Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEMS AND METHODS UTILIZING GAS TEMPERATURE AS A POWER
SOURCE
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[1] This application is a PCT of U.S. Provisional Application No.
63/200,908, filed April 2,
2021, titled "Systems and Methods for Generating Geothermal Power During
Hydrocarbon
Production," U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 17/305,293, filed July 2,
2021, titled
"Methods for Generating Geotheinial Power in an Organic Rankine Cycle
Operation During
Hydrocarbon Production Based on Working Fluid Temperature," U.S. Non-
Provisional
Application No. 17/305,294, filed July 2, 2021, titled "Methods for Generating
Geothermal Power
in an Organic Rankine Cycle Operation During Hydrocarbon Production Based on
Wellhead Fluid
Temperature," U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 17/305,296, filed July 2,
2021, titled
"Controller for Controlling Generation of Geothermal Power in an Organic
Rankine Cycle
Operation During Hydrocarbon Production," U.S. Non-Provisional Application No.
17/305,297,
filed July 2, 2021, titled "Systems for Generating Geothermal Power in an
Organic Rankine Cycle
Operation During Hydrocarbon Production Based on Working Fluid Temperature,"
U.S. Non-
Provisional Application No. 17/305,298, filed July 2, 2021, titled "Systems
for Generating
Geothermal Power in an Organic Rankine Cycle Operation During Hydrocarbon
Production Based
on Wellhead Fluid Temperature," U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/261,601,
filed September
24, 2021, titled "Systems and Methods Utilizing Gas Temperature as a Power
Source," U.S. Non-
Provisional Application No. 17/481,658, filed September 22, 2021, titled
"Controller for
Controlling Generation of Geothermal Power in an Organic Rankine Cycle
Operation During
Hydrocarbon Production," U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 17/494,936,
filed October 6,
2021, titled "Systems and Methods for Generation of Electrical Power in an
Organic Rankine
Cycle Operation,- U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 17/578,520, filed
January 19, 2022, titled
"Systems and Methods Utilizing Gas Temperature as a Power Source," U.S. Non-
Provisional
Application No. 17/578,528, filed January 19, 2022, titled "Systems and
Methods Utilizing Gas
Temperature as a Power Source," U.S. Non-Provisional Application No.
17/578,542, filed January
19, 2022, titled -Systems and Methods Utilizing Gas Temperature as a Power
Source," U.S. Non-
Provisional Application No. 17/578,550, filed January 19, 2022, titled
"Systems and Methods
Utilizing Gas Temperature as a Power Source,- U.S. Non-Provisional Application
No. 17/650,811,
1
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filed February 11, 2022, titled "Systems for Generating Geothermal Power in an
Organic Rankine
Cycle Operation During Hydrocarbon Production Based on Wellhead Fluid
Temperature," U.S.
Non-Provisional Application No. 17/670,827, filed February 14, 2022, titled -
Systems and
Methods for Generation of Electrical Power in an Organic Rankine Cycle
Operation," U.S. Non-
Provisional Application No. 17/682,126, filed February 28, 2022, titled
"Systems and Methods for
Generation of Electrical Power in an Organic Rankine Cycle Operation," U.S.
Provisional
Application No. 63/269,572, filed March 18, 2022, titled "Systems and Methods
for Generation
of Electrical Power at a Drilling Rig," U.S. Provisional Application No.
63/269,862, filed March
24, 2022, titled "Systems and Methods for Generation of Electrical Power at a
Drilling Rig," U.S.
Non-Provisional Application No. 17/657,009, filed March 29, 2022, titled
"Systems and Methods
for Generation of Electrical Power at a Drilling Rig," U.S. Non-Provisional
Application No.
17/657,011, filed March 29, 2022, titled" Systems and Methods for Generation
of Electrical Power
at a Drilling Rig," and U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 17/657,015, filed
March 29, 2022,
titled "Systems and Methods for Generation of Electrical Power at a Drilling
Rig," the disclosures
of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
FIELD OF DISCLOSURE
[2] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to generating electrical
power from heat of a flow of
gas, and more particularly, to systems and methods for generating electrical
power in an organic
Rankine cycle (ORC) operation in the vicinity of a pumping station during gas
compression to
thereby supply electrical power to one or more of operational equipment, a
grid power structure,
and an energy storage device.
BACKGROUND
131 Typically, an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) generator or unit
includes a working fluid loop
that flows to a heat source, such that the heat from the heat source causes
the working fluid in the
loop to change phases from a liquid to a vapor. The vaporous working fluid may
then flow to a gas
expander, causing the gas expander to rotate. The rotation of the gas expander
may cause a
generator to generate electrical power. The vaporous working fluid may then
flow to a condenser
or heat sink. The condenser or heat sink may cool the working fluid, causing
the working fluid to
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change phase from the vapor to the liquid. The working fluid may circulate
through the loop in
such a continuous manner, thus the ORC generator or unit may generate
electrical power.
SUMMARY
[4] As noted organic Rankine cycle (ORC) generators or units may
generate electrical power
via an ORC operation based on heat transfer to a working fluid. While various
types of sources of
heat may be utilized, there is currently no system, method, or controller
available to ensure that
the source of the heat is maintained at a specified temperature after heat
transfer via a heat
exchanger, whether internal or external to the ORC unit. For example, when a
flow of gas or
process gas, such as a flow of compressed gas from a pumping station, is used
as the source of
heat for heat transfer to the working fluid or an intermediate working fluid,
a specified or selected
operating temperature range or a specified threshold temperature for the gas
may be desired. For
example, for some gasses, if the temperature drops below a particular
threshold or operating range,
volatiles may begin to condense in the flow of gas. Such condensed volatiles
may cause issues
such as damage to pipelines (e.g., via corrosion or otherwise), scaling,
precipitates, potential leaks,
potential equipment performance issues, and/or damage to equipment configured
to operate with
gases rather than liquids. While volatiles may condense in the flow of gas at
a temperature below
a threshold, pumps at a site may operate at a higher level or exhibit higher
performance for a flow
of gas that is at a reduced temperature higher than the temperature at which
volatiles condense, but
lower than a temperature defined by a compressor's (e.g., such as a pump)
performance in relation
to temperature of the flow of gas, the two temperatures, in some embodiments,
defining the
operating range.
151 Accordingly, Applicants have recognized a need for systems and
methods to generate
electrical power in the vicinity of a pumping station or other gas processing
facility or site, while
maintaining the temperature of a flow of gas, to thereby supply electrical
power to one or more of
operational equipment, a grid power structure, and an energy storage device.
The present
disclosure is directed to embodiments of such systems and methods.
[6] As noted, the present disclosure is generally directed to
systems and methods for generating
electrical power in an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) operation in the vicinity
of a pumping station
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or other facility or site where a gas is compressed and/or processed. As gas
is compressed at the
pumping station or other facility or site for further transport, processing,
storage, or other purposes,
the temperature of the gas may increase. Further, the equipment (e.g., an
engine and pump) utilized
for compression may generate heat (e.g., in the form of exhaust and/or a water
jacket) during
compression or operation. As such, one or more heat exchangers, included
external or internal to
an ORC unit, may be positioned at and/or near the equipment or pipelines
associated with the flow
of gas. The flow of gas may flow through one of the one or more heat
exchangers_ One or more
temperature sensors associated with the input and output of the heat exchanger
may measure the
temperature of the gas. As the gas flows through the heat exchanger, the
temperature of the gas
entering and exiting the heat exchanger may be determined, e.g., via
temperature sensors. Further,
at pumping stations or other facilities or sites existing gas coolers (e.g.,
an air-cooler) may be
included to cool the gas prior to transport, processing, storage, or other
purposes.
