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US 10,221,775 B2Granted
Use of external air for closed cycle inventory control
AssigneeMalta Inc.
InventorsRaj Apte, Philippe Larochelle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods relating to use of external air for inventory control of a closed thermodynamic cycle system or energy storage system, such as a reversible Brayton cycle system, are disclosed. A method may involve, in a closed cycle system operating in a power generation mode, circulating a working fluid may through a closed cycle fluid path. The closed cycle fluid path may include a high pressure leg and a low pressure leg. The method may further involve in response to a demand for increased power generation, compressing and dehumidifying environmental air. And the method may involve injecting the compressed and dehumidified environmental air into the low pressure leg.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- in a closed cycle system operating in a power generation mode, circulating a working fluid through a closed cycle fluid path including, in sequence, a compressor, a hot side heat exchanger, a turbine, and a cold side heat exchanger, wherein the closed cycle fluid path comprises a high pressure leg and a low pressure leg;
- in response to a demand for increased power generation, compressing and dehumidifying environmental air;
- and
- injecting the compressed and dehumidified environmental air into the low pressure leg;
- wherein the closed cycle system is configured to thermally contact the working fluid circulating through the cold side heat exchanger with a cold side thermal storage (“CTS”) medium, wherein dehumidifying the environmental air comprises:
- transferring at least a portion of the CTS medium to a dehumidifier;
- and
- thermally contacting the environmental air with the CTS medium within the dehumidifier and condensing water out of the environmental air.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- in a closed cycle system in a power generation mode, circulating a working fluid through a closed cycle fluid path including, in sequence, a compressor, a hot side heat exchanger, a turbine, and a cold side heat exchanger, wherein the closed cycle fluid path comprises a high pressure leg and a low pressure leg, and wherein the closed cycle system is configured to thermally contact the working fluid circulating through the cold side heat exchanger with a cold side thermal storage (“CTS”) medium;
- in response to a demand for decreased power generation, expelling working fluid from the closed cycle fluid path through an expansion valve, thereby cooling the expelled working fluid;
- and
- thermally contacting the expelled working fluid with a portion of the CTS medium.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- a first compressor;
- a hot side heat exchanger;
- a turbine;
- a cold side heat exchanger;
- a working fluid circulating in a closed cycle fluid path through, in sequence, the first compressor, the hot side heat exchanger, the turbine, and the cold side heat exchanger, wherein the closed cycle fluid path comprises a high pressure leg and a low pressure leg;
- a second compressor coupled to the low pressure leg and configured to, upon demand, compress environmental air and inject the compressed environmental air into the low pressure leg;
- a cold side thermal storage (“CTS”) medium, wherein the system is configured to thermally contact the working fluid circulating through the cold side heat exchanger with the CTS medium;
- a CTS storage tank configured to store CTS medium;
- and
- a dehumidifier configured to thermally contact the environmental air with a portion of the CTS medium and condense water out of the environmental air.
7 more elements
A system comprising:
- a first compressor;
- a hot side heat exchanger;
- a turbine;
- a cold side heat exchanger;
- a working fluid circulating in a closed cycle fluid path through, in sequence, the first compressor, the hot side heat exchanger, the turbine, and the cold side heat exchanger, wherein the closed cycle fluid path comprises a high pressure leg and a low pressure leg;
- a cold side thermal storage (“CTS”) medium, wherein the system is configured to thermally contact the working fluid circulating through the cold side heat exchanger with the CTS medium;
- an expansion valve configured to expel working fluid from the closed cycle fluid path;
- and
- an auxiliary heat exchanger configured to thermally contact the expelled working fluid with at least a portion of the CTS medium.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.