Methods for reducing wear on components of a heat engine system at startup

• US 9,638,065 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Echogen Power Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Echogen Power Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Vermeersch, Michael Louis, Bowan, Brett A., Khairnar, Swapnil
• Primary Examiner(s): Trieu, Thai Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kebea, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US14/164,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20140208750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 60646-681
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 13/02 Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting

Abstract

Provided herein are heat engine systems and methods for starting such systems and generating electricity while avoiding damage to one or more system components. A provided heat engine system maintains a working fluid (e.g., sc-CO₂) within the low pressure side of a working fluid circuit in a liquid-type state, such as a supercritical state, during a startup procedure. Additionally, a bypass system is provided for routing the working fluid around one or more heat exchangers during startup to avoid overheating of system components.

Claims

1. A method for starting a heat engine, comprising:

circulating a working fluid within a working fluid circuit by a pump system, wherein the working fluid circuit has a high pressure side containing the working fluid in a supercritical state and a low pressure side containing the working fluid in a subcritical state or a supercritical state;

transferring thermal energy from a heat source stream to the working fluid by at least a primary heat exchanger fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit;

flowing the working fluid through a power turbine or through a power turbine bypass line circumventing the power turbine, wherein the power turbine is configured to convert the thermal energy from the working fluid to mechanical energy of the power turbine and the power turbine is coupled to a power generator configured to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy;

monitoring and maintaining a pressure of the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit via a process control system operatively connected to the working fluid circuit, wherein the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit contains the working fluid in the supercritical state during a startup procedure;

increasing a flowrate of the working fluid or a temperature of the working fluid within the working fluid circuit and circulating the working fluid by a turbopump contained within the pump system during the startup procedure;

circulating the working fluid by the turbopump during a load ramp procedure or a full load procedure subsequent to the startup procedure, such that the flowrate of the working fluid or the temperature of the working fluid sustains the turbopump during the load ramp procedure or the full load procedure; and

maintaining the pressure of the working fluid at less than a critical pressure value during the load ramp procedure or the full load procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a secondary heat exchanger or a tertiary heat exchanger is configured to heat the working fluid upstream to an inlet of a drive turbine of the turbopump during the load ramp procedure or the full load procedure.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising decreasing the pressure of the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit via the process control system during the load ramp procedure or the full load procedure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit is in a subcritical state during the load ramp procedure or the full load procedure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the working fluid in the subcritical state is in a liquid state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the working fluid comprises carbon dioxide.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring the pressure of the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit upstream to an inlet on a pump portion of the turbopump.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring the pressure of the working fluid downstream from a turbine outlet on the power turbine within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure of the working fluid within the low pressure side during the startup procedure is within a range from 7.38 MPa to 10.4 MPa.

10. A method for starting a heat engine, comprising:

circulating a working fluid within a working fluid circuit by a pump system, wherein the working fluid circuit has a high pressure side containing the working fluid in a supercritical state and a low pressure side containing the working fluid in a subcritical state or a supercritical state;

transferring thermal energy from a heat source stream to the working fluid by at least a primary heat exchanger fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit;

flowing the working fluid through a power turbine or through a power turbine bypass line circumventing the power turbine, wherein the power turbine is configured to convert the thermal energy from the working fluid to mechanical energy of the power turbine and the power turbine is coupled to a power generator configured to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy;

monitoring and maintaining a pressure of the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit via a process control system operatively connected to the working fluid circuit, wherein the pressure of the working fluid in the low pressure side is above a critical pressure value of the working fluid during a startup procedure;

increasing a flowrate of the working fluid or a temperature of the working fluid within the working fluid circuit and circulating the working fluid by a turbopump contained within the pump system during the startup procedure;

circulating the working fluid by the turbopump during a load ramp procedure or a full load procedure subsequent to the startup procedure, such that the flowrate of the working fluid or the temperature of the working fluid sustains the turbopump during the load ramp procedure or the full load procedure; and

maintaining the pressure of the working fluid at less than the critical pressure value during the load ramp procedure or the full load procedure.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pressure of the working fluid within the low pressure side during the startup procedure is within a range from 7.38 MPa to 10.4 MPa.

12. A method for starting a heat engine, comprising:

circulating a working fluid within a working fluid circuit by a pump system, wherein the working fluid circuit has a high pressure side containing the working fluid in a supercritical state, a low pressure side containing the working fluid in a subcritical state or a supercritical state, and the pump system contains at least a turbopump;

transferring thermal energy from a heat source stream to the working fluid by at least a primary heat exchanger fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit;

flowing the working fluid through a power turbine or through a power turbine bypass line circumventing the power turbine, wherein the power turbine is configured to convert the thermal energy from the working fluid to mechanical energy of the power turbine and the power turbine is coupled to a power generator configured to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy;

monitoring and maintaining a pressure of the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit upstream to an inlet on a pump portion of the turbopump via a process control system operatively connected to the working fluid circuit, wherein the inlet on the pump portion of the turbopump and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit contain the working fluid in the supercritical state during a startup procedure;

increasing a flowrate of the working fluid or a temperature of the working fluid within the working fluid circuit and circulating the working fluid by the turbopump contained within the pump system during the startup procedure;

circulating the working fluid by the turbopump during a load ramp procedure or a full load procedure subsequent to the startup procedure, such that the flowrate of the working fluid or the temperature of the working fluid sustains the turbopump during the load ramp procedure or the full load procedure; and

maintaining the pressure of the working fluid at less than a critical pressure value during the load ramp procedure or the full load procedure.