Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
COGENERATION SYSTEM
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S.
Provisional Patent
Application Number 63/005,533 filed April 6, 2020, which is incorporated by
reference herein in
its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The following includes information that may be useful in
understanding the present
disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein
is prior art nor
material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any
publication or document
that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of heating and
electricity systems of
existing art and more specifically relates to an all-in-one system for
providing heating, cooling, air
conditioning and electricity.
RELATED ART
[0004] Generally, most homes are powered, heated and cooled via gas and
electricity provided
by energy utility companies. Traditionally, electricity is generated in
centralized plants via burning
fossil fuel(s) like coal, and the energy collected is then transported through
an electrical grid to
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residential buildings and commercial facilities for use in powering the
buildings and facilities, and
HVAC systems. Further, HVAC systems and water heaters may also utilize natural
gas provided
by natural gas companies. As is anticipated, the gas and electricity supplied
by energy companies
costs the end user money.
[0005] Due to the cost of utilizing gas and electricity provided by energy
companies, there has
been attempts to make these buildings, particularly residential buildings, at
least partially self-
sufficient so that individuals don't have to rely so heavily on the energy
companies. This would
save the individuals money and allow for some security in situations where
there is a power outage
or a gas leak. Further, the environmental impact of the burning of fossil
fuels is well known, and
as such, greener methods of producing electricity are highly sought after.
[0006] To these ends, cogeneration plants have been developed to try to
reduce the reliance on
electrical grids and natural gas suppliers, and to help the environment by
reducing the amount of
fossil fuels needing to be burned. However, these attempts have not been
satisfactory. As such, the
reliance on energy companies and the environmental impacts are still a
problem. Thus, a suitable
solution is desired.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known heating
and electricity
generation art, the present disclosure provides a novel cogeneration system.
The general purpose
of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater
detail, is to provide an
all-in-one system that provides at least heating and electricity to an area,
such as a building or
outdoor area, utilizing biomass material as a fuel source.
[0008] A cogeneration system is disclosed herein. The cogeneration system
includes a
biomass-burner assembly; a water-heater assembly; a heating-assembly; a
compression-tank
assembly; and an electricity-generator assembly. The biomass-burner assembly
may include a
hopper configured to store biomass material and routinely expel a portion of
the biomass material.
A firebox may be connected to a hopper-bottom of the hopper; the firebox
configured to receive
the portion of the biomass material. An air-intake means may be connected to
the firebox and
configured to introduce atmospheric air into the firebox, and an ignition-
means may be in
communication with the firebox. The ignition-means may be configured to
initiate burning of the
portion of the biomass material, the burning generating hot combustion matter
comprising
combustible gas, smoke and ash.
[0009] A vertical-stack may be located above the firebox and may be
configured to concentrate
the combustible gas and smoke therethrough. Further, a box-outlet may be
connected to a box-
bottom of the firebox and may be configured to selectively expel ash from the
firebox as needed.
The water-heater assembly may include a water-intake means, a water tank
configured to hold an
amount of water supplied by the water-intake means, and a water-outlet. The
water tank may be
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located about the vertical-stack such that the amount of water is heated via
the combustible gas
and smoke, and the water-outlet may be configured to selectively output a
portion of heated water.
[0010] The heating-assembly may include a heater-inlet configured to intake
the combustible
gas and smoke; a radiator configured to circulate the smoke therearound such
that the radiator is
heated via the combustible gas and heat energy from the smoke, the heating of
the radiator heating
ambient air; and a heater-outlet configured to selectively allow expulsion of
heated ambient air.
[0011] The compression-tank assembly may be in communication with the bio-
mass burner
assembly. The compression-tank assembly may include a compression-tank being
configured to
receive, compress and store the combustible gas as compressed combustible gas.
The electricity-
generator assembly may include a gas-feed attached to the compression tank; a
carburetor
configured to receive a portion of compressed combustible gas from the gas-
feed; at least one
engine configured to receive a mixture of said compressed combustible gas and
the atmospheric
air, the at least one engine including a combustion chamber for combusting
said mixture of the
compressed combustible gas and the atmospheric air; at least one generator
powered by the at least
one engine, the at least one generator configured to generate electricity; and
at least one power-
store connected to the at least one generator, the at least one power-store
configured to receive and
store the electricity for use.
