Systems and methods for providing cooling in compressed air storage power supply systems

• US 20060059936A1
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Active Power Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Active Power Incorporated
• Inventors: Perkins, David E., Radke, Robert E., Logan, Scott D., Pinkerton, Joseph F. III
• Application Number:
  US10/943,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059936A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/259.200
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/00 Conversion of ac power input into dc power output; Conversion of dc power input into ac power output

Abstract

A system and method for cooling electrical machines (e.g., generators), sub-systems (e.g., power electronics), and components (e.g., bearings) in an electrical generation system such as a compressed air storage (CAS) energy system or a thermal and compressed air storage (TACAS) energy system is provided. Cooling is derived from the thermal expansion of a compressed gas, which may be the same gas used to drive a turbine-generator of CAS or TACAS energy system.

Claims

1. A method for cooling power electronics in an electrical generation system that generates power from stored compressed gas, said method comprising:

providing a source of compressed gas;

selectively decompressing said compressed gas, the decompression of which causes the temperature of said compressed gas to drop to a predetermined temperature; and

routing said decompressed gas to, or proximal to, power electronics to remove heat from said power electronics.

2. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining an operating temperature of said power electronics at a desired operating temperature with said decompressed gas.

3. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining an operating temperature of said power electronics at a desired operating temperature with natural convection heat sinks.

4. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

powering a turbine with said selectively decompressed gas.

5. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

routing a first portion of said cool gas to a turbine;

routing a second portion of said cool gas to, or proximal to, said power electronics; and

re-routing said second portion to said turbine after said second portion has been routed to said power electronics.

6. The method defined in claim 5, wherein said re-routing comprises heating said second portion prior to providing said re-routed second portion to said turbine.

7. The method defined in claim 6, wherein said heating comprises recovering heat from said power electronics.

8. The method defined in claim 6, wherein said heating is performed by an exhaustless heater.

9. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

using natural convection heat sinks to cool said power electronics when said generation system is operating in a standby mode of operation and in an active mode of operation.

13. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said cooling comprises maintaining said power electronics at a desired operating temperature.

10. A method for providing backup power to a critical load in the event of a disturbance in the supply of power from a primary power source, comprising:

providing a compressed gas;

driving a turbine-generator with said compressed gas to generate power; and

cooling at least power electronics with said compressed gas.

11. The method defined in claim 10, wherein said cooling comprises:

decompressing said compressed gas to provide a cool gas;

routing said cool gas to said power electronics.

12. The method defined in claim 11, further comprising:

heating said cool gas to a predetermined temperature after said cool gas has been routed to said power electronics

14. A method for cooling power electronics of a compressed air storage system, comprising:

providing a compressed gas;

regulating the expansion of said compressed gas, the expansion of which causes said compressed gas to cool;

routing said cool gas to through a heat-exchanger to which said power electronics are mounted; and

removing heat from said power electronics as said cool gas passes through said heat-exchanger.

15. The method defined in claim 14 further comprising:

driving a turbine-generator with said compressed gas to provide backup power.

16. A system for cooling power electronics, comprising:

a source of compressed gas;

a valve connected to said source and operative to decompress said compressed gas, the decompression of which causes the temperature of said compressed gas to drop to a predetermined temperature; and

a path connected to said valve that routes said decompressed gas to, or proximal to, power electronics to remove heat from said power electronics.

17. The system defined in claim 16, further comprising:

a turbine-generator connected to the portion of said path exiting said power electronics, said turbine-generator generates power as said decompressed gas being routed through said path drives the turbine blades of the turbine.

18. The system defined in claim 16, further comprising:

an exhaustless heater connected to the portion of said path exiting said power electronics, said heater heats said decompressed gas to a predetermined temperature; and

a turbine-generator connected to the output of said exhaustless heater, said turbine-generator generates power as said heated decompressed gas drives the turbine blades of the turbine.

