# US 2018/0023488 A1 · System and Method For Managing a Volatile Organic Compound Emission Stream > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0023488 A1 - Document ID: US20180023488A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/724,664 - Filed: 2017-10-04 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-01 - Assignees: Leidos, Inc. - Applicants: Leidos, Inc. - Inventors: William Ronald Steen; Scott Francis Coon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023488A1 ## CPC - F02D 19/029: {Determining density, viscosity, concentration or composition} - B01D 53/72: Organic compounds not provided for in groups B01D53/48 - B01D53/70, e.g. hydrocarbons - F02B 63/04: for electric generators - F02D 19/0642: {at least one fuel being gaseous, the other fuels being gaseous or liquid at standard conditions} - F02D 29/06: peculiar to engines driving electric generators - F02D 41/0025: {Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures} - F02D 41/0027: {the fuel being gaseous (non-electrical control F02D19/02)} - F02G 5/00: Profiting from waste heat of combustion engines, not otherwise provided for - F02M 25/00: Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture (adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00) - H02K 7/1807: {Rotary generators (H02K7/006 takes precedence)} - H02K 7/1815: {structurally associated with reciprocating piston engines (general aspects of generating sets, e.g. housing, F02B63/04)} - B01D 2257/708: Volatile organic compounds V.O.C.'s - F02D 19/0634: {Determining a density, viscosity, composition or concentration (F02D19/087 takes precedence)} - Y02E 20/14: Combined heat and power generation [CHP] - Y02E 20/16: Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT] - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - Y02T 10/30: Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - F02G: HOT GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINE PLANTS (steam engine plants, special vapour plants, plants operating on either hot gas or combustion-product gases together with other fluid F01K; gas-turbine plants F02C; jet-propulsion plants F02K); USE OF WASTE HEAT OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) mitigation system employs a combination of technologies coupling VOC laden exhaust with a reciprocating engine and generator system (Combined Heat & Power (CHP) System) with heat recovery to destroy the VOC emissions and generate electric power and useful thermal energy. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for mitigating volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions generated as a by-product of a production process while producing energy therefrom, the system comprising: an exhaust system for expelling an exhaust stream as part of a production process; a detector located in a path of the expelled exhaust stream for determining a concentration of VOC in the expelled exhaust stream and passing the expelled exhaust stream directly to a combustion engine when a determined concentration of VOC's therein is above a predetermined threshold level; and a combustion engine for receiving the expelled exhaust stream containing VOC's and reducing the expelled exhaust stream containing VOC's to usable mechanical energy and heat energy components. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one generator coupled to the combustion engine for receiving the useable mechanical energy components from the combustion engine and producing electric power therefrom. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a VOC concentrator, located in a path of the expelled exhaust stream after the detector and prior to the combustion engine, for producing a concentrated VOC expelled exhaust stream when the detector determines that the concentration of the VOC's therein is below a predetermined threshold level. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the VOC concentrator produces a VOC concentration signal which is passed, along with the expelled exhaust stream, to the VOC concentrator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the detector is selected from the group consisting of a Flame Ionization Detector (FID) and a Photo Ionization Detectors (PID). ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the system further comprises a controllable fuel source for providing fuel to the combustion engine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the controllable fuel source receives the VOC concentration signal and adjusts an amount of fuel provided to the combustion engine responsive to the VOC concentration signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the combustion engine provides useable heat energy components to one or more additional components of the system for use thereby. ### Claim 9 A combined heat and power (CHP) system for mitigating volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions generated as a by-product of a production process while producing useable energy therefrom, the system comprising: a first detector located in a path of an exhaust stream expelled during the production process for determining a first concentration of VOC in the expelled exhaust stream and generating a first VOC concentration signal indicative thereof; a VOC concentrator, located in a path of the expelled exhaust stream after the first detector; and a combustion engine for receiving the expelled exhaust stream from the VOC concentrator and reducing the expelled exhaust stream to usable mechanical energy and heat energy components; wherein the VOC concentrator is switchable between a pass-thru state and a concentration state responsive to a value of the received first VOC concentration signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9, further comprising at least one generator coupled to the combustion engine for receiving the useable mechanical energy components from the combustion engine and producing electric power therefrom. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the detector is selected from the group consisting of a Flame Ionization Detector (FID) and a Photo Ionization Detectors (PID). ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises a controllable fuel source for providing fuel to the combustion engine. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the controllable fuel source receives the first VOC concentration signal and adjusts an amount, type or flow rate of fuel provided to the combustion engine responsive to the first VOC concentration signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the combustion engine provides useable heat energy components to one or more additional components of the system for use thereby. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising: a second detector for receiving the expelled exhaust stream from the VOC concentrator for determining a second concentration of VOC in the expelled exhaust stream and generating a second VOC concentration signal indicative thereof; and a controllable fuel source for providing fuel to the combustion engine, wherein the controllable fuel source receives the first and second VOC concentration signals and adjusts an amount, type or flow rate of fuel provided to the combustion engine responsive thereto. ### Claim 16 A process for mitigating volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions generated as a by-product of a production process while producing energy therefrom, the process comprising: receiving an exhaust stream generated during the production process at a VOC concentration detector and generating a VOC concentration signal indicative of a concentration of VOCs detected therein; receiving the VOC concentration signal at a controllable fuel source; receiving at a combustion engine, the exhaust stream and fuel from the fuel source, wherein at least one of fuel amount, type and flow rate is adjusted by the controllable fuel source responsive to the VOC concentration signal prior to providing fuel to the combustion engine; and producing, by the combustion engine, mechanical energy and heat energy. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The process of claim 16, further comprising: receiving by at least one generator coupled to the combustion engine the mechanical energy therefrom and producing electric power; and receiving by a thermal load receiver coupled to the combustion engine the heat energy therefrom and utilizing as part of the production process. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The process according to claim 16, further comprising: receiving the exhaust stream and the VOC concentration signal at a VOC concentrator; switching the VOC concentrator between a first pass-thru state, whereby the exhaust stream is not subject to additional concentration before passing the exhaust stream to the combustion engine, and a second concentration state, whereby the exhaust stream is subject to additional concentration before passing the exhaust stream to the combustion engine, responsive to a value of the VOC concentration signal received thereby.