Power tower for heat capture
AssigneeBloom Energy Corporation
InventorsArne Ballantine, Jessica Mahler, Carl Cottuli, Daniel Baynes, Martin Perry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power generating system includes power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels, exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules, and an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums.
Claims14
A power generating system comprising:
- power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels;
- exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules;
- an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums;
- and
- thermoelectric devices that are each thermally integrated with one of the exhaust plenums or the exhaust conduit,
- wherein the thermoelectric devices are arranged into series-wired circuits electrically connected to DC/DC converters, and the DC/DC converters are electrically connected to a same DC bus as the power modules.
A power generating system comprising:
- power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels;
- exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules;
- and
- an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums,
- wherein each level of power modules is disposed on a different floor of a building.
A power generating tower comprising a plurality of power generating systems that are stacked vertically above one another, wherein:
- each of the power generating systems comprises:
- power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels;
- exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules;
- and
- an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums;
- and
- the exhaust conduit is located above a first level of power modules in a first power generating system and below a second level of power modules in a second power generating system.
A power generating system comprising:
- power modules;
- a common exhaust plenum configured to receive exhaust from the power modules;
- and
- thermoelectric devices that are thermally integrated with the common exhaust plenum,
- wherein:
- the power modules comprise fuel cell power modules;
- and
- the thermoelectric devices are arranged into series-wired circuits electrically connected to DC/DC converters, and the DC/DC converters are electrically connected to a same DC bus as the power modules.
A power generating system comprising:
- power modules;
- a common exhaust plenum configured to receive exhaust from the power modules;
- and
- thermoelectric devices that are thermally integrated with the common exhaust plenum,
- wherein the thermoelectric devices are mounted on the exhaust plenum, such that first sides of the thermoelectric devices are exposed to exhaust in the common exhaust plenums and opposing second sides of the thermoelectric devices are exposed to air exhausted from cabinets of the power modules, and wherein the air is cooler than the exhaust.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.