Dynamically Responsive High Efficiency CCHP System
AssigneeCombined Energies LLC
InventorsRhonda Lee Staudt, Donald Frank Rohr, John Anthony Vogel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A highly efficient combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system is capable of providing 100% utilization of an energy generator used by the system by distributing thermal and electrical outputs of the energy generator to loads and/or other storage apparatuses. The CCHP system includes an energy generator, which can be a fuel cell and a waste heat recovery unit that assists in recovering thermal energy from the energy generator and returning it to the energy generator, and/or providing it to a thermal load, or a storage as needed or desired.
Claims21
A combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system comprising:
- an energy generator that simultaneously produces electrical and thermal energy for a plurality of loads including at least a structure;
- a waste heat recovery system thermally coupled to said energy generator and including:
- a distribution system for delivering thermal energy to the structure;
- and
- a cooling system for providing conditioned air to the structure;
- wherein said waste heat recovery system is configured to recover thermal energy from said energy generator and to return a first portion of the recovered thermal energy to said energy generator and a second portion of the recovered energy to said distribution system or said cooling system depending on the present or future needs of the structure.
A combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system for use in a residential or light commercial structure having electric and thermal loads, the CCHP system comprising:
- a fuel cell system having thermal and electrical outputs;
- a waste heat recovery system including:
- a thermal management module;
- a storage system;
- a distribution system;
- and
- a cooling system;
- and
- a control system in communication with said fuel system and said waste heat recovery system, said control system configured to:
- receive a signal representative of a required electrical or thermal load;
- determine whether any additional loads are required by the structure after receiving said signal;
- and
- communicate with said fuel cell system and said waste heat recovery system so as maximize the utilization of the electrical and thermal outputs of said fuel cell system.
A method of efficiently using an energy generator capable of simultaneously producing electrical and thermal energy outputs, the method comprising:
- determining an electrical or thermal load need;
- determining which output of the energy generator satisfies the electrical or thermal load need;
- producing one of the simultaneously produced energy outputs to meet at least a portion of the electrical or thermal load need;
- directing the other of the simultaneously produced energy outputs to another load or to an energy storage system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.