Systems and methods for power cogeneration

• US 9,453,477 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concentric Power, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Concentric Power, Inc.
• Inventors: Curtis, Brian Mark, Shipchandler, Riyaz Mohammed
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Yuhui R
• Application Number:
  US13/840,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20140039707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 700/288
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 13/00 General layout or general methods of operation of complete plants
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 13/02 Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/04 for electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 25/00 Controlling two or more co-operating engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 5/00 Profiting from waste heat of combustion engines, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/06 Several compression cycles arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/406 characterised by monitoring or safety G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31334 Database with devices, configuration, of plant
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1815 structurally associated with reciprocating piston engines general aspects of generating sets, e.g. housing, F02B63/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/15 On-site combined power, heat or cool generation or distribution, e.g. combined heat and power [CHP] supply

Abstract

The invention includes systems and methods for power cogeneration. In certain embodiments the cogeneration systems include one or more units that are modularized; in some of these embodiments, the modules contain components that are integrated and ready for use with a control system that optimizes a result for the cogeneration plant. In some cases, the cogeneration system is part of a network of cogeneration systems.

Claims

1. A cogeneration system comprising a cogeneration plant that is operably connected to a host facility to which the cogeneration plant provides a thermal and/or mechanical work product and electrical power at a host site under an agreement, wherein the cogeneration plant comprises

(i) a set of operably connected modular transportable units that comprises

(a) a first modular transportable unit comprising a natural gas-fired turbine generator with a maximum power output of between 1 and 40 MW,

(b) a second modular transportable unit comprising a HRSG for utilizing the exhaust gases of the turbine to generate steam and further comprising an emissions control unit to control NOx emissions, operably connected to the turbine, and

(c) a third modular transportable unit comprising an exhaust stack unit with integrated emissions monitoring for NOx, operably connected to the HRSG;

wherein the modular transportable units exist in a transportable form that is suitable for transport on an ordinary roadway and in an assembled form that is fixed at the host site, and wherein the first, second, and third modular transportable units each comprise at least one sensor and at least one actuator or actuator system, wherein the sensors are configured to transmit inputs to a control system for controlling the cogeneration plant and the actuators are configured to receive an output from the control system, with no substantial modification from their configurations in the transportable units to their configuration in the assembled units; and

(ii) the control system comprises

(a) a receiver system that receives inputs from the sensors in the modular units, signals from sensors in the host facility, signals from ambient environmental sensors, inputs from markets for natural gas, inputs from power markets, inputs from forecast systems that comprise a weather forecast system and a price forecast system, and inputs from an interface through which the operator of the host facility may enter changes in upcoming conditions at the host facility;

(b) a processing system operably connected to the receiver system for processing the inputs and determining outputs for modulating the activities of a plurality of actuators or actuator systems in one or more of the modular units, wherein the plurality of actuators or actuator systems comprises the actuator or actuator systems in the first, second, and third modular transportable units, to achieve a desired result in the operation of the cogeneration plant based on the inputs and on the agreement; and

(c) a transmitter system operably connected to the processor system for transmitting the outputs to the actuators or actuator systems;

wherein the control system is at least partially Web-based and is configured to learn, wherein said learning comprises

1) periodically updating a profile for the cogeneration system, wherein the profile for the cogeneration system comprises at least one performance curve for at least one of a modular unit comprising one or more prime mover/generators, one or more heat transfer systems, one or more thermal product carrier producers, or one or more cooling towers;

wherein the performance curves are not off-the-shelf curves provided by manufacturers of the components but comprise curves produced after the commissioning of the cogeneration plant, during operation of the plant over time; and

2) changing one or more outputs directed at a system or subsystem of the modular components of the cogeneration of the plant, during operation of the plant, to be different from the output of a current processing system, evaluating the results to determine if the change in output produced a better or worse result than would have been expected from the current processing system, and adjusting algorithms used by the processing system according to the results;

