# US 2014/0190165 A1 · Power plant > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190165 A1 - Document ID: US20140190165A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/237,393 - Filed: 2012-08-16 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-19 - Assignees: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ichiro Myogan; Hiroaki Shibata; Yoshitaka Kawahara; Isamu Osawa; Kokan Kubota - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190165A1 ## CPC - F01K 25/08: using special vapours - F01K 9/00: Plants characterised by condensers arranged or modified to co-operate with the engines (by condensers structurally combined with engines F01K11/00; steam condensers per se F28B)(F01K23/04 takes precedence) - F01K 9/023: {Control thereof} - F01K 19/00: Regenerating or otherwise treating steam exhausted from steam engine plant ({F01K3/006 takes precedence} plants characterised by use of means for storing steam in an alkali to increase steam pressure F01K5/00; returning condensate to boiler F22D) - 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) ## Abstract A binary power generation device is equipped with the flow path of a medium circulating through a heat exchanger, a turbine, a condenser, and a pump. A method for removing air that has intruded into the flow path of the medium includes: an air intrusion detection step of calculating, based on the pressure and temperature of a gas retaining portion communicatively connected to the flow path of the medium, a pressure threshold value obtained by adding the saturated vapor pressure of the medium and a margin value and of detecting, by comparing the pressure of a gas phase portion with the pressure threshold value, that air has intruded into the medium; a medium liquefaction step of producing a gas by pressurizing a mixed gas of the medium and air to reduce the amount of the medium in the mixed gas; and an exhaust step of exhausting the gas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power plant comprising: a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between a medium having a lower boiling point than water and a heat source to generate a medium gas; a turbine configured to receive a pressure of the medium gas supplied from the heat exchanger to rotate; an electric generator configured to be connected to the turbine; a condenser configured to cool the medium gas discharged from the turbine; a circulation pump configured to supply the medium discharged from the condenser to the heat exchanger; a medium flow path configured to pass through the heat exchanger, the turbine, the condenser, and the circulation pump; and an air removing device configured to remove an air intruding into the medium, the air removing device comprising: a gas retaining portion provided on an outlet side of the condenser and configured to retain a gas in the medium; a pressure gauge configured to measure a pressure in the gas retaining portion; a thermometer configured to measure a temperature in the gas retaining portion; a controller configured to calculate a pressure threshold value based on a saturated vapor pressure value of the medium calculated using the temperature of the thermometer, and compare a pressure value of the pressure gauge and the pressure threshold value to determine whether or not the air has intruded into the medium; and a release means configured to release the gas in the gas retaining portion in a case where it is determined that the air has intruded. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A power plant according to claim 1, wherein the release means includes a first chamber to which the gas retained in the gas retaining portion is transferred in a case where the controller determines that the air has intruded, and a medium supply means configured to supply a liquid medium to the first chamber to compress the gas, and the gas remaining in the first chamber is released after the medium is supplied. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A power plant according to claim 2, wherein the medium supply means includes a liquid medium tank configured to store the liquid medium and a liquid medium feed pump configured to supply the liquid medium from the liquid medium tank to an inside of the first chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A power plant according to claim 3, wherein the release means includes a first valve provided in a pipe connecting the gas retaining portion and a lower portion of the first chamber, a second valve provided in a pipe connecting the liquid medium feed pump and the first chamber, a third valve provided in a pipe connecting an upper portion of the first chamber to a second chamber, a fourth valve configured to release the gas from the second chamber, and a fifth valve provided in a pipe connecting the gas retaining portion to the upper portion of the first chamber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A power plant according to claim 4, wherein, when determining that the air has intruded, the controller controls the second valve and the third valve to be closed and the first valve and the fifth valve to be opened so that the gas in the gas retaining portion is transferred to the first chamber, and then controls the first valve and the fifth valve to be closed, the second valve to be opened, and the liquid medium feed pump to supply the liquid medium to the first chamber so that the gas is compressed, and subsequently the controller controls the third valve to be opened while the fourth valve is closed so that the gas in the first chamber is transferred to the second chamber, and then controls the third valve to be closed and the fourth valve to be opened so that the gas in the second chamber is released to an outside of the second chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) A power plant according to claim 4, comprising: a combustor configured to burn the medium remaining in the gas released from the second chamber; and an air supply portion configured to supply an air to the combustor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A power plant according to claim 6, comprising a sixth valve provided in a pipe connecting to the combustor to the air supply portion, wherein the controller controls opening degrees of the fourth valve and the sixth valve to adjust a flow rate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A power plant according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines that the air has intruded when the pressure value of the pressure gauge is larger than the pressure threshold value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A power plant according to claim 1, wherein the pressure threshold value is calculated by adding a margin value to the saturated vapor pressure value and the margin value is a preset fixed value or a proportional value obtained by multiplying the saturated vapor pressure value by a coefficient. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) A power plant according to claim 2, comprising a spray nozzle configured to spray the liquid medium into the first chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) A power plant according to claim 2, wherein the medium supply means includes a valve provided in the medium flow path on an outlet side of the circulation pump, a branching pipe configured to branch from a pipe between the circulation pump and the valve and connect to the first chamber, and another valve provided in the branching pipe, and when detecting intrusion of the air, the controller controls the valve provided in the medium flow path on the outlet side of the circulation pump to be closed and the other valve provided in the branching pipe to be opened. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) A power plant according to claim 5, comprising: a combustor configured to burn the medium remaining in the gas released from the second chamber; and an air supply portion configured to supply an air to the combustor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) A power plant according to claim 2, wherein the controller determines that the air has intruded when the pressure value of the pressure gauge is larger than the pressure threshold value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) A power plant according to claim 3, wherein the controller determines that the air has intruded when the pressure value of the pressure gauge is larger than the pressure threshold value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) A power plant according to claim 4, wherein the controller determines that the air has intruded when the pressure value of the pressure gauge is larger than the pressure threshold value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5) A power plant according to claim 5, wherein the controller determines that the air has intruded when the pressure value of the pressure gauge is larger than the pressure threshold value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 6) A power plant according to claim 6, wherein the controller determines that the air has intruded when the pressure value of the pressure gauge is larger than the pressure threshold value. ### Claim 18 (depends on 7) A power plant according to claim 7, wherein the controller determines that the air has intruded when the pressure value of the pressure gauge is larger than the pressure threshold value. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) A power plant according to claim 2, wherein the pressure threshold value is calculated by adding a margin value to the saturated vapor pressure value and the margin value is a preset fixed value or a proportional value obtained by multiplying the saturated vapor pressure value by a coefficient. ### Claim 20 (depends on 3) A power plant according to claim 3, wherein the pressure threshold value is calculated by adding a margin value to the saturated vapor pressure value and the margin value is a preset fixed value or a proportional value obtained by multiplying the saturated vapor pressure value by a coefficient.