[0012] For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects,
advantages, and novel
features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood
that not necessarily all
such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular
embodiment of the
invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that
achieves or
optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without
necessarily achieving
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other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the
invention which are
believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in
the concluding portion
of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will
become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed
description.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The figures which accompany the written portion of this
specification illustrate
embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a cogeneration
system, constructed
and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the cogeneration system,
according to an
embodiment of the disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a front view of the cogeneration system of FIG. 1,
according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a front view of the cogeneration system, according to
another embodiment of
the present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a front side perspective view of cogeneration system,
according to another
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of the cogeneration system of FIG.
4, according to
another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0019] The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be
described in
conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like
elements.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to
a heat and
electricity generator system and more particularly to an all-in-one heating
and cooling electric
power plant. The all-in-one heating and cooling electric power plant generally
may include a rocket
stove wood furnace assembly; a water tank; a water hose inlet; a water outlet;
a wood feed
assembly; an air compressor assembly; at least one centrifugal air blower/at
least one cyclone
filter; a radiator; at least one air filter; an air conditioning CO2
compressor assembly; a
restrictor/expansion valve; and a generator. The heat and electricity
generator system may provide
an area, such as a building or outdoor area with heating, cooling, air
conditioning and electricity.
[0021] Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of
reference, there is
shown in FIGS. 1-5, various views of a cogeneration system 100.
[0022] The cogeneration system 100 may provide at least heating and
electricity to an area
(volume of space). In some embodiments, the cogeneration system 100 may
provide heating,
cooling and electricity to an area such as a building. In use in the building,
the cogeneration system
100 may replace an existing heating and/or cooling cogeneration system or may
integrate
therewith. As such, the cogeneration system 100 may further comprise
controllers, thermostats,
etc. (not illustrated). In other embodiments, the cogeneration system 100 may
provide at least
heating and electricity to an outdoor area, such as off-the-grid areas. As
shown in FIGS. 1-3, the
cogeneration system 100 may include, at least, a biomass-burner assembly 110,
a water-heater
assembly 120, a heating-assembly 130, a compression-tank assembly 140, and an
electricity-
generator assembly 150.
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[0023] The biomass-burner assembly 110 may include a hopper 111 configured
to store
biomass material and routinely expel a portion of the biomass material.
Preferably, the biomass
material may be a wood material. The hopper 111 may include a hopper-housing
211 including a
hopper-top 311 and a hopper-bottom 411 and a hopper-inner 511 where the
biomass material is
stored. The hopper-top 311 may include a lid. The lid may be removable or may
include an
openable-section such as a door to allow for easy loading of the biomass
material into the hopper-
inner 511. The hopper-inner 511 may further include a wood-feed means 611. The
wood-feed
means 611 may be configured to routinely expel the portion of the biomass
material. The wood-
feed means 611 may include a motorized wood feeder in some embodiments, as
shown in FIGS.
1-2. In other embodiments, the wood-feed means 611 may include an auger-feeder
as shown in
FIG. 3. The auger-feeder may be operable via a manually actuated crank handle.
This latter
embodiment may be particularly useful in campgrounds or other off-the-grid
areas.
[0024] A firebox 112 may be connected to the hopper-bottom 411 of the
hopper 111 and may
be configured to receive the portion of the biomass material. The firebox 112
may include a box-
housing 212 including a box-top 312, a box-bottom 412 and a box-inner 512
(where the portion of
the biomass material is burned). The box-top 312 may include a grate. An air-
intake means 113
may be connected to the firebox 112 and may be configured to introduce
atmospheric air in the
firebox 112 (the atmospheric air including oxygen). The air intake-means 113,
as shown in FIGS.
1-2, may be an air-pipe 213 including an air-intake end 313 and a firebox-end
413 in
communication with the firebox 112. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3,
the air-intake
means 113 may include an air-damper intake 513. The air-damper intake 513 may
include a
damper configured to selectively control intake of atmospheric air and
introduce the atmospheric
air into the firebox. An ignition-means 114 may be in communication with the
firebox 112 and
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configured to initiate burning/combustion of the portion of the biomass
material. In some
embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the ignition-means 114 may be a lighter
fuse. Other ignition-
means 114 may also be contemplated. Burning/combustion of the biomaterial
material may
generate (hot) combustion matter comprising combustible gas, smoke and ash.
The smoke may
include the combustible gas and other gaseous (such as water vapor) and solid
particulates.