171 However, as noted, if the temperature of the gas is lowered
below an operating range, then
volatiles may begin to condense and/or condensates may begin to form in the
flow of gas. Further,
if the gas is above the operating range, then a compressor may output lower
than the maximum
volume of gas. To ensure that the gas is not cooled below the operating range
defined by a
temperature at which volatiles condense and/or condensates form and/or above a
temperature
defined by higher compressor output, the systems and methods may include a
bypass valve
positioned on a bypass pipeline The bypass pipeline may connect a supply
pipeline to a return
pipeline. The supply pipeline may connect to a main pipeline to divert the
flow of gas to the heat
exchanger. The return pipeline may connect the heat exchanger to the main
pipeline downstream
the supply pipeline/main pipeline connection point thereby allowing the flow
of gas to flow from
the heat exchanger back to the main pipeline. The heat exchanger may
facilitate transfer of heat
from the flow of gas to a working fluid or intermediate working fluid. In
response to the
temperature of the gas being above or below an operating range, the bypass
valve may be adjusted
thereby preventing diversion of or diverting a portion of the flow of gas and
thus reducing or
increasing, respectively, the temperature of the flow of gas exiting the heat
exchanger and ensuring
that volatiles do not condense in the flow of gas and that a compressor
operates efficiently. Further,
an amount or rate of working fluid flowing through the heat exchanger may be
increased or
decreased thereby to decrease or increase, respectively, the temperature of
the flow of gas. The
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adjustment of the bypass valve and/or flow of working fluid through the heat
exchanger may be
based on the inlet temperature of the flow of gas into the heat exchanger, the
outlet of the flow of
gas from the heat exchanger, the temperature of the gas prior to entering the
gas cooler, the
temperature of the gas after exiting gas cooler, a predicted temperature of
the gas exiting the gas
cooler, the temperature of the working fluid or intermediate working fluid
exiting the heat
exchanger, the flow rate of the working fluid or intermediate working fluid
exiting the heat
exchanger, or electrical power output of an ORC unit, or some combination
thereof, among other
factors.
[8] As noted, heat generated from the equipment on-site may be
utilized to generate electricity.
For example, an engine may produce exhaust. The exhaust may be at a high
temperature. The
exhaust may be supplied to another heat exchanger, external to the ORC unit or
included in another
ORC unit, the engine may include a water jacket. The heated water from the
water jacket may be
supplied to a third heat exchanger, external to the ORC unit or included in a
third ORC unit.
191 Accordingly, an embodiment of the disclosure is directed to a
method for generating power
in an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) operation to supply electrical power to one
or more of
operational equipment, a grid power structure, or an energy storage device.
The method may
include sensing, via an inlet temperature sensor, an inlet temperature of a
flow of compressed gas
from a source to a heat exchanger. The source may be connected to a main
pipeline. The main
pipeline may be connected to a supply pipeline. The supply pipeline may be
connected to the heat
exchanger thereby to allow compressed gas to flow from the source to the heat
exchanger. The
heat exchanger may be positioned to transfer heat from the flow of compressed
gas to a flow of a
working fluid thereby to cause an ORC unit to generate electrical power. The
method may include
sensing, via an outlet temperature sensor, an outlet temperature of the flow
of the compressed gas
from the heat exchanger to a return pipeline. The inlet temperature and the
outlet temperature may
be determined for a plurality of heat exchangers, each of the plurality of
heat exchangers supplying
heated working fluid to a supply manifold. The method may include adjusting a
bypass valve to a
position sufficient to maintain the temperature of the flow of compressed gas
within a selected
operating temperature range. The bypass valve may be positioned on a bypass
pipeline. The bypass
pipeline may be positioned to connect the supply pipeline to the return
pipeline. The bypass
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pipeline may be positioned to allow or prevent, via the bypass valve, a
portion of the flow of
compressed gas therethrough, thereby to cause or prevent the flow of
compressed gas to be diverted
directly from the supply pipeline to the return pipeline to adjust temperature
of the flow of
compressed gas from the heat exchanger. In some examples, the supply manifold
may supply
aggregated heated working fluid to the ORC unit. The ORC unit may return
cooled working fluid
to a return manifold. The return manifold may transport an amount of cooled
working fluid to each
of the plurality of heat exchangers.
[10] In an embodiment, the position of adjustment of the bypass valve may be
based on one or
more of (a) the selected operating temperature range, (b) a temperature drop
of the flow of
compressed gas, (c) the inlet temperature, or (d) the outlet temperature. The
temperature drop of
the flow of compressed gas may be the temperature drop of the flow of
compressed gas after
passage through exchanger gas cooler. The gas cooler may be an air-cooler.
Further, the method
may include sensing, via an ambient temperature sensor, the ambient
temperature of an
environment external to the main pipeline, the supply pipeline, the return
pipeline, the heat
exchanger, and the ORC unit. The method may also include determining the
temperature drop of
the flow of compressed gas after passage through the gas cooler based on the
outlet temperature,
the ambient temperature, and a predicted temperature drop differential The
temperature drop
differential may be based on a type of the gas cooler and the ambient
temperature.
1111 In an embodiment, the heat exchanger may be included within the ORC unit.
The heat
exchanger may be an intermediate heat exchanger external from the ORC unit and
the working
fluid may be an intermediate working fluid. The source may include one or more
compressors and
wherein operation of the one or more compressors occurs via one or more
engines. The method
may include, during operation of the one or more compressors via one or more
engines,
transporting exhaust produced by one of the one or more engines to a second
heat exchanger. The
second heat exchanger may indirectly transfer heat from the exhaust to a flow
of an intermediate
working fluid, thereby to cause the ORC unit to generate electrical power. The
method may include
sensing, via an exhaust inlet sensor, an exhaust thermal mass of the exhaust
produced by one of
the one or more engines. The method may include, in response to the exhaust
thermal mass being
outside of an exhaust thermal mass range, adjusting an exhaust control valve
to partially or fully
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prevent or allow flow of the exhaust from the one of the one or more engines
to the second heat
exchanger.
1121 In another embodiment, the method may include, during operation of the
one or more
compressors via one or more engines, transporting a flow of heated coolant
from a water jacket
associated with one of the one or more engines to a second heat exchanger. The
second heat
exchanger may indirectly transfer heat from the heated coolant to a flow of an
intermediate
working fluid, thereby to cause the ORC unit to generate electrical power. The
method may
include, prior to transport of the heated coolant to the second heat
exchanger: sensing, via a water
jacket inlet temperature sensor, a heated coolant temperature of the flow of
heated coolant from
the water j acket; and, in response to the heated coolant temperature being
outside of a water jacket
temperature range, adjusting a water jacket control valve to prevent or allow
flow of the heated
coolant from the water jacket to the second heat exchanger.
1131 In another embodiment, the operational equipment may include one or more
of on-site (1)
pumps, (2) heat exchanger, or (3) controllers. The compressed gas may include
one or more of
compressed (1) natural gas, (2) renewable natural gas, (3) landfill gas, and
(4) organic waste gas.
[14] Other embodiments of the disclosure are directed to a method for
generating power in an
organic Rankine cycle (ORC) operation in the vicinity of a pumping station
during gas
compression and transport thereby to supply electrical power to one or more of
operational
equipment, a grid power structure, or an energy storage device. The operations
of the method
described may be performed during one or more stage gas compressions via one
or more
compressors located at a pumping station and for each of the one or more
compressors associated
with the pumping station. The method may include sensing, via an inlet
temperature sensor, a first
temperature of a flow of gas from a source to a first heat exchanger. The
source may be connected
to the first heat exchanger via a supply pipeline. The method may include, in
response to a
determination that the first temperature is at or above a threshold,
maintaining a heat exchanger
control valve position. The heat exchanger control valve may be positioned on
the supply pipeline
and control flow of gas to the first heat exchanger. The threshold may
indicate that the gas is at a
temperature to heat an intermediate working fluid. The first heat exchanger
may indirectly transfer
heat from the flow of gas to a flow of an intermediate working fluid thereby
to cause an ORC unit
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to generate electrical power. The method may include sensing, via an outlet
temperature sensor, a
second temperature of a flow of the gas from the first heat exchanger to a
return pipeline. The
method may include, in response to a determination that the second temperature
is within a selected
operating temperature range, adjusting a bypass valve to a position sufficient
to maintain
temperature of the flow of gas within the selected operating temperature
range, the bypass valve
positioned on a bypass pipeline, the bypass pipeline connecting the supply
pipeline to a return
pipeline and being positioned prior to the heat exchanger control valve_ The
method may include,
during operation of the one or more compressors via one or more engines and
for each of the one
or more engines, transporting exhaust produced by one of the one or more
engines to a second heat
exchanger, the second heat exchanger to indirectly transfer heat from the
exhaust to a flow of an
intermediate working fluid, thereby to cause the ORC unit to generate
electrical power.
[15] In an embodiment, the heat transferred from the exhaust to the
intermediate working fluid
of the second heat exchanger may be utilized in a hot fluid intake of the ORC
unit. The heat
transferred from the flow of gas to the intermediate working fluid of the
first heat exchanger may
be utilized in a warm fluid intake of the ORC unit.
1161 Other embodiments of the disclosure are directed to a method for
generating power in an
organic Rankine cycle (ORC) operation to supply electrical power to one or
more of operational
equipment, a grid power structure, or an energy storage device. The method may
include
determining an inlet temperature of a flow of compressed gas from a source to
a heat exchanger.
