Processor-based organic rankine cycle system for predictively-modeled recovery and conversion of thermal energy

A system for collection and conversion of thermal energy to mechanical energy, the system comprising:

• a natural gas compressor operable to compress natural gas within natural gas conduits and to provide a first source of thermal energy, said gas compressor being configured to receive power from a reciprocating engine operable to provide primary power, wherein at least one of the natural gas compressor and reciprocating engine are configured to provide a second source of thermal energy;
• an engine cooling system for circulating engine jacket fluid for cooling the reciprocating engine;
• a compressed gas cooling system for circulating auxiliary cooling system fluid in the aerial cooler;
• an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) comprising a propellant heat exchanger, an expander and a condenser, wherein the ORC is configured to transfer thermal energy from the jacket fluid to a liquid organic propellant in the propellant heat exchanger to drive the expander in generating secondary power, and wherein the condenser is configured to condense spent propellant from the expander into liquid form for recirculation to the heat exchanger;

A system for collection and conversion of thermal energy to mechanical energy, the system comprising:

• a thermo-electric generator (TEG) and a reciprocating engine, configured to provide a source of thermal energy, and to provide primary power;
• an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) comprising a propellant heat exchanger, an expander and a condenser, wherein the ORC is configured to use at least a portion of the first source of thermal energy to cause evaporation of a liquid organic propellant in the propellant heat exchanger to drive the expander in generating secondary power, and wherein the condenser is configured to condense spent propellant from the expander into liquid form for recirculation to the heat exchanger;
• a radiator, configured to circulate cooling fluid through a supplementary heat exchanger to provide supplementary propellant cooling capacity;
• sensors, operatively coupled to at least one of the TEG, reciprocating engine, ORC and/or cooler, and operable to produce system sensor data;
• and
• a control module comprising an ORC predictive module, operatively coupled to the sensors, the control module operable to calculate a predicted operation of the system based on the system sensor data and control at least one operating characteristic of the reciprocating engine, ORC and/or cooler in order to adjust operation of the system to be within predetermined system performance parameters.