[0025] A vertical-stack 115 (or flue) may be located above the firebox 112
and configured to
concentrate the combustible gas and smoke therethrough. A box-outlet 116 may
be connected to
the box-bottom 412 of the firebox 112 and may be configured to selectively
expel the ash from the
firebox 112. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, the box-outlet 116 may
include an ash shoot
including a door. The ash may collect therewithin and may be selectively
opened and cleared out
by a user. In some embodiments, this opening and clearing may be automated. In
embodiments
wherein the cogeneration system 100 is installed in the building, the ash
shoot may always be open
and the door may be spring-loaded. The spring-loaded door may be configured to
drop the ash into
a receptacle, such as a metal composting bin or tray.
[0026] In some embodiments, the cogeneration system 100 may be configured
to burn the
biomass material at approximately between 500-600 degrees Fahrenheit/234-284
degrees Celsius.
In some embodiments, the cogeneration system 100 may be configured to burn
approximately llb
of biomass material (preferably wood material) every 5-6 minutes. In some
embodiments, the
cogeneration system 100 may be configured to burn the biomass material and
generate fire, in
other embodiments, the cogeneration system 100 may be configured to combust
the biomass
material without generating fire. This may be accomplished via control of
atmospheric air
introduced by the air-intake means 113. In this embodiment, the combustion of
the biomass
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material may generate combustible gas and ash, with minimal smoke, or without
smoke. The
combustible gas generated may be a biomass gas, or particularly a wood gas.
The wood gas may
consist of approximately 50% Nitrogen; 20% Carbon Monoxide; 17% Hydrogen; 10%
Carbon
Dioxide; and 3% Methane. The cogeneration system 100 may generate
approximately 2 Cubic
Meters of wood gas per hour.
[0027] The water-heater assembly 120 may include a water-intake means 121,
a water tank
122 and a water-outlet 123. The water-intake means 121 may be configured to
supply water to the
water tank 122. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, the water-intake
means 121 may
include a water-supply intake-pipe 221 including a water-supply end 321
connected to an external
water supply, and a water-tank end 421 connected to the water tank 122. In
some embodiments,
the water-supply intake-pipe 221 may further include a one-way valve 124 and a
water pump 125
attached about the water-supply end 321. In some embodiments, particularly in
embodiments
wherein the cogeneration system 100 is used in the building, the external
water supply may be a
water supply line for the building. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3,
the water-intake
means 121 may include the cogeneration system 100 further comprising a water-
basin 126. The
water-basin 126 may be refilled manually (such as by the user, campground
owner, etc.) The water-
intake means 121 may include a water-basin intake-pipe 521 including a water-
basin end 621
connected to the water-basin 126 and a (second) water-tank end 721 connected
to the water tank
122. As above and as shown, the water-basin intake-pipe 521 may include the
one-way valve 124
attached about the water-basin end 621.
[0028] The water tank 122 may be configured to hold an amount of water
supplied by the
water-intake means 121. For example, in some embodiments, the amount of water
may be 60 liters
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(as such, the water tank 122 may have a water capacity of 60 liters). It
should be appreciated that
the amount of water, and/or the water capacity is not limited to 60 liters.
The water tank 122 may
be located about the vertical-stack 115 such that the amount of water is
heated via the combustible
gas and smoke (via convection). In some embodiments, the water may be heated
at 50-70 degrees
Celsius. In some examples, 60 liters of water may be heated every 5-10 minutes
at 40-60,000
British Thermal Units (BTU). As shown in FIGS. 1-2 in some embodiments, the
water tank 122
may be located directly above the vertical-stack 115. In other embodiments, as
shown in FIG. 3,
the water tank 122 may be located adjacent to the vertical-stack 115. This
embodiment may include
the water-basin intake-pipe 521 and the water-basin 126. In this embodiment, a
section of the
water-basin intake-pipe 521 may be located within the vertical-stack 115. As
such, this may heat
the water carried by the water-basin intake-pipe 521 before it gets to the
water tank 122.
[0029] The water-outlet 123 may be configured to selectively output a
portion of heated water.
For example, to supply kitchens, bathrooms, etc. of the building. In some
embodiments,
particularly the embodiment including the water-basin 126 that is configured
primarily for use off-
the-grid, such as in campground locations, the water-outlet 123 may be a
faucet 223 attached to an
outer-surface of the water tank 122, as shown in FIG. 3. In other embodiments,
particularly
embodiments wherein the cogeneration system 100 is used in the building, the
water-outlet 123
may be a water-outlet pipe 323 connected to the water tank 122 at one end and
connected to a
plumbing cogeneration system 100 of the building at an opposite end.
