# US 2021/0340906 A1 · Gaseous fluid compression with alternating refrigeration and mechanical compression > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0340906 A1 - Document ID: US20210340906A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/229,477 - Filed: 2021-04-13 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-01-18 - Inventors: Mark J. Maynard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210340906A1 ## CPC - F04D 17/12: Multi-stage pumps - F04B 25/00: Multi-stage pumps - F04B 39/16: Filtration; Moisture separation - F04B 41/06: Combinations of two or more pumps - F04D 25/16: Combinations of two or more pumps {; Producing two or more separate gas flows} - F04D 29/002: {especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps} - F04D 29/5833: {flow schemes and regulation thereto} - F04D 29/5866: {Cooling at last part of the working fluid in a heat exchanger} - F25B 30/06: characterised by the source of low potential heat - F02C 1/00: Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of hot gases or unheated pressurised gases, as the working fluid (by the use of combustion products F02C3/00, F02C5/00) - F04D 13/12: Combinations of two or more pumps (combinations with priming pumps or booster pumps to counteract vapour-lock F04D9/04) - F04D 29/5826: {Cooling at least part of the working fluid in a heat exchanger} - F25B 1/00: Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle (F25B3/00, F25B5/00, F25B6/00, F25B7/00, F25B9/00 take precedence) - F25B 2400/061: the capacity of the first system being different from the second - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) ## Abstract A gaseous compression system for compressing a gas from an initial pressure to an exit pressure with a first, blower compression bank and a second, mechanical compression bank. Each compression bank has plural stages of gaseous compression with a gaseous fluid compressor and a heat pump intercooler. The heat pump intercooler comprises a cascading heat pump intercooler with a high temperature section, a medium temperature section, and a low temperature section, each temperature section with an intercooler core. Each stage of the blower compression bank has a high-pressure blower, and each stage of the mechanical compressor bank has a mechanical compressor. A final stage of gaseous compression is without a heat pump intercooler. Gas compressed by the gaseous fluid compression system can be injected into a gas-driven generator to generate electric power from movement of a working fluid induced by injection of the compressed gas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gaseous compression system for compressing a gas from an initial pressure to an exit pressure, the gaseous compression system comprising: a first compression bank wherein the first compression bank comprises a stage of gaseous compression with a gaseous fluid compressor and a heat pump intercooler fluidically coupled to the gaseous fluid compressor wherein the first compression bank is operative to bring the gas from an intake pressure to a first elevated gauge pressure; and a second compression bank fluidically coupled to receive the gas from the first compression bank wherein the second compression bank comprises a stage of gaseous compression with a gaseous fluid compressor and a heat pump intercooler fluidically coupled to the gaseous fluid compressor wherein the second compression bank is operative to bring the gas to the exit pressure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gaseous compression system of claim 1, wherein the exit pressure is greater than the first elevated gauge pressure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gaseous compression system of claim 1, wherein the heat pump intercooler comprises a cascading heat pump intercooler with plural intercooler sections. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The gaseous compression system of claim 3, wherein the cascading heat pump intercooler has a high temperature section and a low temperature section wherein each of the high temperature section and the low temperature section has an intercooler core. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The gaseous compression system of claim 4, wherein the cascading heat pump intercooler further comprises a medium temperature section fluidically interposed between the high temperature section and the low temperature section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The gaseous compression system of claim 1, wherein the first compression bank comprises a blower compression bank wherein the gaseous fluid compressor of the stage of gaseous compression of the first compression bank comprises a high-pressure blower and wherein the second compression bank comprises a mechanical compression bank wherein the gaseous fluid compressor of the stage of gaseous compression of the mechanical compression bank comprises a mechanical compressor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The gaseous compression system of claim 6, wherein the gaseous fluid compressor of the stage of gaseous compression of the mechanical compression bank comprises a mechanical compressor comprising a rotary compressor or a reciprocating compressor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The gaseous compression system of claim 7, wherein the gaseous fluid compressor of the stage of gaseous compression of the mechanical compression bank comprises a reciprocating compressor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The gaseous compression system of claim 6, wherein the blower compression bank comprises plural stages of gaseous compression wherein each stage has a high-pressure blower gaseous fluid compressor and a heat pump intercooler fluidically coupled to the high-pressure blower gaseous fluid compressor and wherein the mechanical compression bank comprises plural stages of gaseous compression wherein each of the plural stages has a mechanical gaseous fluid compressor and a heat pump intercooler fluidically coupled to the mechanical gaseous fluid compressor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The gaseous compression system of claim 9, wherein the blower compression bank comprises at least four stages of gaseous compression, each stage with a high-pressure blower gaseous fluid compressor and a heat pump intercooler fluidically coupled to the high-pressure blower gaseous fluid compressor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The gaseous compression system of claim 10, wherein the mechanical compression bank comprises at least three stages of gaseous compression, each stage with a mechanical gaseous fluid compressor and a heat pump intercooler fluidically coupled to the mechanical gaseous fluid compressor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The gaseous compression system of claim 9, wherein the heat pump intercooler of each stage of gaseous compression comprises a cascading heat pump intercooler with plural intercooler sections. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The gaseous compression system of claim 12, wherein the cascading heat pump intercooler has a high temperature section and a low temperature section wherein each of the high temperature section and the low temperature section has an intercooler core. