US 9,863,282 B2Granted

Automated mass management control

AssigneeEchogen Power System, LLC

InventorsKatherine Hart, Timothy James Held

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a heat engine system, a mass management system (MMS), and a method for regulating pressure in the heat engine system while generating electricity. In one embodiment, the MMS contains a tank fluidly coupled to a pump, a turbine, a heat exchanger, an offload terminal, and a working fluid contained in the tank at a storage pressure. The working fluid may be at a system pressure proximal an outlet of the heat exchanger, at a low-side pressure proximal a pump inlet, and at a high-side pressure proximal a pump outlet. The MMS contains a controller communicably coupled to a valve between the tank and the heat exchanger outlet, a valve between the tank and the pump inlet, a valve between the tank and the pump outlet, and a valve between the tank and the offload terminal.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A system for pressure regulation of a heat engine, comprising:

a pump fluidly coupled to a working fluid circuit and configured to circulate a working fluid in the working fluid circuit;
a first pressure sensor arranged at or adjacent to an inlet of the pump and configured to detect pressure of the working fluid at or adjacent to the inlet of the pump;
a second pressure sensor arranged at or adjacent to an outlet of the pump and configured to detect pressure of the working fluid at or adjacent to the outlet of the pump;
a mass management system comprising a mass control tank configured to store additional working fluid, the mass management system fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit and configured to selectively direct a flow of the working fluid into or out of the working fluid circuit based on the pressure detected by the first pressure sensor;
a mass control tank sensor operatively connected to the mass control tank and configured to detect pressure of the working fluid within the mass control tank;
a first valve fluidly coupling the mass control tank to the outlet of the pump;
and
a second valve fluidly coupling the mass control tank to the inlet of the pump,
wherein the first valve is configured to open when the pressure detected by the mass control tank sensor is less than the pressure detected by the first pressure sensor.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/469,711Filed 27 Aug 2014 · continuation
Priority: 17 Sep 2009
Published: US 2015/0000281 A11 Jan 2015
Granted: 9 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

F01K 13/02
General layout or general methods of operation of complete plants: controlling, e.g. stopping or starting
F01K 3/185
Having heaters: using waste heat from outside the plant
F01K 11/00
Plants characterised by the engines being structurally combined with boilers or condensers
F01K 25/103
The vapours being cold, e.g. ammonia, carbon dioxide, ether: carbon dioxide

Family

Application61/243,200Us provisional application · filed 17 Sep 2009
Application12/631,379Parent of this division · filed 4 Dec 2009
Application13/278,705Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Oct 2011
US 8,096,128 B2Parent of this division · filed 17 Jan 2012
Application13/590,853Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Aug 2012
US 8,613,195 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Dec 2013
US 2015/0000281 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Jan 2015
US 8,813,497 B2Parent of this continuation
Application13/278,705Parent of this division
US 2010/0156112 A1Published application
US 2012/0047892 A1Published application
US 2013/0036736 A1Published application
US 9,863,282 B2This patent

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