[0030] The heating-assembly 130 may include a heater-inlet 131, a radiator
132 and a heater-
outlet 133. In some embodiments, the cogeneration system 100 may comprise a
first fan-means
191 located about the heating-assembly 130 and configured to suction the
combustible gas and the
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smoke. In some embodiments, the first fan-means 191 may include a centrifugal
air blower. For
example, the centrifugal air blower may be a 1/18 horsepower (HP) blower. The
centrifugal air
blower may suction the combustible gas and smoke at 265 Cubic Feet per Minute
(CFM). Further,
the cogeneration system 100 may comprise a filter-means 192 connected to the
first fan-means
191 and configured to receive the combustible gas and the smoke from the first
fan-means 191 and
filter the combustible gas and smoke. The filter-means 192 may be connected to
the heater-inlet
131 such that the combustible gas and smoke taken in by the heater-inlet 131
is filtered. In some
embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, the filter-means 192 may be a cyclone
filter. In this
embodiment, the cyclone filter may remove particulates via vortex separation.
Other filter-means
192 may also be contemplated. The filter-means 192 may remove toxic or harmful
particulates
from the combustible gas and smoke.
[0031]
The radiator 132 may be configured to receive the (filtered, in some
embodiments)
combustible gas and smoke and further configured to circulate the combustible
gas and smoke
therearound such that the radiator 132 is heated via the combustible gas and
smoke. To aid in
heating of the radiator 132, the radiator 132 may be made from a heat-
conductive material such as
cast iron, aluminum, or the like. In some examples, the radiator 132 may heat
up to 20-25 degrees
Celsius. Heating of the radiator 132 may then heat ambient air (via
convection) and the heater-
outlet 133 may be configured to selectively allow expulsion of heated ambient
air. The heater-
outlet 133 may simply consist of an opening that lets the heated ambient air
therethrough. In
embodiments where the cogeneration system 100 is used in the building, the
heater-outlet 133 may
be connected to ductwork of a building, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, such that the
heated ambient air
is selectively able to be expelled through the ductwork of the building (for
example, when the user
wishes to heat their building). Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the vertical-
stack 115 and the heating-
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assembly 130 may be contained with a stack-housing 117 and the stack-housing
117 may include
a stove-top 118. Underneath the stove-top 118 may be a centrifugal fan. The
stove-top 118 may
be configured to receive heat via the combustible gas and smoke and may be
used to cook food.
Again, this may be particularly useful in off-the-grid areas such as
campgrounds.
[0032] In some embodiments, the cogeneration system 100 may further
comprise a cooling-
assembly 160. The cooling-assembly 160 may include a cooler-inlet 161, an air-
filter 162, an air
conditioning compressor 163, a restrictor valve 164, a plurality of cooling
coils 165 and a cooler-
outlet 166. Particularly, the cooler-inlet 161 may be configured to receive
the combustible gas and
smoke. The air-filter 162 may be connected to the cooler-inlet 161 and
configured to receive the
combustible gas and smoke. Once the combustible gas and smoke has passed
through the air-filter
162, it may pass through the air conditioning compressor 163 connected to the
air-filter 162. The
air conditioning compressor 163 may be configured to compress the combustible
gas and smoke
(thereby creating compressed combustible gas and smoke). The compressed
combustible gas and
smoke may then be sprayed through the restrictor valve 164. The restrictor
valve 164 may be
configured to lower a pressure and temperature of the compressed combustible
gas and smoke.
[0033] The plurality of cooling coils 165 may be configured to further
lower the temperature
of the compressed combustible gas and smoke. Lowering of the temperature of
the combustible
gas and smoke may cool ambient air. For example, through convection-cooling.
The plurality of
cooling coils 165 may be made from copper. In some examples, the temperature
of the combustible
gas and smoke may be lowered to 0-5 degrees Celsius. The cooler-outlet 166 may
then be
configured to selectively allow expulsion of cooled ambient air. Similarly to
the heater-outlet 133,
the cooler-outlet 166 may simply consist of an opening that lets the cooled
ambient air
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therethrough. Further, similar to the heating-assembly 130, the cooler-outlet
166 may be connected
to the ductwork 5 of the building such that cooled ambient air is selectively
able to be expelled
through the ductwork 5 of the building (for example, when the user wishes to
cool their building).