and wherein the control system is fully integrated and prepackaged so that after the modules are assembled into the plant, the control system is ready to operate the plant without the need for substantial modification to the control system or its sensors or actuator.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the cogeneration plant further comprises a fourth modular transportable unit comprising a steam-driven compression refrigeration unit, operably connected to the HRSG, a fifth modular transportable unit comprising a cooling tower operably connected to the refrigeration unit, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the modular transportable units comprise a total of at least 5 sensors to transmit inputs to the control system, wherein the sensors are configured to transmit the inputs with no substantial modification from their configurations in the transportable units to their configurations in the assembled units and wherein the sensors comprise five sensors for at least five of a HRSG exhaust temperature, a steam flow rate, a generator output, an exhaust temperature, a thermal product carrier outlet temperature, a thermal product carrier inlet temperature, a thermal product carrier outlet flow rate, a thermal product carrier inlet flow rate, a mechanical work product carrier outlet flow rate, a mechanical work product carrier inlet flow rate, or at least one of a NOx, NH3, SOx, CO, CO2, particulate, or O2emission.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the inputs from the host facility comprise at least one of an electrical energy demand, a thermal product demand, a thermal product carrier flow rate, an air temperature, a thermal product carrier temperature, a fan rate, a humidity, a set point for an air temperature, a set point for a thermal product carrier temperature, a mechanical work product demand, a mechanical work product flow rate.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the inputs from the host facility comprise at least two of an electrical energy demand, a thermal product demand, a thermal product carrier flow rate, an air temperature, a thermal product carrier temperature, a fan rate, a humidity, a set point for an air temperature, a set point for a thermal product carrier temperature, a mechanical work product demand, a mechanical work product flow rate.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the inputs from the host facility comprise at least three of an electrical energy demand, a thermal product demand, a thermal product carrier flow rate, an air temperature, a thermal product carrier temperature, a fan rate, a humidity, a set point for an air temperature, a set point for a thermal product carrier temperature, a mechanical work product demand, a mechanical work product flow rate.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the inputs from power markets comprise at least five of a price for electrical energy exported from the cogeneration plant, a price for imported electrical energy to the cogeneration plant, a price for an incentive for the cogeneration plants, a price for a thermal and/or mechanical work product produced by the cogeneration plant, a price for water for the cogeneration plant, and/or a price for a variable maintenance contract for the cogeneration plant.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the signals from ambient environmental sensors provide information about environmental conditions comprising two or more of a temperature, a humidity, a wind speed, a wind direction, or an air pressure.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the signals from ambient environmental sensors provide information about environmental conditions comprising three or more of a temperature, a humidity, a wind speed, a wind direction, or an air pressure.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the input from the price forecast system comprises a forecast for at least four of a fuel price, an electricity export price, an electricity import price, a price for a demand response action, a price for a thermal product, a price for mechanical work product, a price for water.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the inputs from the forecast systems further comprise input regarding an emissions limit, an incentive for the cogeneration plant, an electrical demand from the host facility, a thermal product demand from the host facility, a mechanical product demand from the host facility, or a combination thereof.

12. A cogeneration network comprising a plurality of cogeneration systems of claim 1.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the host facility is a refrigerated facility, a food and/or beverage processing facility, a university, a pharmaceutical facility, an oil and/or gas production facility, an EOR facility, a LNG facility, a process industry facility such as a refining facility, an ethanol facility, or a chemicals facility, a commercial building, a hospital, a waste water treatment facility, a landfill, or a data center.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the host facility is a food and/or beverage processing facility.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the host facility is a data center.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the actuator or actuator system is configured to be fully operational in the assembled form with no substantial modification from the transportable form, and comprises at least seven of an actuator or actuator system for controlling a pre-cooler, an actuator or actuator system for controlling a turbine, an actuator or actuator system for controlling a heat recovery steam generator, an actuator or actuator system for controlling a thermal product carrier producer, an actuator for controlling a mechanical work product producer, an actuator or actuator system for controlling a cooling tower, an actuator or actuator system for controlling one or more distribution pumps, and an actuator or actuator system for controlling a thermal energy storage product producer.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second modular transportable units are the same.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the agreement comprises an agreement between the provider of the cogeneration plant and the provider of the host facility, wherein the agreement by selection of a plurality of financial modules by the host facility from a menu of financial modules.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the financial modules comprise a module for financing, a module for a lower electrical demand limit, a module for an upper electrical demand limit, a module for a lower thermal product demand limit, a module for an upper thermal product demand limit, a module for lower mechanical work product demand limit, a module for upper mechanical work product demand limit, a module for average mechanical work product demand, a module for average electrical demand, a module for average thermal product demand, or a price limit module, or any combination thereof.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the Web-based portion of the control system allows for one or more of remote update for pricing models, utility tariffs, demand response events, government incentives, software upgrades, algorithms, and control module, and predictive databases.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the control systems receives software updates every one to 6 months, on average.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the forecast systems forecasts a future value or range of values for at least 5 different scenarios.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is configured to operate over a three month period at an average efficiency of at least 80% when the host facility electrical power demand and/or the host facility thermal product demand and/or mechanical work product demand vary by at least an average of 20% daily during the period.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the inputs to the control system further comprise temperature and/or set point inputs for at least 5 different areas of the host facility.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensors in the modular transportable units comprise at least 50 sensors.