. The heat engine system of claim 14, wherein the micro-processor controller is configured to execute a program to close the first, second, third, and fourth valves and turn off the heater, when the low-side pressure is in the acceptable range.

16. The heat engine system of claim 14, wherein, when the low-side pressure is above the acceptable range, the micro-processor controller is configured to execute a program to:

turn off the heater and close the first valve;

open the second valve and close the third and fourth valves, when the storage pressure is less than or about equal to the low-side pressure;

open the third valve and close the second and fourth valves, when the storage pressure is greater than the low-side pressure and the storage pressure is greater than the high-side pressure; and

open the fourth valve and close the second and third valves, when the storage pressure is greater than the low-side pressure and the storage pressure is less than or about equal to the high-side pressure.

17. The heat engine system of claim 14, wherein the working fluid comprises carbon dioxide and is in a supercritical phase within at least one portion of the heat engine system.

18. The heat engine system of claim 14, further comprising:

a second waste heat exchanger disposed in series with the first waste heat exchanger with respect to the waste heat stream;

a second turbine fluidly coupled to the second waste heat exchanger and configured to receive the working fluid therefrom; and

a second recuperator fluidly coupled to the second turbine and to a second pump and configured to receive the working fluid from both, the second recuperator being configured to transfer heat from the working fluid received from the second turbine to the working fluid received from the second pump.

19. The heat engine system of claim 18, wherein the first and second recuperators are in series, such that the working fluid from the first turbine flows to the first recuperator, from the first recuperator to the second recuperator, and from the second recuperator to the condenser.

20. The heat engine system of claim 18, further comprising a third waste heat exchanger disposed in series with the first and second waste heat exchangers, such that waste heat traverses the first and second waste heat exchangers and then the third waste heat exchanger, the third waste heat exchanger being configured to preheat the working fluid prior to the working fluid entering the first waste heat exchanger.