[0034] To aid in flow of the heated ambient air and the cooled ambient air,
the cogeneration
system 100 may further comprise a second fan-means 193. The second fan-means
193 may be
configured to blow either the heated ambient and the cooled ambient air
(depending on desire of
the user, thermostat setting, etc.) into the ductwork 5 of the building. In
some embodiments, the
second fan-means 193 may be an industrial fan configured to suction and blow
at a high CFM. In
addition to this, the cogeneration system 100 may comprise a hot-air damper
194 and a cool-air
damper 195. The hot-air damper 194 may be configured to control flow of the
heated ambient air
and the cool-air damper 195 may be configured to control flow of the could
ambient air. Again,
this may be based of desired temperature, thermostat settings, etc. For
example, the user may
manually set a thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, which may cause the hot-
air damper 194 to
open and heated ambient air is then blown (via the second fan-means 193)
through the ductwork
5.
[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the dampers (194, 195) may be located within an
enclosed air feed
system 196 that carries the heated ambient air and the cooled ambient air
therethrough (and into
the ductwork 5 of the building). As shown, prior to entrance into the ductwork
5 of the building
the (cooled or heated) ambient air may pass through an air-duct filter 197.
Movement of the
dampers (194, 195) may also be automatic in some embodiments. Further, a
temperature switch
may also be provided. The temperature switch may sense a temperature of the
ambient air and may
automatically control a component of the cogeneration system 100, such as the
biomass burner-
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assembly 110, the heating-assembly 130, the cooler-assembly 160, the dampers
(194, 195), the
fan-means' (191, 193), or the like. For example, if the temperature switch 198
senses that the
ambient air is warmer than a desired temperature, it may turn the second fan-
means 193 off,
shut/open one of the dampers (194, 195), shut down the biomass burner-assembly
110, etc.
[0036] The plurality of cooling coils 165 may be attached about the
vertical-stack 115. In some
embodiments of the present disclosure, the cogeneration system 100 may further
comprise a
thermoelectric-generator assembly 170. The thermoelectric-generator assembly
170 may include
a plurality of thermoelectric modules 171. At least a portion of the plurality
of thermoelectric
modules 171 (for example, slightly more than half of the plurality of
thermoelectric modules 171)
may be attached about the vertical-stack 115. For example, the at least a
portion of the plurality of
thermoelectric modules may be located between the vertical-stack 115 and the
plurality of cooling
coils 165 approximately 1.5cm apart. Further, a remaining portion of the
plurality of thermoelectric
modules 171 may be attached about a top of the firebox 112. In this
embodiment, the remaining
portion of the plurality of thermoelectric modules 171 may be attached to a
metal plate with
aluminum heat sink to aid in transfer of heat. In some embodiments, there may
be between 200-
300 thermoelectric modules 171 included in the cogeneration system 100.
[0037] As above, the plurality of cooling coils 165 may be configured to
lower the temperature
of the compressed combustible gas and smoke. The plurality of thermoelectric
modules 171 may
be configured to convert a temperature difference between the (cool) plurality
of cooling coils 165
and the (hot) vertical-stack 115, into (usable) electricity (converting
thermal energy into electrical
energy). For example, the vertical-stack 115 may be 250 degrees Celsius, and
the plurality of
cooling coils 165 may be 0 degrees Celsius, and as such, the temperature
difference may be 250
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degrees Celsius. A voltage of the electricity may be proportional to the
temperature difference.
The electricity may be used for powering electrical usage in the area the
cogeneration system 100
is used. For example, in some embodiments, the plurality of thermoelectric
modules 171 may
generate 5-10 kilowatts of power per hour. Further, for a standard system size
of 2 meters in height
by 1 meter in width, 3 hours of use of the cogeneration system 100 in a day
may generate 30-60
kW, which may be enough power to run an average household for 24 hours. Any
remaining
electricity may then be stored in batteries for later use. Alternatively, or
in addition to this, the
electricity may be fed into an electrical grid.
[0038] The compression-tank assembly 140 may be in communication with the
biomass-
burner assembly 110. The compression-tank assembly 140 may include a
compression-tank 141
configured to receive, compress and store the combustible gas (and smoke). In
some embodiments,
the compression-tank assembly 140 may include a vacuum pump air tank
compressor. In other
embodiments, the compression-tank assembly 140 may include a piston compressor
tank. Further,
as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the cogeneration system 100 may further comprise the
electricity-generator
assembly 150. The electricity-generator assembly 150 may include a gas-feed
151 attached to the
compression-tank 141; in some embodiments, a carburetor 152; at least one
engine 153; at least
one generator 154; and at least one power-store 155. Further, in some
embodiments, a radiator-
intake 156 may be provided and configured for cooling the at least one engine
153.