The source may be connected to a main pipeline. The main pipeline may be
connected to a supply
pipeline. The supply pipeline may be connected to the heat exchanger thereby
to allow compressed
gas to flow from the source to the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may be
positioned to transfer
heat from the flow of compressed gas to a flow of a working fluid, thereby to
cause an ORC unit
to generate electrical power. The method may include determining an outlet
temperature of the
flow of the compressed gas from the heat exchanger to a return pipeline. The
method may include,
in response to a determination that the outlet temperature is within a
selected operating temperature
range, one or more of: adjusting a bypass valve to a position sufficient to
maintain temperature of
the flow of compressed gas within the selected operating temperature range, or
adjusting the flow
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of working fluid to a percentage sufficient to maintain temperature of the
flow of compressed gas
within a selected operating temperature range. The flow of working fluid may
be adjusted to the
percentage via a control valve being adjusted to a particular opened/closed
position. The bypass
valve may be positioned on a bypass pipeline. The bypass pipeline may be
positioned to connect
the supply pipeline to the return pipeline. The bypass pipeline may be
positioned to allow via the
bypass valve a portion of the flow of compressed gas therethrough, thereby to
cause the flow of
compressed gas to be diverted directly from the supply pipeline to the return
pipeline to increase
temperature of the flow of compressed gas from the heat exchanger.
[17] Other embodiments of the disclosure are directed to a method for
generating power during
gas compression to supply electrical power to one or more of operational
equipment, a grid power
structure, or an energy storage device. The method may include sensing, via an
inlet temperature
sensor, an inlet temperature of a flow of compressed gas from a source to a
heat exchanger. The
source may be connected to a main pipeline. The main pipeline may be connected
to a supply
pipeline. The supply pipeline may be connected to the heat exchanger thereby
to allow compressed
gas to flow from the source to the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger
positioned to transfer heat
from the flow of compressed gas to a flow of a working fluid, thereby to
generate electrical power.
The method may include sensing, via an outlet temperature sensor, an outlet
temperature of the
flow of the compressed gas from the heat exchanger to a return pipeline. The
method may include,
in response to a determination that the outlet temperature is within a
temperature range, adjusting
a bypass valve to a position sufficient to maintain temperature of the flow of
compressed gas within
the temperature range. The bypass valve positioned on a bypass pipeline. The
bypass pipeline
positioned to connect the supply pipeline to the return pipeline. The bypass
pipeline positioned to
allow via the bypass valve a portion of the flow of compressed gas
therethrough, thereby to cause
the flow of compressed gas to be diverted directly from the supply pipeline to
the return pipeline
to increase temperature of the flow of compressed gas from the heat exchanger.
[18] Still other aspects and advantages of these embodiments and other
embodiments, are
discussed in detail herein. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the
foregoing information
and the following detailed description provide merely illustrative examples of
various aspects and
embodiments, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for
understanding the nature
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and character of the claimed aspects and embodiments. Accordingly, these and
other objects, along
with advantages and features of the present invention herein disclosed, will
become apparent
through reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings.
Furthermore, it is
to be understood that the features of the various embodiments described herein
are not mutually
exclusive and may exist in various combinations and permutations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[19] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the disclosure will
become better
understood with regard to the following descriptions, claims, and accompanying
drawings. It is to
be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only several embodiments of
the disclosure and,
therefore, are not to be considered limiting of the scope of the disclosure.
[20] FIG. 1A, FIG 1B, and FIG. 1C are block diagrams illustrating novel
implementations of
electrical power generation enabled facilities to provide electrical power to
one or more of
equipment, energy storage devices, and the grid power structure, according to
one or more
embodiments of the disclosure.
[21] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a novel implementation of another
electrical power
generation enabled facility to provide electrical power to one or more of
equipment, energy storage
devices, and the grid power structure, according to one or more embodiments of
the disclosure.
[22] FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are other block diagrams illustrating novel
implementations of
electrical power generation enabled facilities to provide electrical power to
one or more of
equipment, energy storage devices, and the grid power structure, according to
one or more
embodiments of the disclosure.
[23] FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are other block diagrams illustrating novel
implementations of
electrical power generation enabled facilities to provide electrical power to
one or more of
equipment, energy storage devices, and the grid power structure, according to
one or more
embodiments of the disclosure.
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[24] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating novel implementations of one or
more sites to provide
heated fluid to an ORC unit to generate electrical power, according to one or
more embodiments
of the disclosure.
[25] FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C, FIG. 6D, FIG. 6E, and FIG. 6F are block
diagrams illustrating
novel implementations of an organic Rankin cycle (ORC) unit receiving warm
and/or hot fluid
from one or more heat exchangers via a supply manifold and a return manifold,
according to one
or more embodiments of the disclosure.
[26] FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are simplified diagrams illustrating a control system
for managing
electrical power production at a facility, according to one or more
embodiments of the disclosure.
1271 FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, FIG. 8C, and FIG. 8D are flow diagrams of electrical
power generation
in which, during gas compression, working fluid heated via the flow of gas
facilitates ORC
operations, according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure.
[28] FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B are flow diagrams of electrical power generation in
which, during
gas compression, working fluid is heated via engine exhaust and/or water
jacket fluid flow,
according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[29] So that the manner in which the features and advantages of the
embodiments of the systems
and methods disclosed herein, as well as others that will become apparent, may
be understood in
more detail, a more particular description of embodiments of systems and
methods briefly
summarized above may be had by reference to the following detailed description
of embodiments
thereof, in which one or more are further illustrated in the appended
drawings, which form a part
of this specification. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings
illustrate only various
embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein and are therefore not
to be considered
limiting of the scope of the systems and methods disclosed herein as it may
include other effective
embodiments as well.
1301 The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for generating
electrical power
(e.g., via an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) operation) based on heat from a flow
of gas and other
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sources to thereby supply electrical power to one or more of equipment or
operational equipment,
a grid power structure, an energy storage device, and/or other devices.
Transport or transfer of gas
via pipeline typically includes compressing the gas one or more times prior to
the transportation
or transfer to ensure the gas is capable of flowing to the end destination. As
the gas is compressed,
the gas may become heated. Further, the equipment used to compress the gas may
become heated
or produce heat in various ways. In addition, prior to transport, the flow of
gas is typically cooled.
The flow of gas is cooled by a gas cooler (e.g., an on-site heat exchanger,
such as an air-cooler).
Such a gas cooler may operate at a set speed, while in other embodiments the
gas cooler may
operate at variable speeds, for example based on the temperature of the flow
of gas entering the
gas cooler and the desired temperature of the flow of gas exiting the air-
cooler. The heat generated
via the compression of the flow gas, as well as the heat produced by the
equipment on-site may be
utilized via either external and/or internal heat exchangers to produce
electrical power (e.g., via
one or more ORC units or other equipment configured to convert heat to
electrical power).
[31] In such examples, ORC generators or units typically use a pipeline in
communication with
heat sources to allow a working fluid to change phase from liquid to vapor. As
the working fluid
changes phase from a liquid to a vaporous state, the vaporous state working
fluid may flow up the
pipe or pipeline to a gas expander. The vaporous state working fluid may flow
through and cause
the gas expander to rotate. The rotation of the gas expander may cause a
generator to generate
electrical power, as will be described below. The vaporous state working fluid
may flow through
the gas expander to a heat sink, condenser, or other cooling apparatus. The
heat sink, condenser,
or other cooling apparatus may cool the working fluid thereby causing the
working fluid to change
phases from a vapor to a liquid.
[32] In the present disclosure, a supply pipeline may be connected to a main
pipeline to divert
a flow of gas from the main pipeline. Downstream of the connection between the
main pipeline
and supply pipeline, a return pipeline may be connected to the main pipeline.
