# US 12,110,812 B2 · Energy generation system for non-traditional combustible fluid source > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,812 B2 - Document ID: US12110812B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/181,344 - Filed: 2023-03-09 - Published: 2023-07-06 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-11-29 - Assignees: Trane International Inc. - Applicants: Trane International Inc. - Inventors: Michael Sean Day - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110812B2 ## CPC - F01K 7/16: the engines being only of turbine type (the engines using steam of critical or overcritical pressure F01K7/32; the engines being of extraction or non-condensing type F01K7/34) - F01K 23/06: combustion heat from one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle - F01K 15/00: Adaptations of plants for special use {(F01K7/02 takes precedence)} - F01K 23/065: {the combustion taking place in an internal combustion piston engine, e.g. a diesel engine} - F01K 23/10: with exhaust fluid of one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle (F01K17/025 takes precedence) - F01K 25/10: the vapours being cold, e.g. ammonia, carbon dioxide, ether - F02C 1/02: the working fluid being an unheated pressurised gas - F02C 6/14: Gas-turbine plants having means for storing energy, e.g. for meeting peak loads - F17C 5/06: for filling with compressed gases - G05B 13/02: electric - F17C 2265/07: Generating electrical power as side effect - F17C 2270/0581: Power plants - F01K: STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES (gas-turbine or jet-propulsion plants F02; nuclear power plants, engine arrangements therein G21D) - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract An energy generation system for converting combustible fluid from a nontraditional combustible fluid source to useable energy. The energy generation system including a fluid storage system including a compressor and at least one storage tank, the compressor configured to pressurize a combustible fluid from a combustible fluid source for storage in the one or more storage tanks; and an energy recovery system configured to receive the combustible fluid from the at least one storage tank, the energy recovery system including: a turboexpander configured to depressurize the combustible fluid received from the at least one storage tank; a motor-generator configured to input the combustible fluid as depressurized by the turboexpander, and generate electrical energy from the combustible fluid; and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system configured to generate electrical energy based on a temperature differential between the combustible fluid input to the motor-generator and a waste heat produced by the motor-generator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An energy generation system comprising: a pump configured to move a combustible fluid from a combustible fluid source to a fluid storage system; the fluid storage system comprising: a compressor, a first set of one or more storage tanks, wherein the first set of one or more storage tanks are configured to receive the combustible fluid from the pump and store the combustible fluid at a first pressure, and a second set of one or more storage tanks, wherein the compressor is configured to pressurize the combustible fluid from the first set of one or more storage tanks to at least one second pressure for storage in the second set of one or more storage tanks; and an energy recovery system configured to receive the combustible fluid from the second set of one or more storage tanks, the energy recovery system including: an expander configured to produce depressurized combustible fluid by depressurizing the combustible fluid received from the second set of one or more storage tanks, and a motor-generator configured to receive the depressurized combustible fluid and generate electrical energy from the depressurized combustible fluid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The energy generation system of claim 1, wherein the pump is configured to move the combustible fluid from the combustible fluid source that includes a landfill or a digester. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The energy generation system of claim 1, wherein a pressure differential between the first pressure and the at least one second pressure causes movement of the combustible fluid from the second set of one or more storage tanks toward the energy recovery system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The energy generation system of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more storage tanks is a plurality of second storage tanks, the at least one second pressure is a plurality of second pressures, and the compressor is configured to pressurize the combustible fluid to the plurality of second pressures for storage in different ones of the plurality of second storage tanks. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The energy generation system of claim 1, wherein the expander is configured to generate electrical energy from depressurization of the combustible fluid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The energy generation system of claim 1, wherein the expander is a turboexpander. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The energy generation system of claim 6, wherein the combustible fluid includes bio-methane including methane and non-methane impurities, and the turboexpander is further configured to cool the bio-methane and condense the non-methane impurities and thereby produce purified methane, and the energy generation system further includes a methane outlet coupled to the energy recovery system configured to divert the purified methane away from the motor-generator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The energy generation system of claim 1, wherein the motor-generator includes a combustion engine configured to generate mechanical energy from combustion of the depressurized combustible fluid, and an electrical generator configured to convert the mechanical energy to electrical energy. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The energy generation system of claim 1, further comprising control circuitry configured to control the fluid storage system in storage of the combustible fluid when an energy price is below a first threshold value, and control the energy recovery system in generation of the electrical energy when the energy price is above a second threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The energy generation system of claim 9, wherein the energy price is a price of electricity or natural gas. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The energy generation system of claim 9, wherein the first threshold value is different from the second threshold value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The energy generation system of claim 1, wherein the energy recovery system further includes a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between the combustible fluid and a working fluid. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The energy generation system of claim 12, wherein the heat exchanger is located downstream from the expander and the heat exchanger is configured to receive depressurized combustible fluid from the expander and transfer heat between the depressurized combustible fluid and the working fluid. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The energy generation system of claim 12, wherein the heat exchanger is located downstream from the expander and the heat exchanger is configured to receive depressurized combustible fluid from the expander and transfer heat to the depressurized combustible fluid from the working fluid. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The energy generation system of claim 9, wherein the energy price is a price of electricity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The energy generation system of claim 9, wherein the energy price is a price of natural gas. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The energy generation system of claim 9, wherein the first threshold value is lower than an average energy price and the second threshold value is above the average energy price. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The energy generation system of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry receives the energy price from a network connection that regularly publishes energy pricing information.