Small heat and electricity generating plant

A cogeneration system comprising:

• a container,
• combustion means within said container for generating combustion products,
• means for withdrawing air from said container for supplying said combustion means,
• an air flow path including flow restricting means extending from outside said container to inside said container for replenishing air withdrawn from said container,
• said flow restricting means causing said container to be evacuated by withdrawing of air to a pressure differentially below the pressure of the air surrounding the container,
• and means for monitoring said pressure differential for normal operation of said cogeneration system.

A cogeneration system comprising:

• a turbine having a turbine inlet and a turbine outlet,
• an electric generator coupled with said turbine for driving thereby,
• a positive displacement compressor having an air inlet and an air outlet for producing pressurized air,
• means for driving said positive displacement compressor,
• combustion means for combining fuel and said pressurized air from said air outlet and burning the combination thereof for generating pressurized combustion products,
• means for admitting said pressurized combustion products to said turbine inlet,
• said turbine converting energy contained in said pressurized combustion products to mechanical energy for driving said generator and discharging reduced energy combustion products at said turbine outlet,
• a heat exchanger including a conduit having a heat exchanger inlet coupled with said turbine outlet,
• said heat exchanger exchanging a quantity of heat appropriate for heating a single family residence, and
• wherein said positive displacement compressor comprises a piston sealingly movable in a cylinder, said piston having an intake stroke for drawing air into said cylinder through said air inlet and a compression stroke for driving said air from said cylinder through said air outlet.

In combination,

• a building of approximately the size of a single family residence,
• a cogeneration system in said small building, said cogeneration system comprising:
• a turbine having a turbine inlet and a turbine outlet,
• an electric generator coupled with said turbine for driving thereby,
• a positive displacement compressor having an air inlet and an air outlet for producing pressurized air,
• means for driving said positive displacement compressor,
• combustion means for combining fuel and said pressurized air from said air outlet and burning the combination thereof for generating pressurized combustion products,
• means for admitting said pressurized combustion products to said turbine inlet
• said turbine converting energy contained in said pressurized combustion products to mechanical energy for driving said generator and discharging reduced energy combustion products containing sufficient heat for heating said building at said turbine outlet, and
• a heat exchanger including a conduit having a heat exchanger inlet coupled with said turbine outlet.

A cogeneration system for heating a small building such as a single family residence comprising:

• a turbine of small size having a turbine inlet and a turbine outlet,
• an electric generator coupled with said turbine for driving thereby,
• a positive displacement compressor for pressurizing air and having an air inlet for admitting air for pressurization and an air outlet for issuing pressurized air,
• means for driving said positive displacement compressor,
• combustion means for burning fuel and said pressurized air for generating pressurized combustion products,
• said turbine inlet being coupled with said combustion means for receiving said pressurized combustion products whereby said turbine converts energy contained in said pressurized combustion products to mechanical energy for driving said generator and discharges deenergized combustion products at said turbine outlet,
• a heat exchanger coupled with said turbine outlet for receiving said deenergized combustion products and exchanging heat contained therein,
• said turbine and said heat exchanger being of such size that the amount of heat contained in said deenergized combustion products is approximately that required for heating a single family residence,
• said heat exchanger comprising a conduit having one end coupled with said turbine outlet for receiving combustion products and another end communicating with the atmosphere for discharging combustion products into the atmosphere,
• said conduit of said heat exchanger providing a heat transfer flow path for the combustion products received from said turbine outlet, said flow path being long enough to produce a pressure drop in said conduit greater than one pound per square inch.

A cogeneration system for use in a small building such as a single family residence comprising:

• a turbine of small size having a turbine inlet and a turbine outlet,
• an electric generator coupled with said turbine for driving thereby,
• a positive displacement compressor having an air inlet and an air outlet for producing pressurized air,
• means for driving said positive displacement compressor,
• combustion means for combining fuel and said pressurized air from said air outlet and burning the combination thereof for generating pressurized combustion products, and
• means for admission of said pressurized combustion products to said turbine inlet for converting energy contained in said pressurized combustion products to mechanical energy for driving said generator and for exhausting combustion products at said turbine outlet,
• a second positive displacement compressor wherein said fuel is a gaseous fuel and is pressurized by said second positive displacement compressor prior to said combining.

A cogeneration system for use in a small building such as a single family residence comprising:

• a turbine of small size having a turbine inlet and a turbine outlet,
• an electric generator coupled with said turbine for driving thereby,
• a positive displacement compressor having an air inlet and an air outlet for producing pressurized air,
• means for driving said positive displacement compressor,
• combustion means for combining fuel and said pressurized air from said air outlet and burning the combination thereof for generating pressurized combustion products, and
• means for admission of said pressurized combustion products to said turbine inlet for converting energy contained in said pressurized combustion products to mechanical energy for driving said generator and for exhausting combustion products at said turbine outlet,
• wherein said compressor is a three piston positive displacement air compressor.