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The gaseous compression system of claim 13, wherein the cascading heat pump intercooler further comprises a medium temperature section fluidically interposed between the high temperature section and the low temperature section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The gaseous compression system of claim 9, further comprising an outlet of the gaseous compression system and wherein the mechanical compression bank further comprises a final stage of gaseous compression wherein the final stage has a mechanical gaseous fluid compressor without a heat pump intercooler fluidically interposed between the mechanical gaseous fluid compressor and the outlet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The gaseous compression system of claim 1, further comprising an outlet of the gaseous compression system and further comprising a gas-driven generator for generating electric power from movement of a working fluid wherein the gas-driven generator is fluidically coupled to the outlet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The gaseous compression system of claim 16, wherein the gas-driven generator has one or more elongate gravitational distribution conduits, each gravitational distribution conduit with an upper end and a lower end; and one or more elongate buoyancy conduits, each buoyancy conduit with an upper end and a lower end; wherein the upper end or ends of the buoyancy conduits are in fluidic communication with the upper end or ends of the gravitational distribution conduits and wherein the lower end or ends of the gravitational distribution conduits are in fluidic communication with the lower end or ends of the buoyancy conduits whereby a closed fluid loop is formed between the buoyancy conduits and the gravitational distribution conduit with working fluid flowing from the upper ends of the buoyancy conduits fed into the upper end of the gravitational distribution conduit and working fluid flowing downwardly through the gravitational distribution conduit being fed from the lower end of the distributor conduit into the lower ends of the plural buoyancy conduits; a fluid turbine system fluidically interposed between the lower end or ends of the gravitational distribution conduit or conduits and the lower end or ends of the buoyancy conduits; and wherein an air injection system is operative to inject air from the outlet and into each of the buoyancy conduits. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The gaseous compression system of claim 9, further comprising a water trap fluidically coupled to each heat pump intercooler, the water trap operative to remove condensed water. ### Claim 19 A gaseous compression system for compressing a gas from an initial pressure to an exit pressure, the gaseous compression system comprising: a first compression bank with plural stages of gaseous compression wherein each stage has a gaseous fluid compressor and a heat pump intercooler fluidically coupled to the gaseous fluid compressor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The gaseous compression system of claim 19, further comprising a second compression bank fluidically coupled to receive the gas from the first compression bank wherein the second compression bank comprises plural stages of gaseous compression with a gaseous fluid compressor and a heat pump intercooler fluidically coupled to the gaseous fluid compressor wherein the second compression bank is operative to bring the gas to the exit pressure. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The gaseous compression system of claim 19, wherein the heat pump intercooler of at least one of the stages comprises a cascading heat pump intercooler with plural intercooler sections. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The gaseous compression system of claim 21, wherein the heat pump intercooler of each of the stages comprises a cascading heat pump intercooler with plural intercooler sections. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The gaseous compression system of claim 22, wherein the cascading heat pump intercooler has a high temperature section and a low temperature section wherein each of the high temperature section and the low temperature section has an intercooler core. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The gaseous compression system of claim 23, wherein the cascading heat pump intercooler further comprises a medium temperature section fluidically interposed between the high temperature section and the low temperature section. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The gaseous compression system of claim 20, wherein the first compression bank comprises a blower compression bank wherein the gaseous fluid compressor of each stage of gaseous compression of the first compression bank comprises a high-pressure blower and wherein the second compression bank comprises a mechanical compression bank wherein the gaseous fluid compressor of each stage of gaseous compression of the mechanical compression bank comprises a mechanical compressor. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The gaseous compression system of claim 25, wherein the mechanical compressor comprises a rotary compressor or a reciprocating compressor. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The gaseous compression system of claim 26, wherein the gaseous fluid compressor comprises a reciprocating compressor. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The gaseous compression system of claim 25, wherein the blower compression bank comprises at least four stages of gaseous compression, each stage with a high-pressure blower gaseous fluid compressor and a heat pump intercooler fluidically coupled to the high-pressure blower gaseous fluid compressor. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The gaseous compression system of claim 28, wherein the mechanical compression bank comprises at least three stages of gaseous compression, each stage with a mechanical gaseous fluid compressor and a heat pump intercooler fluidically coupled to the mechanical gaseous fluid compressor. ### Claim 30 (depends on 19) The gaseous compression system of claim 19, further comprising an outlet of the gaseous compression system and further comprising a final stage of gaseous compression wherein the final stage has a mechanical gaseous fluid compressor without a heat pump intercooler fluidically interposed between the mechanical gaseous fluid compressor and the outlet. ### Claim 31 (depends on 19) The gaseous compression system of claim 19, further comprising an outlet of the gaseous compression system and further comprising a gas-driven generator for generating electric power from movement of a working fluid wherein the gas-driven generator is fluidically coupled to the outlet. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The gaseous compression system of claim 31, wherein the gas-driven generator has one or more elongate gravitational distribution conduits, each gravitational distribution conduit with an upper end and a lower end; and one or more elongate buoyancy conduits, each buoyancy conduit with an upper end and a lower end; wherein the upper end or ends of the buoyancy conduits are in fluidic communication with the upper end or ends of the gravitational distribution conduits and wherein the lower end or ends of the gravitational distribution conduits are in fluidic communication with the lower end or ends of the buoyancy conduits whereby a closed fluid loop is formed between the buoyancy conduits and the gravitational distribution conduit with working fluid flowing from the upper ends of the buoyancy conduits fed into the upper end of the gravitational distribution conduit and working fluid flowing downwardly through the gravitational distribution conduit being fed from the lower end of the distributor conduit into the lower ends of the plural buoyancy conduits; a fluid turbine system fluidically interposed between the lower end or ends of the gravitational distribution conduit or conduits and the lower end or ends of the buoyancy conduits; and wherein an air injection system is operative to inject air from the outlet and into each of the buoyancy conduits.