US 9,309,785 B2Granted

Air start steam engine

AssigneeAverill Partners, LLC

InventorsMichael Jeffrey Brookman, Michael Anthony Cocuzza

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method and system using at least two different working fluids to be supplied to an expander to cause it to do mechanical work. The expander is started by providing a compressed gaseous working fluid at a sufficient pressure to the expander. At the same time the compressed gaseous working fluid is provided to the expander, a second working fluid that is liquid at ambient temperatures is provided to a heater to be heated. The second working fluid is heated to its boiling point and converted to pressurized gas Once the pressure is increased to a sufficient level, the second working fluid is injected into the expander to generate power, and the supply of the first working fluid may be stopped. After expansion in the expander, the working fluids are is exhausted from the expander, and the second working fluid may be condensed for separation from the first working fluid. Control circuitry controls the admission of the first and second working fluids responsive to monitoring the load on the expander.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A power generation unit comprising:

a first vessel holding a quantity of a first pressurized gaseous working fluid that is gaseous at ambient temperature, being pressurized to a pressure substantially greater than ambient pressure;
a second vessel holding a quantity of a second working fluid that is in a liquid state at ambient temperature;
a controllable heater in controllable communication with at least said second vessel for heating at least said second working fluid;
an expander in controllable communication with said heater and said first vessel, such that said expander can receive said first pressurized gaseous working fluid and/or receive said second working fluid, having been heated by said heater to be vaporized and form a second pressurized gaseous working fluid, said first and/or second pressurized gaseous working fluids being supplied to at least one chamber in said expander where said pressurized gaseous working fluids can expand, causing said expander to produce power;
and
a controller responsive to a control input to determine the power required to be provided by said expander, and for controlling heating of said at least second working fluid in said heater, and flow of said first and second working fluids from the respective vessels to the heater and to said at least one chamber of the expander responsive to the amount of power required.

3 more elements

A method for operating an expander responsive to selective supply of two different pressurized gaseous working fluids to at least one chamber of said expander wherein the pressurized gaseous working fluids can expand, causing said expander to produce power, comprising the steps of:

providing a supply of a first pressurized working fluid which is gaseous at ambient temperature;
providing a supply of a second working fluid that is liquid at ambient temperature, and which can be heated to form a supply of a second pressurized gaseous working fluid;
providing a controller which monitors the amount of power that is to be produced by the expander, and performs the following steps in response to a requirement that the expander produce power:
if said expander has not been started, starting said expander by supplying said first pressurized gaseous working fluid to said at least one chamber of said expander, causing said expander to produce power;
supplying said second working fluid to a boiler in liquid form;
applying heat to said boiler to convert said liquid second working fluid to a second pressurized gaseous working fluid;
and
when said second pressurized gaseous working fluid is available, providing said second pressurized gaseous working fluid from said boiler to said at least one chamber of said expander wholly or partially in lieu of said first pressurized gaseous working fluid, causing said expander to produce power;
and
during operation of the expander, monitoring the requirement for power to be produced by said expander and determining the appropriate amounts of the first and second working fluids to be supplied to said expander.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/986,374Filed 25 Apr 2013 · continuation in part
Priority: 28 Jun 2007
Published: US 2013/0241204 A119 Sep 2013
Granted: 12 Apr 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

F01K 25/00
Plants or engines characterised by use of special working fluids, not otherwise
F01D 15/10
Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of engines with devices driven thereby: adaptations for driving, or combinations…
F01K 7/165
The engines being only of turbine type: controlling means specially adapted therefor
F01K 15/02
Adaptations of plants for special use: for driving vehicles, e.g. locomotives

Family

Application11/770,022Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 28 Jun 2007
Application12/801,841Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 28 Jun 2010
US 2013/0241204 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 Sep 2013
US 8,459,391 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 7,743,872 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2009/0000848 A1Published application
US 2011/0030373 A1Published application
US 9,309,785 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.