The supply pipeline
may connect to the inlet of a heat exchanger (e.g., the heat exchanger
external or internal to an
ORC unit) to allow the diverted gas to flow through the heat exchanger thereby
facilitating transfer
of heat from the flow of gas to a working fluid. The cooled gas may flow from
the heat exchanger
back to the main pipeline via the return pipeline. A supply control valve may
be positioned on the
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supply pipeline and a return control valve may be positioned on the return
pipeline, thereby to
control flow to/from the heat exchanger. Temperature sensors and/or sensors or
meters to measure
other characteristics of the flow of gas may be disposed and/or positioned at
various points at each
of the pipelines. For example, a temperature sensor and/or the other sensors
or meters may be
disposed and/or positioned at or near the inlet and/or outlet of the heat
exchanger and/or at varying
other points along the main pipeline. Further, a bypass fluidic conduit,
pipeline, section of pipeline,
piping, or pipe may be positioned between and connect the supply pipeline to
the return. A bypass
valve may be positioned on the bypass fluidic conduit or pipeline thereby to
divert a portion of the
flow of gas from the heat exchanger. The portion of the flow of gas diverted
from the heat
exchanger may heat the remaining portion of the flow of gas from the heat
exchanger. In addition
to or rather than utilizing the bypass valve to maintain heat, the rate or
amount of working fluid
flowing through the heat exchanger may be adjusted (e.g., via a flow control
device) to maintain
or adjust a temperature of the flow of gas. The position or degree at which
the bypass valve is
opened/closed and/or the rate or amount of the flow of working fluid through
the working fluid
may be determined based on temperature measurements of the flow of gas, in
addition to a
threshold or operating range of the flow of gas and/or temperature and/or flow
rate or amount of
the flow of working fluid in the heat exchanger, among other factors. The
threshold may be based
on the temperature at which volatiles condense in a flow of gas (e.g.,
including, but not limited to,
a dew point of the flow of gas). The operating range may be based, at least in
part, on the same
temperature of another selected temperature desired for the flow of gas. Thus,
heat from the flow
of gas may be utilized to generate electrical power in an ORC unit, while
maintaining the
temperature of the flow of gas above such a threshold or within such an
operating range.
[33] Additionally, and as noted, other equipment may produce heat in various
ways_ For
example, one or more engines corresponding to and used to operate the
compressors may produce
exhaust. The exhaust produced may be output from one or more of the one or
more engines at a
high temperature. The exhaust produced by one or more of the one or more
engines may be
transported or transferred to a heat exchanger to transfer heat to a working
fluid to produce
electrical power in the ORC unit. In another embodiment, a water jacket may
surround one of the
one or more engines to cool that engine during operation. Heat emanating from
or produced by the
engine may be transferred to the fluid contained within the water jacket. The
fluid within the water
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jacket may be transported or transferred to a heat exchanger to transfer heat
to a working fluid to
produce electrical power in the ORC unit
1341 Such systems may include various components, devices, or
apparatuses, such as
temperature sensors, pressure sensors or transducers, flow meters, control
valves, smart valves,
valves actuated via control signal, controllers, a master or supervisory
controller, other computing
devices, computing systems, user interfaces, in-field equipment, and/or other
equipment. The
controller may monitor and adjust various aspects of the system to ensure that
a flow of gas does
not drop below the threshold where volatiles may condense in the flow of gas,
that the temperature
of the flow of gas stays below the threshold where a compressor or pump
provides a higher output,
that the flow of gas remains within a selected operating range, that the
working fluid remains
within a selected operating range, and/or that electrical power is generated
efficiently and
economically.
1351 FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 1C are block diagrams illustrating novel
implementations of
electrical power generation enabled facilities to provide electrical power to
one or more of
equipment, energy storage devices, and the grid power structure, according to
one or more
embodiments of the disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, a site 100, such as
a pumping station,
well, a landfill gas recovery facility, an agricultural gas recovery facility,
a renewable natural gas
facility, or other facility where gas is compressed prior to further transport
or processing, may
include an input pipeline for gas 102. The gas 102 may flow into a storage
tank 104 or staging
area. The gas 102 may flow directly to a compressor 106 or may flow from the
storage tank 104
to the compressor 106. The compressor 106 may be driven or operated by an
engine 108 or one or
more engines. The compressor 106 may compress the flow of gas. A main pipeline
111 may be
connected to or in fluid communication with the output of the compressor 106.
In an embodiment,
the main pipeline 111 may be an existing pipeline at the site 100. As an ORC
kit or equipment is
installed at the site, various other pipelines, sensors, valves, and/or other
equipment may be added.
For example, a supply pipeline 113 may be connected to the main pipeline 1 1 l
thereby creating
fluid communication between the main pipeline 111 and the supply pipeline 113.
A return pipeline
115 may be connected to the main pipeline 111 thereby creating fluid
communication between the
return pipeline 115 and the main pipeline 111. A main control valve 124 may be
positioned on the
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main pipeline 111. The main control valve 124 may be positioned between the
connection point
between a supply pipeline 113 and the main pipeline 111 and a return pipeline
115 and the main
pipeline 111. Further, a first main pipeline sensor 110 may be positioned
prior to or before the
main control valve 124 to measure the temperature of the flow of gas from the
compressor 106. If
the temperature of the flow of gas is at a temperature sufficient to cause the
ORC unit 174 to
generate electrical power, then the main control valve 124 may be fully or
partially closed.
Depending on the source of the gas and ambient temperature, among other
factors, the temperature
of the flow of gas after compression may be sufficient for use in, at least, a
low temperature ORC
operation to produce an amount of electrical power 199. The electrical power
199 may be
transferred to the equipment at the site 100, to an energy storage device
(e.g., if excess power is
available), to equipment at other nearby sites, to the grid or grid power
structure (e.g., via a
transformer through power lines), to other types of equipment (e.g.,
cryptographic currency and/or
blockchain miners, hydrolyzers, carbon capture machines, nearby structures
such as residential or
business structures or buildings, and/or other power destinations) or some
combination thereof. In
an embodiment, a low temperature or warm fluid ORC operation may include heat
transfer (e.g.,
from the flow of gas or from an intermediate working fluid) to a working fluid
of the ORC unit
174. The working fluid of the ORC unit 174 may be of a type that has a low
vaporous phase change
threshold. In other words, the working fluid may change from a liquid to a
vapor at lower than
typical temperatures.
[36] If the main control valve 124 is closed or partially closed, the flow of
gas or portion of the
flow of gas may be diverted through the supply pipeline 113. The supply
pipeline 113 may be
connected to an inlet of a heat exchanger 117 (see FIGS. IA and 1B) or
directly connected to a
warm fluid inlet or input of an ORC unit 174 (see FIG 1C). Further, the heat
exchanger 117 or
ORC unit 174 may be connected to the supply pipeline 113 via a supply control
valve 112. The
heat exchanger 117 or a heat exchanger internal to the ORC unit 174 may
include two or more
fluidic paths. The flow of gas may travel through one of the fluidic paths in
a first direction. A
working fluid or inteimediate working fluid may travel through a second
fluidic path in an opposite
direction. Such a configuration may facilitate transfer of heat from the flow
of gas to the working
fluid or intermediate working fluid. An intermediate working fluid may flow
directly into an ORC
unit 174 or into a storage tank 166. As noted, rather than an intermediate
working fluid flowing
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into a heat exchanger (e.g., heat exchanger 117) external to the ORC unit 174,
the flow of gas may
flow directly into the ORC unit 174 (e.g., into a heat exchanger internal to
the ORC unit 174). In
such examples, the flow of gas, after compression, may be at a temperature of
about 30 C to about
150 C. The transfer of heat from the flow of gas to the working fluid may
cause the working fluid
to heat to temperatures of about 60 C to about 150 C. In an embodiment, if the
temperature of the
flow of gas is below a threshold defined by a temperature sufficient to
generate electrical power
via the ORC unit, then one or more of the supply control valve 112, return
control valve 142,
and/or the main control valve 124 may close. In another embodiment, the amount
of working fluid
flowing through the heat exchanger 117 may be adjusted (e.g., via a flow
control device). If the
temperature of the flow of gas is lower than sufficient to cause generation of
electrical power, the
flow of working fluid may be increased for a selected amount of time. After
the selected amount
of' time has passed, the temperature of the working fluid may be determined so
that further
adjustments may be made to ensure generation of electrical power.
[37] In an embodiment, a storage tank 166 may be positioned between the heat
exchanger 117
and the ORC unit 174 store heated intermediate working fluid. If the
intermediate working fluid
is at a temperature above a high temperature threshold or below a low
temperature threshold or
within a working fluid operating range, then the intermediate working fluid
may be stored in the
storage tank 166, until the correct temperature is reached. Otherwise, an
intermediate working
fluid valve 168 may be opened, allowing the intermediate working fluid to flow
into the ORC unit
174. In another embodiment, the intermediate working fluid valve's position
may be determined
based on the temperature and/or pressure of the intermediate working fluid,
e.g., as measured by a
heat exchanger outlet temperature sensor 164, a storage tank outlet
temperature and/or pressure
sensor 170, an ORC unit inlet temperature sensor 172, a heat exchanger inlet
temperature sensor
178, a temperature measured in the ORC unit 174, and/or other pressure sensors
positioned
throughout. Additional temperature sensors, pressure sensors or transducers,
or other suitable
sensor or measurement devices may be disposed or positioned throughout the
site 100. In an
embodiment, the storage tank 166 may be an expansion tank, such as a bladder
or diaphragm
expansion tank. The expansion tank may accept a varying volume of the
intermediate working
fluid as the pressure within the working fluid pipeline varies, as will be
understood by a person
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skilled in the art. Thus, the expansion tank may manage any pressure changes
exhibited by the
intermediate working fluid.
