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US 2014/0208750 A1Published application
Methods for reducing wear on components of a heat engine system at startup
AssigneeEchogen Power Systems, LLC
InventorsMichael Louis Vermeersch, Brett A. Bowan, Swapnil Khairnar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided herein are heat engine systems and methods for starting such systems and generating electricity while avoiding damage to one or more system components. A provided heat engine system maintains a working fluid (e.g., sc-CO2) within the low pressure side of a working fluid circuit in a liquid-type state, such as a supercritical state, during a startup procedure. Additionally, a bypass system is provided for routing the working fluid around one or more heat exchangers during startup to avoid overheating of system components.
Claims22
A method for starting with a heat engine, comprising:
- circulating a working fluid within a working fluid circuit by a pump system, wherein the working fluid circuit has a high pressure side containing the working fluid in a supercritical state and a low pressure side containing the working fluid in a subcritical state or a supercritical state;
- transferring thermal energy from a heat source stream to the working fluid by at least a primary heat exchanger fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit;
- flowing the working fluid through a power turbine or through a power turbine bypass line circumventing the power turbine, wherein the power turbine is configured to convert the thermal energy from the working fluid to mechanical energy of the power turbine and the power turbine is coupled to a power generator configured to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy;
- and
- monitoring and maintaining a pressure of the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit via a process control system operatively connected to the working fluid circuit, wherein the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit contains the working fluid in the supercritical state during a startup procedure.
2 more elements
A method for starting with a heat engine, comprising:
- circulating a working fluid within a working fluid circuit by a pump system, wherein the working fluid circuit has a high pressure side containing the working fluid in a supercritical state and a low pressure side containing the working fluid in a subcritical state or a supercritical state;
- transferring thermal energy from a heat source stream to the working fluid by at least a primary heat exchanger fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit;
- flowing the working fluid through a power turbine or through a power turbine bypass line circumventing the power turbine, wherein the power turbine is configured to convert the thermal energy from the working fluid to mechanical energy of the power turbine and the power turbine is coupled to a power generator configured to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy;
- and
- monitoring the pressure of the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit via a process control system operatively connected to the working fluid circuit, wherein the working fluid is maintained at or greater than a critical pressure value of the pressure during a startup procedure.
2 more elements
A method for starting with a heat engine, comprising:
- circulating a working fluid within a working fluid circuit by a pump system, wherein the working fluid circuit has a high pressure side containing the working fluid in a supercritical state and a low pressure side containing the working fluid in a subcritical state or a supercritical state;
- transferring thermal energy from a heat source stream to the working fluid by at least a primary heat exchanger fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit;
- flowing the working fluid through a power turbine or through a power turbine bypass line circumventing the power turbine, wherein the power turbine is configured to convert the thermal energy from the working fluid to mechanical energy of the power turbine and the power turbine is coupled to a power generator configured to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy;
- and
- monitoring and maintaining a pressure of the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit via a process control system operatively connected to the working fluid circuit, wherein a critical pressure value of the pressure is about 5 MPa or greater during a startup procedure.
2 more elements
A method for starting with a heat engine, comprising:
- circulating a working fluid within a working fluid circuit by a pump system, wherein the working fluid circuit has a high pressure side containing the working fluid in a supercritical state, a low pressure side containing the working fluid in a subcritical state or a supercritical state, and the pump system contains at least a turbopump;
- transferring thermal energy from a heat source stream to the working fluid by at least a primary heat exchanger fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit;
- flowing the working fluid through a power turbine or through a power turbine bypass line circumventing the power turbine, wherein the power turbine is configured to convert the thermal energy from the working fluid to mechanical energy of the power turbine and the power turbine is coupled to a power generator configured to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy;
- and
- monitoring and maintaining a pressure of the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit upstream to an inlet on a pump portion of the turbopump via a process control system operatively connected to the working fluid circuit, wherein the inlet on the pump portion of the turbopump and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit contain the working fluid in the supercritical state during a startup procedure.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.