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US 11,788,734 B2Granted
System and method for combined heat and electric power generation
AssigneeSpark Thermionics, Inc.
InventorsAdam G. Lorimer, Jared William Schwede
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for combined heat and electric power generation, preferably including a heat reservoir and one or more electric generators, each preferably including a heat source and an energy converter. A method for combined heat and electric power generation, preferably including activating an electric generator, deactivating the electric generator, and/or providing heat from a heat reservoir.
Claims20
A method for combined heat and electric power generation, comprising:
- at a heat reservoir, while a heat reservoir temperature of the heat reservoir is greater than a minimum temperature, heating a fluid;
- providing the heated fluid to an external heat demand element;
- while the heat reservoir temperature is less than a threshold temperature, activating an electric generator thermally coupled to the heat reservoir, wherein, while the electric generator is activated:
- a heat source of the electric generator generates heat and provides the heat to a solid-state energy converter of the electric generator;
- the solid-state energy converter generates an electric power output and provides the electric power output to a building-scale electrical system;
- and
- the solid-state energy converter rejects waste heat to the heat reservoir;
- and
- after activating the electric generator, while the heat reservoir temperature is greater than the threshold temperature, deactivating the electric generator.
6 more elements
A system for combined heat and electric power generation, comprising:
- a heat generator operable between:
- an active mode, in which the heat generator consumes fuel at greater than a threshold rate and generates heat;
- and
- an inactive mode, in which the heat generator consumes fuel at substantially less than the threshold rate;
- a thermionic electric converter (TEC) comprising:
- a heat input region;
- an emitter thermally coupled to the heat generator via the heat input region;
- a heat rejection region;
- and
- a collector;
- and
- a heated water reservoir thermally coupled to the collector via the heat rejection region, the heated water reservoir defining a cavity configured to store heated water, the cavity defining a water input and a heated water output;
- wherein the TEC is configured to operate in an electrical power generation mode in which the TEC:
- accepts heat from the heat generator at the heat input region;
- generates an electric power output;
- and
- provides waste heat to the heated water reservoir at the heat rejection region.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.