1381 As noted, the flow of gas may be maintained at a temperature above a
threshold to ensure
that volatiles do not condense in the flow of gas, below a threshold to ensure
that a downstream
compressor or pump (e.g., compressor 138) outputs a higher rate of flow of the
gas, or within a
selected operating range to ensure a maximum amount of electrical power is
generated (e.g., a
temperature of the gas such that the working fluid is heated to about 60
degree Celsius to about
170 degrees Celsius or higher, while maintaining the lowest potential
temperature of the gas) Such
volatiles may include ethanes, propanes, butanes, heavier straight-chain
alkanes having 7 to 12
carbon atoms, thiols or mercaptans, carbon dioxide, cyclohexane, other
naphthenes, benzene,
toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzene, and/or other high alkanes. In addition, the
water may condense in
the flow of gas at or below such a threshold. Such volatiles and condensates
may lead to scaling,
precipitates, corrosion, inefficient performance of operational equipment,
and/or malfunction or
other issues with operational equipment (e.g., pumps, valves, etc.). To
maintain the temperature
above and/or below a threshold or within a selected operating range, the site
100 may include a
bypass fluidic conduit 119 or pipeline/section of pipeline connecting the
supply pipeline 113 to
the return pipeline 115. A bypass control valve 116 may be positioned on the
bypass fluidic conduit
119 or pipeline/section of pipeline. The temperature of the flow of gas in the
supply pipeline 113
(e.g., provided or sensed via temperature sensor 114) and the flow of gas in
the return pipeline 115
(e.g., provided or sensed via temperature sensor 118 and/or temperature sensor
120) may be
determined. Such measurements may indicate that the temperature of the flow of
the gas is too low
or below the threshold defined by the temperature at which volatiles begin to
condense in the flow
of gas, that the flow of gas is too high or above the threshold defined by the
temperature at which
the compressor or pump (e.g., compressor 138) does not output a higher rate of
flow of gas, and/or
that the temperature of the flow gas is not within a selected operating range.
Based on such
determinations, indications, and/or other factors, the bypass control valve
116, by opening to a
specified position or degree, may divert a portion of the flow of gas from the
heat exchanger 117.
In other words, a portion of the flow of gas may flow directly from the supply
pipeline 113 to the
return pipeline 115 thereby increasing or decreasing the temperature of the
flow of gas, such a
temperature indicated or measured by temperature sensor 120. One or more
adjustments of the
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bypass control valve 116 may occur until the temperature of the flow of gas is
above the threshold
or within the selected operating range. Other factors for determining the
position of the bypass
control valve 116 may include the temperature of flow of gas in the supply
pipeline 113, the
temperature of the flow of gas in the return pipeline 115, the temperature of
the flow of gas after
exiting a compressor 106 (e.g., as measured by temperature sensor 110), the
temperature of the
flow of gas prior to entry into a gas cooler 128 (e.g., as measured by
temperature sensor 126), the
temperature of the flow of gas after passing through the gas cooler 128 (e g ,
as measured by
temperature sensor 132), a predicted temperature drop of the flow of gas after
passage through the
gas cooler 128 (e.g., through a first fluidic channel 130), the temperature of
the flow of gas further
downstream (e.g., for example, at temperature sensor 136, prior to passage
into the compressor
138), and/or the amount of electrical power output 199 or generated by the ORC
unit 174. Based
on these measurements, the bypass control valve 116 may open/close to a
specified degree. Other
valves may open/close to adjust the flow of the gas to increase/decrease
various temperatures for
different purposes (e.g., increasing a temperature of a working fluid,
increasing/decreasing a
temperature of the flow of gas, etc.).
[39] In an embodiment, rather than or in addition to controlling or
maintaining temperature of
the flow of' gas via a bypass control valve, the temperature of the flow of
gas may be controlled
via the rate or amount of flow of working fluid flowing through the heat
exchanger 117. The flow
of working fluid through the heat exchanger 117 may be controlled via one or
more flow control
devices, such as pumps and/or control valves. As the rate or amount of flow of
working fluid is
increased or decreased, the amount of heat transferred from the flow of gas
may increase or
decrease, respectively. Thus, the temperature of the flow of gas may be
decreased or increased in
relation to the flow of working fluid.
[40] In an embodiment, compression of the flow of gas may be performed one or
more times.
For each compression stage similar components may be included and may perform
the same or
similar operations for each different stage of compression. Further, the
temperature at which a
downstream compressor outputs higher rates of a flow of gas may be considered
a threshold below
or limit in the selected operating range which the temperature of the flow of
gas is maintained in
previous stages. For example, a flow of gas compressed via compressor 106 may
be transported to
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storage tank 134 or directly to compressor 138 (e.g., a second compressor).
The compressor 138
may be operated or driven by the same engine 108 or by a different engine. The
compressor 138
may connect to a main pipeline 157. A supply pipeline 141 may connect to the
main pipeline 157.
Downstream of the supply line 141 and main pipeline 157 connection, the return
pipeline 155 may
connect to the main pipeline 157. A main control valve 154 may be positioned
between the supply
pipeline 141-main pipeline 157 connection and the return pipeline 155-main
pipeline 157
connection. The main control valve 154 may be open when the ORC unit 174 is
not operating
and/or when the flow of compressed gas is not at a temperature (e.g., as
measured via temperature
sensor 140) sufficient to generate electrical power via the ORC unit. If the
temperature of the flow
of gas is sufficient to generate electrical power, the main control valve 154
may be closed and the
flow of gas diverted to the supply pipeline 141.
[41] The supply pipeline 141 and the return pipeline 155 may connect to the
heat exchanger
117, to a separate heat exchanger, or directly to an ORC unit 174. A supply
control valve 122 may
be positioned on the supply pipeline 141 to control the flow of gas to the
heat exchanger 117. A
return control valve 152 may be positioned on the return pipeline 155 to
control the flow of gas
from the heat exchanger 117. The open/closed position of the supply control
valve 122 and the
return control valve 152 may be determined based on various characteristics of
the flow of gas,
such as the temperature of the flow of gas from the compressor 138 (e.g., as
measured or sensed
by the temperature sensor 140), the temperature of the flow of gas entering
the heat exchanger 117
(e.g., as measured or sensed by the temperature sensor 144), the temperature
of the flow of gas
exiting the heat exchanger 117 (e.g., as measured or sensed by the temperature
sensor 148 and/or
temperature sensor 150), the temperature of the flow of gas before entering
and/or exiting the on-
site heat exchanger (e.g., as measured or sensed by the temperature sensor 156
and/or temperature
sensor 162), and/or other characteristics measured or determined by other
sensors disposed
throughout the site 100. In an embodiment, the flow of gas may be comprised of
one or more of
natural gas, renewable natural gas, landfill gas, and organic waste gas.
[42] Similar to the configuration described above, a bypass fluidic conduit
145 or pipeline may
connect the supply pipeline 141 to the return pipeline 155. The flow of gas
from the supply pipeline
141 to the return pipeline 155 may be controlled by a bypass control valve 146
positioned on the
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bypass fluidic conduit 145 or pipeline. The open/closed position of the bypass
control valve 152
and/or the rate or amount of the flow of working fluid through the heat
exchanger may be
determined based on various characteristics of the flow of gas, such as the
temperature of the flow
of gas from the compressor 138 (e.g., as measured or sensed by the temperature
sensor 140), the
temperature of the flow of gas entering the heat exchanger 117 (e.g., as
measured or sensed by the
temperature sensor 144), the temperature of the flow of gas exiting the heat
exchanger 117, (e.g.,
as measured or sensed by the temperature sensor 148 and/or temperature sensor
150), the ambient
temperature of the site 100 (e.g., as measured or sensed by a temperature
sensor 149 configured to
measure ambient temperature) and/or other characteristics (flow, composition,
density, pressure,
etc.) measured, sensed, or determined by other sensors disposed throughout the
site 100. FIGS. 1A
through 1C illustrate a two-stage compression operation. In such operations,
as the flow of gas
passes through the fluidic channel 158 of the gas cooler 128, the compressed
and cooled gas 165
may be output for transport to another pumping station, to further processing
equipment, or for
other uses/processing.
