# US 12,183,958 B2 · Energy management system

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- Number: US 12,183,958 B2
- Document ID: US12183958B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/567,292
- Filed: 2022-01-03
- Published: 2022-04-21
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-07-02
- Assignees: Denso Corporation
- Applicants: Denso Corporation
- Inventors: Youhei Morimoto; Shigekazu Hidaka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183958B2

## CPC

- C25B 3/03: Acyclic or carbocyclic hydrocarbons
- H01M 8/0656: by electrochemical means (H01M8/065 takes precedence)
- C01B 3/34: by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents
- C25B 1/04: by electrolysis of water
- C25B 3/07: Oxygen containing compounds
- C25B 3/26: of carbon dioxide
- C25B 15/08: Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes
- C25B 15/085: {Removing impurities}
- H01M 8/04007: related to heat exchange
- H01M 8/0662: Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
- H01M 8/0668: Removal of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide
- H01M 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes}
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02P 20/10: Process efficiency
- Y02P 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
- C25B: ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR (anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00; single-crystal growth C30B)
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

An energy management system is provided with a fuel synthesizing apparatus, a power generation apparatus, a CO2 recovering unit, a compressor, a CO2 storage unit, a CO2 pressure reducing unit and a heat recovery unit. The fuel synthesizing apparatus generates hydrocarbon from H2O and CO2 using externally supplied power. The power generation apparatus generates power using the hydrocarbon. The CO2 recovering unit recovers CO2 from an exhaust gas exhausted from the power generation apparatus during a power generation. The compressor compresses the recovered CO2. The CO2 storage unit stores the CO2 compressed by the compressor. The CO2 pressure reducing unit depressurizes the CO2 stored in the CO2 storage unit in order to supply the fuel synthesizing apparatus therewith. The heat recovery unit recovers heat from the CO2, the heat having been stored in the CO2 when compressed or depressurized.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An energy management system comprising:
a fuel synthesizing apparatus that generates hydrocarbon by electrolyzing H2O and CO2 using externally supplied power supplied by a power supply apparatus that generates power utilizing natural energy;
a power generation apparatus that generates power using the hydrocarbon;
a CO2 recovering unit that recovers CO2 from an exhaust gas exhausted from the power generation apparatus during power generation;
a compressor that compresses the CO2 recovered by the CO2 recovering unit;
a CO2 storage unit that stores the CO2 compressed by the compressor;
a CO2 pressure reducing unit that depressurizes the CO2 stored in the CO2 storage unit in order to supply the fuel synthesizing apparatus with the CO2 that has been depressurized; and
a heat recovery unit that recovers heat from the CO2, the heat being stored in the CO2 when compressed by the compressor or depressurized by the CO2 pressure reducing unit, the heat recovery unit including (1) a first heat exchanger located between the compressor and the CO2 storage unit and being configured to recover heat generated when compressing the CO2 by the compressor and (2) a second heat exchanger located downstream of the CO2 storage unit and the CO2 pressure reducing unit and being configured to recover cold heat generated when depressurizing CO2 by the CO2 pressure reducing unit, wherein
the fuel synthesizing apparatus and the power generation apparatus are configured of a single fuel-synthesizing generation apparatus capable of switching between (i) a synthesizing operation of the hydrocarbon using the externally supplied power supplied by the power supply apparatus and (ii) a power generation operation by the power generation apparatus using the hydrocarbon, and
the energy management system switches an operation mode between the synthesizing operation and the power generation operation, depending on: (a) a power generation capability of the power supply apparatus that supplies the power to the fuel-synthesizing generation apparatus and (b) a power consumption of a power-consuming apparatus to which the power generation apparatus outputs the power that is generated.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The energy management system according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the CO2 stored in the CO2 storage unit is in a liquid state.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The energy management system according to claim 1, wherein
the heat recovered by the first heat exchanger is utilized by a heat utilizing unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The energy management system according to claim 3, wherein
the heat utilizing unit is configured to heat air used for an indoor air-conditioning unit with the heat recovered by the first heat exchanger.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The energy management system according to claim 3, wherein
the heat utilizing unit is configured to heat water with the heat recovered by the first heat exchanger, thereby generating hot water.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The energy management system according to claim 3, wherein
the heat utilizing unit is configured to heat H2O to be supplied to the fuel synthesizing apparatus with the heat recovered by the first heat exchanger.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The energy management system according to claim 3, wherein
the heat utilizing unit is configured to heat the fuel synthesizing apparatus or the power generation apparatus with the heat recovered by the first heat exchanger.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The energy management system according to claim 1, wherein
the cold heat recovered by the second heat recovery unit exchanger is utilized by a cold utilizing unit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The energy management system according to claim 1, wherein
the fuel-synthesizing generation apparatus is provided with an electrolyte and a pair of electrodes provided at both sides of the electrolyte; and
the pair of electrodes are configured such that functions of the pair of electrodes are switched between an anode and a cathode depending on whether the fuel-synthesizing generation apparatus operates as the fuel synthesizing apparatus or as the power generation apparatus.