[0039] The carburetor 152 may be configured to receive a portion of
compressed combustible
gas from the gas-feed 151. The at least one engine 153 may be configured to
receive a mixture of
the compressed combustible gas and the atmospheric air. The at least one
engine 153 may include
a combustion chamber for combusting the mixture of the compressed combustible
gas and
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atmospheric air. In some examples, the at least one engine 153 may be a 2-
stroke diesel motor
generator. In another example, the at least one engine 153 may be a diesel
engine. For instance,
the diesel engine may be an 80-120 HP engine. The at least one engine 153 may
produce 60-100
kw/h of usage in some embodiments. The at least one generator 154 may be
powered by the at
least one engine 153 and may be configured to generate electricity (converting
mechanical energy
to electrical energy) and the at least one power-store 155 may be connected to
the at least one
generator 154 and configured to receive and store the electricity.
[0040]
In some embodiments, the at least one generator 154 may be a dynamo generator
and
configured to generate Alternating Current (AC) or Direct Current (DC). In
other embodiments,
the at least one generator 154 may include a dynamo alternator configured to
generate Alternating
Current (AC). The at least one power-store 155 may be a battery bank. In some
embodiments, for
example, in embodiments wherein the at least one generator 154 includes the
dynamo alternator,
the at least one power-store 155 may be a 12-volt DC battery bank. This may be
useful for the off-
the-grid embodiments. In embodiments wherein the cogeneration system 100 is
installed in the
building, the at least one power-store 155 may be a 120-volt AC battery. In
this embodiment, the
cogeneration system 100 may further include an inverter in communication with
the at least one
power-store 155 and configured to convert DC current to AC current which may
be used to power
the building. In some embodiments, the at least one power-store 155 may also
be configured to
receive and store the electricity generated by the plurality of thermoelectric
modules 171. The at
least one generator 154 may run without a change in temperature-controlled
space when the
biomass material is burned, without adjustment to the thermostat to change the
interior
temperature. The dampers (194, 195) may remain closed and the second fan-means
193 may not
run.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-06
[0041] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the cogeneration system
100 may
further comprise a secondary burner-assembly 180. The secondary burner-
assembly 180 may be
configured to facilitate combustion of the compressed combustible gas and the
atmospheric air in
the firebox 112 (the atmospheric air being introduced into the firebox 112 via
the air-intake means
113). This may provide heat to the water-heater assembly 120, and in some
embodiments, the
heating-assembly 130, without use of the biomass material (for example, the
secondary burner-
assembly 180 may be used if there is no biomass material/wood material to
burn).
[0042] The secondary burner-assembly 180 may include a feed-line 181 (pipe)
connected to
the compression tank-assembly 140 at a tank-end 281 of the feed-line 181 and
the firebox 112 at
a box-end 381 of the feed-line 181 (thereby supplying the compressed
combustible gas from the
compression-tank assembly 140 to the firebox 112). A valve-switch 182 may be
located about the
feed-line 181 and configured selectively actuate flow of the compressed
combustible gas from the
compression-tank 141 to the firebox 112. Preferably, the valve-switch 182 may
be a two-way
switch. In this embodiment, the feed-line 181 may be the mechanism by which
the compression-
tank assembly 140 receives the combustible gas. As such, the two-way switch
may be configured
to actuate flow of the combustible gas from the firebox 112 to the compression-
tank assembly 140
and may also be configured to actuate flow of the compressed combustible gas
to the firebox 112
from the compression-tank assembly 140.
[0043] Further, an injection nozzle 183 may be in communication with the
firebox 112. For
example, the injection nozzle 183 may be attached to the box-end 381 of the
feed-line 181 and
configured to inject the compressed combustible gas into the firebox 112. In
addition to this, the
firebox 112 may include a spark plug 184. The spark plug 184 may be located at
a rear of the
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-06
firebox 112 near the injection nozzle 183 and configured to ignite the
combustible gas if heat in
the firebox 112 has dwindled and no flame is present.
[0044] It should be appreciated that any values given are given as examples
and are not
limiting. It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances,
considering such issues as
design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural
requirements, available
materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for providing heating,
cooling, and
electricity, or for using biomass material as fuel, are taught herein. Those
with ordinary skill in the
art will now appreciate that upon reading this specification and by their
understanding the art of
cogeneration systems, as described herein, methods of biomass gasification,
heat energy transfer
(such as via convection, radiation or other), electricity generation using
diesel engines and
thermoelectric generation, and the like, will be understood by those
knowledgeable in such art.
[0045] The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and
numerous
modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to
achieve substantially
equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit
and scope of the
invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the
U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist,
engineers and practitioners
in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to
determine quickly from
a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the
application.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-06
