Gas turbine energy storage and conversion system
AssigneeIcr Turbine Engine Corporation
InventorsDavid William Dewis, James Kesseli, Frank Wegner Donnelly, Thomas Wolf, John D. Watson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention combines the principles of a gas turbine engine with an electric transmission system. A method and apparatus are disclosed for utilizing metallic and ceramic elements to store heat energy derived from a regenerative braking system. The subject invention uses this regenerated electrical energy to provide additional energy storage over conventional electrical storage methods suitable for a gas turbine engine. The subject invention provides engine braking for a gas turbine engine as well as reducing fuel consumption.
Claims15
A turbine power plant, comprising:
- a source of compressed fluid;
- a turbine;
- a mechanical linkage for extracting power from an output shaft of the turbine;
- and
- at least one of a sensible thermal storage and a thermal transfer medium contained within a pressure boundary of the turbine power plant, wherein the at least one of a sensible thermal storage and a thermal transfer medium transfers, by convection, thermal energy to the compressed fluid.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a turbine power plant;
- a mechanical-to-electrical conversion device in mechanical communication with the turbine power plant to generate electrical energy from braking of the vehicle;
- a direct current (“DC”) bus in electrical communication with the mechanical-to-electrical conversion device to receive the electrical energy;
- and
- at least one of a sensible thermal storage and a thermal transfer medium contained within a pressure boundary of the turbine power plant to receive at least one of electrical energy and thermal energy generated from the electrical energy.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a mechanical-to-electrical conversion device in mechanical communication with an output shaft plant to generate electrical energy from braking of the vehicle;
- a thermal energy storage medium to convert at least a portion of the electrical energy into thermal energy and store the thermal energy for use by a vehicle operation;
- an electrical energy storage system for storing at least a portion of the electrical energy;
- and
- a controller to regulate, based on at least one of a state-of-charge of the electrical energy storage system and a temperature of the thermal energy storage and transfer medium, an amount of electrical energy sent to each of the thermal energy storage and transfer medium and electrical energy storage medium.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a conduit for transporting a gas-fuel mixture;
- at least one of a combustor and re-heater for receiving and combusting the gas-fuel mixture to form a heated gas;
- a turbine to receive the heated gas from the at least one of a combustor and re-heater;
- an electrical energy storage system to store electrical energy;
- at least one of a sensible thermal storage and a thermal transfer medium contained within a pressure boundary of the turbine power plant to receive the electrical energy from the electrical energy storage system to heat at least one of the gas and gas-fuel mixture;
- and
- a controller operable to direct transfer of electrical energy from the electrical energy storage system to the at least one of a sensible thermal storage and a thermal transfer medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.