[43] In an embodiment, the sensors and/or meters disposed throughout the site
100 may be
temperature sensors, densitometers, density measuring sensors, pressure
transducers, pressure
sensors, flow meters, turbine flow meters, mass flow meters, Coriolis meters,
spectrometers, other
measurement sensors to determine a temperature, pressure, flow, composition,
density, or other
variables as will be understood by those skilled in the art, or some
combination thereof. Further,
the sensors and/or meters may be in fluid communication with a fluid to
measure the temperature,
pressure, or flow or may indirectly measure flow (e.g., an ultrasonic sensor).
In other words, the
sensors or meters may be a clamp-on device to measure flow indirectly (such as
via ultrasound
passed through the pipeline to the fluid).
[44] As noted, the engine 108 or one or more engines may produce exhaust
exhibiting high heat
or temperature. The exhaust may be transported via an exhaust duct 185 or
pipeline to a heat
exchanger 186 or ORC unit 174. After the exhaust flows through the heat
exchanger 186 or the
ORC unit 174, the exhaust may be output to the atmosphere. In another
embodiment, prior to
output to the atmosphere, the exhaust may be filtered or passed through a
catalyst to remove
specific chemicals deemed harmful to the environment. In another embodiment,
prior to input into
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the heat exchanger 186, the exhaust may be filtered or pass through a catalyst
to prevent buildup
within the heat exchanger 186. In an embodiment, the exhaust duct 185 or
pipeline may include
an exhaust valve 181. In an embodiment, the exhaust from the engine 108 may be
at a high
temperature or have a high thermal mass (e.g., temperature of the exhaust
multiplied by the flow
rate of the exhaust). If the temperature or thermal mass of the exhaust (e.g.,
as measured by
temperature sensor 180) is outside of a range (e.g., defined by the operating
temperature range of
the heat exchanger 186, ORC unit 174, or other equipment or devices
interacting with the exhaust
and/or based on thermal mass) or above or below a threshold, the exhaust
control valve 181 may
close thereby partially or fully preventing the exhaust from flowing to the
heat exchanger 186. If
the exhaust control valve 181 is fully closed, the exhaust may be fully
diverted to a typical exhaust
output. If the exhaust control valve 181 is partially closed, the exhaust may
be partially diverted
to a typical exhaust output, while the remaining portion may flow to the heat
exchanger 181. The
partial or full prevention of the flow of exhaust to the heat exchanger 186
may prevent interruption
of catalyst performance of the engine 108 and/or deposition of particulates in
equipment.
[45] In another embodiment, the flow of exhaust, prior to flowing through the
heat exchanger
186, may pass through a filter 187, converter, or some other device to reduce
particulates within
the exhaust As noted, the exhaust may cause scaling and/or deposition of such
particulates. The
filter 187 or other device may ensure that the heat exchanger 186 may not
exhibit such scaling
and/or deposition of particulates or may not exhibit the scaling and/or
deposition at rates higher
than if there were no filter 187 or other device.
[46] The engine 108 or one or more engines may include a water jacket. As an
engine 108
operates, the water or other coolant inside the water jacket may indirectly
remove heat from the
engine 108. Heat from the engine 108 may be transferred to the water or other
coolant, thereby
producing heated water or other coolant. The heated water or other coolant may
pass through a
radiator or other type of heat exchanger to reduce the temperature of heated
water or coolant, the
cooled water or coolant then flowing back to the water jacket to cool the
engine 108. In an
embodiment, the output of the water jacket may connect to a pipeline to divert
the flow of water
to the heat exchanger 189. A water jacket control valve 183 may be positioned
on the pipeline to
control the flow water or coolant from the water jacket. A pipeline may be
connected to the input
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of the water jacket to return the water or other coolant to the water jacket.
In such embodiments,
rather than or in addition to the water or other coolant passing through the
typical radiator or heat
exchanger, the heated water or other coolant may pass through heat exchanger
189. In another
embodiment, the engine's 108 water jacket may be configured to transport the
water or other
coolant directly to an ORC unit 174. In another embodiment, the water jacket
control valve 183
may close if the water or other coolant is outside a selected operating range
(e.g., if the water or
other coolant is too cool, then, if utilized, water or other coolant may not
be sufficient for the ORC
unit 174 to generate electrical power, and/or if the water or coolant is too
hot, then, if utilized, the
heated water or other coolant may damage equipment not rated for a high
temperature) thus
preventing fluid from flowing to the heat exchanger 189 and/or the ORC unit 1
74 . Temperature of
the water or coolant may be determined or sensed via one or more temperature
sensors (e.g.,
temperature sensors 182, 184). The temperature of the working fluid or
intermediate working fluid
may be determined or sensed via one or more temperature sensors (e.g.,
temperature sensors 193,
195).
[47] In an embodiment, the heat may be transferred from the engine's 108
exhaust to an
intermediate working fluid or a working fluid. The intermediate working fluid
may be stored in
another storage tank 192 or expansion tank. The temperature of the
intermediate working fluid
fl owing from the heat exchanger 186 may be determined based on measurements
from temperature
sensors 190, 191. The temperature of the intermediate working fluid may be
measured at various
other points, such as after the storage tank or the storage tank control valve
194 (e.g., temperature
sensor 196 and/or temperature sensor 198), or prior to entry into the heat
exchanger 186. Based on
these measurements, the storage tank control valve 194 may open or close to
prevent or allow the
storage tank 192 to fill up and/or to prevent over-filling the storage tank
192. In an embodiment,
the storage tank 192 may be an expansion tank, such as a bladder or diaphragm
expansion tank.
The expansion tank may accept a varying volume of the intermediate working
fluid as the pressure
within the working fluid pipeline varies, as will be understood by a person
skilled in the art. Thus,
the expansion tank may manage any pressure changes exhibited by the
intermediate working fluid.
[48] In an embodiment, various temperature sensors and/or other sensors or
meters may be
disposed and/or positioned throughout the site 100, 101, 103. In another
embodiment, the heat
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exchangers and/or ORC units may be added to the site as a kit. In such
examples, and as illustrated
in FIG. 1B, temperature sensors and/or other sensors or meters may be included
in the added kit
(e.g., along added or installed conduits or pipelines) installed at a site
101, rather than in existing
equipment. As such, temperature drops of gas passing through gas coolers 128
may be predicted,
rather than measured. Such predictions may be based on the temperature of the
flow of gas from
the heat exchanger 117, the temperature of the flow of gas entering the heat
exchanger 117, the
type of gas coolers 128, the type or types of gas in the flow of gas, the
ambient temperature (e.g.,
as measured by temperature sensor 149, and/or temperatures of the flow of gas
after further
compression as measured by other temperature sensors. In an embodiment, the
gas cooler 128 may
be an air-cooler. The air-cooler may include one or more fans 160 to cool
fluid flowing
therethrough.
[49] In an embodiment, different types of heat exchangers may be utilized at
the site 100, 101.
As noted, the heat exchanger may be internal to the ORC unit 174 and/or
external to the ORC unit
174. In an embodiment, the heat exchanger 117, 186 may be a shell and tube
heat exchanger, a
spiral plate or coil heat exchanger, a heliflow heat exchanger, or another
heat exchanger configured
to withstand high temperatures. To prevent damage or corrosion to the heat
exchanger 117, 186
over a period of time, the fluid path for the flow of gas may be configured to
withstand damage or
corrosion by including a permanent, semi-permanent, or temporary anti-
corrosive coating, an
injection point for anti-corrosive chemical additive injections, and/or some
combination thereof.
Further, at least one fluid path of the heat exchanger 117, 186 may be
comprised of an anti-
corrosive material, e.g., anti-corrosive metals or polymers.
1501 In an example, the working fluid may be a fluid with a low boiling point
and/or high
condensation point. In other words, a working fluid may boil at lower
temperatures (for example,
in relation to water), while condensing at higher temperatures (e.g., in
relation to water) as will be
understood by a person skilled in the art. The working fluid may be an organic
working fluid. The
working fluid may be one or more of pentafluoropropane, carbon dioxide,
ammonia and water
mixtures, tetrafluoroethane, isobutene, propane, pentane, perfluorocarbons,
other hydrocarbons, a
zeotropic mixture of pentafluoropentane and cyclopentane, other zeotropic
mixtures, and/or other
fluids or fluid mixtures. The working fluid's boiling point and condensation
point may be different
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depending on the pressure within the working fluid pipelines e.g., the higher
the pressure, the
higher the boiling point. In another example, an intermediate working fluid
may be a fluid with a
higher boiling point. For example, the intermediate working fluid may be a
water or water glycol
mixture. In such examples, as heat is transferred from the flow of gas, the
exhaust, the fluid from
the water jacket, and/or from another source, the intermediate working fluid
may, rather than
exhibiting a vaporous phase change, remain in a liquid phase, while retaining
the transferred heat.