19. The system defined in claim 18, wherein said exhaustless heater is a thermal storage unit.

20. The system defined in claim 16, further comprising:

a heat-exchanger connected to said path and to said power electronics, said heat-exchanger enables said decompressed gas to absorb heat generated by said power electronics.

21. The system defined in claim 20, further comprising:

at least one natural convection heat-sink coupled to said heat exchanger.

22. The system defined in claim 16, wherein said path is a first path, said first path routes said decompressed gas to said power electronics, a thermal storage unit, and to a turbine-generator.

23. The system defined in claim 21, further comprising a second path connected to said valve that routes said decompressed gas substantially directly to said turbine-generator.

24. The system defined in claim 16, wherein said predetermined temperature is a temperature lower than the temperature of said compressed gas stored in said air source.

25. The system defined in claim 16, wherein said compressed gas is compressed air.

26. The system defined in claim 16, wherein said valve is a pressure regulator.

27. A system for maintaining a desired operating temperature of power electronics in an electrical generation system that uses compressed gas to generates electrical power, comprising:

a source of compressed gas;

a valve that regulates the expansion of said compressed gas, the expansion of which causes said compressed gas to cool;

a heat-exchanger having mounted thereon said power electronics and connected to receive said cool gas from said valve, said heat-exchanger constructed to enable said cool gas to remove heat from said power electronics as said cool gas passes through said heat-exchanger.

28. The system defined in claim 27, further comprising:

at least one natural convection heat-sink coupled to said heat-exchanger.

29. The system defined in claim 27, further comprising:

an exhaustless heater connected to receive said cool gas exiting said heat-exchanger, said heater heats said cool gas to a predetermined temperature.

30. The system defined in claim 27, further comprising control circuitry operative to control the operation of said valve.

31. A method for operating power electronics in a saturated power density mode, said method comprising:

providing power electronics;

selectively operating said power electronics in a normal power density mode and in a saturated power density mode; and

cooling said power electronics with a cool gas when said power electronics are operating in said saturated power density mode.

32. The method defined in claim 31, wherein said cooling comprises:

providing a source of compressed gas;

selectively decompressing said compressed gas, the decompression of which provides said cool gas; and

routing said cool gas to, or proximal to, said power electronics.

33. The method defined in claim 31, wherein said normal power density mode is operative when said power electronics is in a standby mode of operation.

34. The method defined in claim 31, wherein said saturated power density mode is operative when said power electronics is in an active mode of operation.

35. The method defined in claim 31, further comprising:

preventing said power electronics from overheating when operating in said saturated power density mode.

36. A system for operating power electronics in a saturated power density mode, said system comprising:

power electronics mounted to a heat-exchanger;

control circuitry connected to said power electronics and operative to instruct said power electronics to operate in a normal power density mode or in a saturated power density mode; and

a cool gas source connected to said heat-exchanger, said cool gas source provides cool gas to said heat-exchanger to cool said power electronics when said power electronics are operating in said saturated power density mode.

37. The system defined in claim 36, wherein said cool gas source comprises:

a source of compressed gas; and

a valve coupled to said source of compressed gas and operative to control the decompression of said compressed gas, the decompression of which provides said cool gas.

38. The system defined in claim 36, wherein said normal power density mode is operative when said power electronics is in a standby mode of operation.

39. The method defined in claim 36, wherein said saturated power density mode is operative when said power electronics is in an active mode of operation.

40. The system defined in claim 36, further comprising:

at least one natural convection heat sink connected to said heat-exchanger.

41. A heat-exchanger, comprising:

an inlet port;

an outlet port;

a gas-cooled heat sink coupled to said inlet and outlet ports, said inlet port is connected to said outlet port via an internal channel capable of routing a gas therethrough; and

at least one natural convection heat sink coupled to said gas-cooled heat sink.

42. The heat-exchanger defined in claim 41, further comprising:

power electronics mounted to said gas-cooled heat sink.

43. The heat-exchanger defined in claim 41, further comprising:

at least one capacitor mounted to said gas-cooled heat sink.