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US 12,716,363 B1Granted
Microturbine and method of operation
AssigneeEnerbine Corp
InventorOsvaldo Del Campo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of operating a microturbine, the method comprising steps of rotating an engine shaft assembly including, an engine shaft, thrust bearing, magnetic rotor, compressor, and turbine. Ambient air is drawn across an electric generator located within an air supply housing, compressed by a compressor and fed into the turbine by a series of scrolls. Air and fuel are combined and supplied to the turbine. The compressed air and fuel mixture are combusted within the turbine, driving rotation of the engine shaft, which rotates the magnetic rotor creating electric power by the generator.
Claims17
A method of producing electric power using a micro turbine assembly, the method comprising:
- rotating an engine shaft, the engine shaft comprising a thrust bearing, a magnetic rotor, a compressor, and a turbine;
- drawing ambient air through an airflow passageway formed in a thrust foil system holder which supports the thrust bearing and thereafter across a generator located within an air supply housing, the airflow being drawn by the compressor, the generator comprising a magnetic winding stator positioned in radial alignment with and circumscribing the magnetic rotor, the air supply housing being in fluid communication with an airflow inlet side of the compressor;
- passing the drawn ambient air through a number of heat sink body airflow passageways formed through a heat sink body, wherein the drawn ambient air is heated by heat generated by the magnetic winding stator and cools the magnetic winding stator;
- compressing the heated ambient air by the compressor;
- preheating the compressed air by passing the compressed air through a cold side of a heat exchanger;
- discharging the compressed air into a compressor exhaust scroll, the compressor exhaust scroll being in fluid communication with an airflow discharge side of the compressor;
- transferring the compressed air from the compressor exhaust scroll into a turbine air intake scroll, the compressor exhaust scroll being in fluid communication with the turbine air intake scroll;
- supplying fuel to a combustor chamber;
- supplying the compressed air to the combustor chamber;
- combining the compressed air and fuel within the combustor chamber;
- combusting the compressed air and fuel mixture within the combustor chamber, wherein the output of the combustor chamber drives the turbine, wherein the turbine drives rotation of the engine shaft, the rotation of the engine shaft rotates the magnetic rotor creating electric power by the generator;
- and
- passing heated air discharged from the turbine through a hot side of the heat exchanger,
- wherein the hot side of the heat exchanger and the cold side of the heat exchanger have separate flow conduits.
11 more elements
A method of producing electric power using a micro turbine assembly, the method comprising:
- rotating an engine shaft, the engine shaft comprising a thrust bearing, a magnetic rotor, a compressor, and a turbine;
- drawing ambient air through an airflow passageway formed in a thrust foil system holder which supports the thrust bearing and thereafter across an electric generator located within an air supply housing, the airflow being drawn by the compressor, the generator comprising a magnetic winding stator positioned in radial alignment with and circumscribing the magnetic rotor, the air supply housing being in fluid communication with an airflow inlet side of the compressor;
- passing the drawn ambient air through a number of heat sink body airflow passageways formed through a heat sink body, wherein the drawn ambient air is heated by heat generated by the magnetic winding stator and cools the magnetic winding stator;
- compressing the heated ambient air by the compressor;
- preheating the compressed air by passing the compressed air through a cold side of a heat exchanger;
- discharging the compressed air into a compressor exhaust scroll, the compressor exhaust scroll being in fluid communication with an airflow discharge side of the compressor;
- transferring the compressed air from the compressor exhaust scroll into a turbine air intake scroll, the compressor exhaust scroll being in fluid communication with the turbine air intake scroll;
- supplying fuel into a combustor chamber;
- supplying the compressed air to the combustor chamber;
- combining fuel and the compressed air, creating a compressed air and fuel mixture within the combustor chamber;
- combusting the compressed air and fuel mixture within the combustor chamber, using an igniter to combust the compressed air and fuel mixture, wherein the output of the combustor chamber drives the turbine, wherein the turbine drives rotation of the engine shaft, the rotation of the engine shaft rotates the magnetic rotor creating electric power by the generator, and wherein a combination of the rotation of the engine shaft and input air drives the compressor;
- and
- passing heated air discharged from the turbine through a hot side of the heat exchanger,
- wherein the hot side of the heat exchanger and the cold side of the heat exchanger have separate flow conduits.
11 more elements
A method of producing electric power using a micro turbine assembly, the method comprising:
- rotating an engine shaft assembly, the engine shaft assembly comprising an engine shaft supporting each of a thrust bearing, a magnetic rotor, a compressor, and a turbine, wherein a gap is provided along the engine shaft between the compressor and the turbine;
- drawing ambient air through an airflow passageway formed in a thrust foil system holder which supports the thrust bearing and thereafter across an electric generator located within an air supply housing, the airflow being drawn by the compressor, the generator comprising a magnetic winding stator positioned in radial alignment with and circumscribing the magnetic rotor, the air supply housing being in fluid communication with an airflow inlet side of the compressor;
- passing the drawn ambient air through a number of heat sink body airflow passageways formed through a heat sink body, wherein the drawn ambient air is heated by heat generated by the magnetic winding stator and cools the magnetic winding stator;
- compressing the heated ambient air by the compressor;
- preheating the compressed air by passing the compressed air through a cold side of a heat exchanger;
- discharging the compressed air into a compressor exhaust scroll, the compressor exhaust scroll being in fluid communication with an airflow discharge side of the compressor;
- transferring the compressed air from the compressor exhaust scroll into a turbine air intake scroll, the compressor exhaust scroll being in fluid communication with the turbine air intake scroll;
- introducing fuel and the compressed air into a combustor chamber, creating a compressed air and fuel mixture therein;
- supplying the compressed air and fuel mixture to the combustor chamber;
- combusting the compressed air and fuel mixture within the combustor chamber, wherein the combusted compressed air and fuel mixture drives rotation of the turbine, wherein the turbine drives rotation of the engine shaft, the rotation of the engine shaft rotates the magnetic rotor creating electric power by the generator, and
- passing heated air discharged from the turbine through a hot side of the heat exchanger,
- wherein axial motion of the engine shaft is at least partially supported by a turbine spacer located about the engine shaft in the gap between the compressor and the turbine,
- wherein the hot side of the heat exchanger and the cold side of the heat exchanger have separate flow conduits.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.