Back to results
US 11,814,286 B2Granted
Backup power system with controller
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsMichael Bardell, David T. Montgomery
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system is disclosed. The system can store a fuel reagent such as methanol for conversion into hydrogen to power one or more facility systems via a backup power system. A reactor controller can monitor a power demand of the one or more facility systems and determine whether the power demand is met by a primary power system. The fuel reagent can be provided to a fuel reactor in response to the reactor controller determining that the one or more facility systems are operating at a power deficit to generate an amount of hydrogen that, when provided to the backup power system, causes the backup power system to generate an amount of power that meets or exceeds the power deficit.
Claims13
A system, comprising:
- a storage tank configured to store methanol, the storage tank including an outlet valve operable to fluidly connect the storage tank with an output line;
- a reagent mixer fluidly connected to the output line and a water line, the reagent mixer being configured to form a feed solution by combining methanol received via the output line and water received via the water line;
- a reactor fluidly connected to the reagent mixer, the reactor being configured to:
- receive the feed solution from the reagent mixer, and
- extract hydrogen from the feed solution;
- a backup power system fluidly connected to the reactor, the backup power system being configured to receive the hydrogen from the reactor and convert the hydrogen into power;
- and
- a controller programmed to:
- determine a power demand of a facility system;
- determine a power supply of a primary power system associated with the facility system;
- determine, at a first time, a first power deficit equal to an amount by which the power demand of the facility system exceeds the power supply of a primary power system associated with the facility system;
- determine a first amount of the hydrogen that, when supplied to the backup power system, will cause the backup power system to generate a second amount of power greater than or equal to the first power deficit;
- determine, based on the first amount of hydrogen, a first amount of methanol that, when supplied to the reactor, will cause the reactor to extract the first amount of hydrogen from the feed solution;
- cause the outlet valve to direct the first amount of methanol to the reagent mixer, the mixer forming a first amount of the feed solution using the first amount of methanol;
- cause the reactor to:
- extract the first amount of hydrogen from the first amount of the feed solution, and
- direct the first amount of hydrogen to the backup power system;
- cause the backup power system to generate the second amount of power using the first amount of hydrogen;
- while the backup power system is generating the second amount of power, determine, at a second time, a second power difference equal to a difference between the power demand of the facility system and a combined power provided by the power supply of a primary power system and the second amount of power generated by the backup power system;
- and
- adjust, based upon the second power difference, the amount of power generated by the backup power system.
18 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a storage tank configured to store methanol, the storage tank including an outlet valve operable to fluidly connect the storage tank with an output line;
- a reagent mixer fluidly connected to the output line and a water line, the reagent mixer being configured to form a feed solution by combining methanol received via the output line and water received via the water line;
- a reactor fluidly connected to the reagent mixer, the reactor being configured to:
- receive the feed solution from the reagent mixer, and
- extract hydrogen from the feed solution;
- a backup power system fluidly connected to the reactor, the backup power system being configured to receive the hydrogen from the reactor and convert the hydrogen into power;
- and
- a controller programmed to:
- determine a power demand of a facility system;
- determine a power supply of a primary power system associated with the facility system;
- determine, at a first time, a first power deficit equal to an amount by which the power demand of the facility system exceeds the power supply of a primary power system associated with the facility system;
- determine a first amount of the hydrogen that, when supplied to the backup power system, will cause the backup power system to generate a second amount of power greater than or equal to the first power deficit;
- determine, based on the first amount of hydrogen, a first amount of methanol that, when supplied to the reactor, will cause the reactor to extract the first amount of hydrogen from the feed solution;
- cause the outlet valve to direct the first amount of methanol to the reagent mixer, the mixer forming a first amount of the feed solution using the first amount of methanol;
- cause the reactor to:
- extract the first amount of hydrogen from the first amount of the feed solution, and
- direct the first amount of hydrogen to the backup power system;
- cause the backup power system to generate the second amount of power using the first amount of hydrogen;
- while the backup power system is generating the second amount of power, determine, at a second time, that the power demand of the facility system does not exceed the power supply of a primary power system associated with the facility system;
- and
- discontinue operation of the reactor or the backup power system.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.