Heating materials through co-generation of heat and electricity
AssigneeRed Leaf Resources, Inc.
InventorJames W. Patten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for heating material through cogeneration of thermal and electrical energy can include a heat source and an electric generator configured to produce hot exhaust gas and electricity. One or more heating conduits can carry the hot exhaust gas to one or more bodies of material. The electric generator can at least partially power one or more electric heaters configured to reheat the hot exhaust gas after a portion of heat has been transferred from the hot exhaust gas to the one or more bodies of material.
Claims34
A system for heating material through cogeneration of thermal and electrical energy, comprising:
- one or more bodies of material comprising crushed hydrocarbonaceous material contained within one or more impoundments;
- a heat source and an electric generator oriented outside of the one or more bodies of material, where the heat source is configured to produce a hot exhaust gas and the electric generator produces electricity;
- one or more heating conduits associated with the heat source, wherein the heating conduits are configured to carry the hot exhaust gas from the heat source to the one or more bodies of material;
- and
- one or more electric heaters associated with the one or more heating conduits configured to reheat the hot exhaust gas after a portion of heat has been transferred from the hot exhaust gas to the one or more bodies of material, wherein the one or more electric heaters are at least partially powered by the electric generator.
A method of heating material through cogeneration of thermal and electrical energy, comprising:
- producing a hot exhaust gas from at least one heat source;
- producing electricity from at least one generator;
- carrying the hot exhaust gas through one or more heating conduits to one or more bodies of material, wherein the one or more bodies of material comprise crushed hydrocarbonaceous material and the at least one heat source is oriented outside of the one or more bodies of material;
- transferring a portion of heat from the hot exhaust gas to the one or more bodies of material sufficient to heat the one or more bodies of material to an elevated target temperature;
- and
- reheating the hot exhaust gas with an electric heater after the portion of heat is transferred, wherein the electric heater is at least partially powered by the electricity produced from the at least one generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.