As a liquid, the higher boiling point intermediate working fluid may be more
manageable and/or
easier to transport through the pipelines.
[51] In an embodiment, the ORC unit 174 may include a generator, a gas
expander, a condenser,
an internal heat exchanger, and a loop for the flow of working fluid. As an
intermediate working
fluid or other fluid flows into the ORC unit 174, the internal heat exchanger
may facilitate transfer
of heat in the intermediate working fluid or other fluid to a working fluid of
the ORC unit 174.
The heat may cause the working fluid of the ORC unit 174 to exhibit a phase
change from a liquid
to a vapor. The vaporous working fluid may flow into the gas expander. In an
example, the gas
expander may be a turbine expander, positive displacement expander, scroll
expander, screw
expander, twin-screw expander, vane expander, piston expander, other
volumetric expander,
and/or any other expander suitable for an ORC operation or cycle As gas flows
through the gas
expander, a rotor or other component connected to the gas expander may begin
to turn, spin, or
rotate. The rotor may include an end with windings. The end with windings may
correspond to a
stator including windings and a magnetic field (e.g., the end with windings
and stator with
windings being a generator). As the rotor spins within the stator, electricity
may be generated.
Other generators may be utilized, as will be understood by those skilled in
the art. The generator
may produce DC power, AC power, single phase power, or three phase power. The
vaporous
working fluid may then flow from the gas expander to a condenser, where the
vaporous working
fluid may exhibit a phase change back to the liquid working fluid. The liquid
working fluid may
then flow back to the internal heat exchanger, the process repeating.
[52] The site 100, as shown utilizes an ORC unit 174 to generate electrical
power. In another
embodiment, rather than or in addition to the ORC unit 174, other geothermal-
based generators
may be utilized to generate electrical power using the heat transferred to the
working fluid from
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the flow of gas, engine exhaust, and/or fluid from a water jacket. For
example, the geothermal-
based generator may be another type of binary-cycle generator.
[53] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a novel implementation of another
electrical power
generation enabled facility to provide electrical power to one or more of
equipment, operational
equipment, energy storage devices, and the grid power structure, according to
one or more
embodiment of the disclosure. In an embodiment, at site 200, the intermediate
working fluid may
be pumped back from the ORC unit 174 to each heat exchanger 117, 186, 189. In
such examples,
the working fluid return pipeline 206 may include a pump 202 or variable speed
pump. The
working fluid return pipeline 208 may include a pump 204 or variable speed
pump. In another
embodiment, rather than or in addition to a pump 202, 204, control valves may
be disposed along
the working fluid return pipeline 206 to control or further control the
working fluid or intermediate
working fluid flow. In another embodiment, and as will be described in further
detail below, a
supply manifold and a return manifold may be positioned between each heat
exchanger 117, 186
and the ORC unit 174. In such examples, the intermediate working fluid flowing
from each of the
heat exchangers 117, 186 may be consolidated via the supply manifold, creating
a single flow to
the ORC unit 174. The intermediate working fluid may flow from the ORC unit
174 to the return
manifold. From the return manifold, the intermediate working fluid may be
controlled via flow
control device to ensure that an amount of working fluid sufficient to
maximize electrical output
of the ORC unit and/or sufficient to maintain the temperature of the flow of
gas flows to each heat
exchanger 117, 186.
[54] In an embodiment, the operational equipment may include equipment at the
site.
Operational equipment at the site may include pumps, fans (e.g., for gas
cooler 128), one or more
controllers, and/or other equipment at the site to either ensure proper
operation or otherwise. Other
equipment may include equipment to further process the flow of gas. In another
embodiment, the
electrical power generated may be used to power cryptographic currency and/or
blockchain
miners, hydrolyzers, carbon capture machines, nearby structures (e.g.,
residential or business
structures or buildings), and/or other power destinations.
[55] FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are other block diagrams illustrating novel
implementations of
electrical power generation enabled facilities to provide electrical power to
one or more of
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equipment, operational equipment, energy storage devices, and the grid power
structure, according
to one or more embodiment of the disclosure As illustrated in FIG. 3A and FIG.
3B, the site 300,
301 may include a controller 302 to control operations of the control valves
and other aspects of
components or equipment at the site 300, 301 as described herein. In such
examples, the controller
302 may include various inputs/outputs in signal communication with different
components. For
example, a set of inputs of the controller 302 may be in signal communication
with the various
temperature sensors disposed or positioned throughout the site 300, 301. The
site 300, 301 may
further include various other sensors in signal communication with the
controller, such as flow
meters, pressure sensors, pressure transducers, density meters, and/or other
characteristics to
measure various properties of the site 300, 301.
[56] The controller 302 may include a set of inputs/outputs in signal
communication with each
of the control valves included in the site. The controller 302 may determine
the current position of
each valve (e.g., a degree at which control valve is open). Further, the
controller 302 may adjust
the position of each valve to a desired position, depending on different
measured or determined
characteristics of the site 300, 301, thus controlling the flow of gas or
other fluids to different areas
or equipment at the site 300, 301.
[57] As noted, the equipment associated with the ORC unit 174 and/or each of
the heat
exchangers 117, 186 may be installed at a site 300, 301 as a kit. In an
example, the controller 302
may connect to the equipment added at the site 301, rather than any
temperature sensors or control
valves already existing or installed at the site prior to installation of the
kit.
[58] As described, various valves and/or flow rates may be determined based on
a threshold
defined by a temperature at which volatiles may condense in the flow of gas, a
threshold defined
by a temperature where a compressor or pump provides a higher output of gas,
and/or a selected
operating temperature range or window defined by one or more temperatures
(e.g., temperatures
at which volatiles condense in the flow gas, where a compressor or pump
provides a higher output
of gas, the lowest potential temperature the flow of gas may be cooled to,
and/or other temperatures
of other fluids at the site). The controller 302 may determine such thresholds
and/or temperature
ranges. In another embodiment, the thresholds and/or operating ranges may be
preset. In yet
another embodiment, a user may enter the thresholds and/or operating ranges
into the controller
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302 via a user interface. The controller 302 may determine such thresholds
and/or operating ranges
based on the type of' gas, the flow rate of the gas (e.g., determined by a
flow meter positioned at
the site), the density of the gas (e.g., determined by various sensors or
meters positioned at the
site), some other characteristics of the gas, the type of compressor or pump,
and/or operating
characteristics of the compressor or pump.
[59] FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are other block diagrams illustrating novel
implementations of
electrical power generation enabled facilities to provide electrical power to
one or more of
equipment, energy storage devices, and the grid power structure, according to
one or more
embodiment of the disclosure. In an embodiment, the ORC unit 174 may include a
single water or
other fluid intake/outtake 406 (see FIG. 4A) or may include a warm fluid
intake/outtake 176 and/or
a hot fluid intake/outtake 177 (see FIG. 4B). However, as the equipment at the
site 400, 401
operates, if different equipment is utilized (e.g., types of engines or other
equipment), if different
gasses at different temperatures are compressed, and/or as the ambient
temperature fluctuates.
working fluid flowing through a particular heat exchanger (e.g., heat
exchanger 117, heat
exchanger 186, and/or another heat exchanger) may fluctuate from warm to hot
or hot to warm.
As such, if the ORC unit 174 includes a warm fluid intake/outtake 176 and a
hot fluid
intake/outtake 177 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 4B), then as temperatures fluctuate
different working
fluids may be diverted or redirected to the proper intake (e.g., warm or hot
water intake). As
illustrated, the heat exchanger 117, 186 may accept two different fluids
(e.g., a first compressed
and a second compressed gas or exhaust and water jacket fluid). In other
embodiments, each heat
source (e.g., flow of gas, engine exhaust, etc.) may pass through a single
heat exchanger. Further,
each heat exchanger 117, 186 may be brought to the site via a transportation
vehicle, such as a
truck. The heat exchanger 117, 186 may remain on the transportation vehicle
during operation or
may be installed or fixed to the site, for example on a skid.
[60] In an embodiment and as illustrated in FIG. 4A, each heat exchanger, 117,
186, 189 may
connect to a supply valve 402 or manifold to transport the flow of
intermediate working fluid to
the intake of an ORC unit 174. Further, each heat exchanger 117, 186, 189 may
connect to a return
valve 404 or manifold to receive the intermediate fluid from the ORC unit 174.
In another
embodiment, the supply valve 402 or manifold and/or return valve 404 or
manifold may control,
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either directly or indirectly (e.g., via another flow control device), the
amount or rate of flow of
intermediate working fluid flowing to the ORC unit 174 and/or to each heat
exchanger 117, 186,
189.
[61] In another embodiment and as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the site 401 may
include a separate
supply valve 408 or manifold and return valve 410 or manifold for hot
intermediate fluid
supply/return. In such examples, the separate supply valve 408 or manifold and
return valve 410
or manifold may control the flow of intermediate working fluid based on
temperature of the
intermediate working fluid.
[62] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating novel implementations of one or
more sites to provide
heated fluid to an ORC unit to generate electrical power, according to one or
more embodiments
of the disclosure. In an embodiment, the flow of gas at a site 500 may be
compressed more than
two times, as shown previously. For example, a site 500 may include many small
compressors,
one or more large compressors, or some combination thereof. Further, the site
500 may include
one or more engines for one or more of the compressors. The one or more
engines may include
various types of engines, such as a reciprocating engine, a turbine engine, a
fossil fuel based
engine, an electric engine, or other type of engine suitable for use with a
compressor. Depending
on the type of engine utilized, the engine may or may not be utilized as a
type of heat source. For
example, a turbine engine may not include a water jacket, but produce exhaust,
while an electric
engine may not produce exhaust. In another example, other equipment at the
site may generate
heat. In such examples, the other sources of heat may be utilized in
conjunction with a heat
exchanger or directly with the ORC unit. In yet another example, the gas
cooler may be utilized or
reconfigured to heat a working fluid. For example, typical gas coolers may be
air coolers or another
type of heat exchanger. The air cooler may be reconfigured such that a working
fluid is utilized to
cool the flow of gas or new heat exchanger installed. In another example, the
gas cooler may not
be utilized in lieu of the additional heat exchangers (e.g., the gas cooler
may be shut down, as the
flow of gas may be sufficiently cooled prior to the gas cooler).
[63] FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG 6C, FIG. 6D, FIG. 6E, and FIG. 6F are block
diagrams illustrating
novel implementations of an organic Rankin cycle (ORC) unit receiving warm
and/or hot fluid
from one or more heat exchangers via a supply manifold and a return manifold,
according to one
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or more embodiment of the disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 6A, the site may
include a supply
manifold 604 and a return manifold 606 In such examples, an intermediate
working fluid may
coalesce or combine at each manifold (e.g., the supply manifold 604 and the
return manifold 606).
For example, the intermediate working fluid may flow from each of the heat
exchangers 602A,
602B, 602C, 062D, and up to 602N and combine at the supply manifold. The
intermediate working
fluid may then flow through the ORC unit 608 then back to the return manifold
606, where the
intermediate working fluid may then flow back to each of the heat exchangers
602A, 602B, 602C,
062D, and up to 602N. As noted and described herein, a flow of gas 102,
exhaust 646, and/or fluid
from a water jacket 648 may flow to one of the one or more exchangers 602A,
602B, 602C, 062D,
and up to 602N via various valves and pipeline. The supply manifold 604,
return manifold 606,
the flow control devices, the sensors, and/or any other devices described in
FIGS. 6A-6F may be
positioned or disposed at various points in between the ORC units and heat
exchangers in FIG. lA
through FIG. 5.
[64] In FIG. 6B, each pipeline from the heat exchangers 602A, 602B, 602C,
602D, and up to
602N to the supply manifold 604 may include a sensor 642A, 642B, 642C, 642D,
and up to 642N,
such as a temperature sensor, flow meter, or other sensor to measure some
characteristic of the
intermediate working fluid. Each pipeline from the return manifold 606 to the
heat exchangers
602A, 602B, 602C, 602D, and up to 602N may include a sensor 644A, 644B, 644C,
644D, and up
to 644N, such as a temperature sensor, flow meter, or other sensor to measure
some characteristic
of the intermediate working fluid. Further, the pipeline positioned between
the return manifold
606 and the ORC unit 608 may include one or more flow control devices 624,
626, in addition to
one or more sensors 638, 640 (e.g., temperature sensors or some other suitable
sensor), thereby
controlling the flow of intermediate working fluid from the ORC unit 608 to
the return manifold
606. Each pipeline from the return manifold 606 to the heat exchangers 602A,
60213, 602C, 602D,
and up to 602N may further include a flow control device 622A, 622B, 622C,
622D, and up to
622N thereby controlling the flow of the intermediate working fluid from the
return manifold 606
to each of the heat exchangers 602A, 602B, 602C, 602D, and up to 602N.
Utilizing various
combinations of each sensor and each flow control device, the temperature and
flow of the
intermediate working fluid may be concisely controlled_ The pipeline from the
supply manifold
604 to the ORC unit 608 can include a sensor 636 to measure temperature or
some other
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characteristic of the working fluid. Based on the measurements or
determinations of the
temperature or other characteristic of th e working fluid (e.g., flow,
pressure, density, etc.), the fl ow
control devices may adjust the amount of working fluid flowing to each of the
one or more heat
exchangers ensuring that the proper amount of working fluid flows to each of
the one or more
exchangers. For example, one of the heat exchangers may not be producing heat
for use in the
ORC unit 608. In such examples, the flow control device associated with that
particular heat
exchanger may prevent further flow of working fluid to the that heat
exchanger.
[65] In FIG. 6C, the flow control devices positioned between the return
manifold 606 and each
of the one or more heat exchangers 602A, 602B, 602C, 602D, and up to 602N may
be control
valves 628A, 628B, 628C, 628D, and up to 628N. The flow control devices
between the return
manifold 606 and the ORC unit 608 may be a pump 630, while the flow control
device within the
ORC unit 608 may be a pump 632. In FIG. 6D, the flow control devices used
throughout the site
may be pumps 634A, 634B, 634C, 634D, and up to 634N or variable speed pumps.
In FIG. 6E,
the flow control devices may include some combination of one or more control
valves 628A, 628B,
628C, 628D, and up to 628N and/or one or more pumps 634A, 634B, 634C, 634D,
and up to 634N.
In an embodiment, the one or more flow control devices 624, 626, 622A, 622B,
622C, 622D, and
up to 622N may include one or more of a fixed speed pump, a variable speed
drive pump, a control
valve, an actuated valve, or other suitable device to control flow of a fluid.
[66] Finally, in FIG. 6F, the site may include a warm supply manifold 614 and
a warm return
manifold 616, for controlling the flow of warm working fluid from warm water
heat exchangers
610A, 610B, and up to 610N to a warm fluid intake/outtake of the ORC unit 608.
The site may
also include a hot supply manifold 618 and a hot return manifold 620, for
controlling the flow of
hot working fluid from hot water heat exchangers 612A, 612B, and up to 612N to
a hot fluid
intake/outtake of the ORC unit 608.
[67] In such embodiments, the flow of working fluid to any of the heat
exchangers (e.g., heat
exchangers 602A, 602B, 602C, 602D, and up to 602N, warm water heat exchangers
610A, 610B,
and up to 610N, and/or hot water heat exchangers 612A, 612B, and up to 612N)
may be controlled
via the flow control devices to manage, adjust, or maintain a temperature of
the flow of gas, if a
flow of gas flows therethrough. For example, the total percentage of working
fluid flowing to each
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heat exchanger, for example heat exchangers 602A, 602B, 602C, 602D, and up to
602N, may
initially be equal. As temperatures vary and the temperature of the flow of
gas rises or falls, then
the percentage or amount of working fluid to a particular heat exchanger may
be increased or
decreased to lower or raise, respectively, the temperature of the flow of gas
flowing therethrough.
[68] For example, to increase the temperature of a flow of gas flowing through
heat exchanger
602A, flow control device 622A may decrease the percentage of working fluid
flowing to heat
exchanger 602A by about 5%, about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, or up to about
90%. Such a
decrease in the rate of flow may inhibit the transfer of heat to the working
fluid, allowing the
overall temperature of the flow of gas to increase. In another example, to
decrease the temperature
of a flow of gas flowing through heat exchanger 602A, flow control device 622A
may increase the
percentage of working fluid flowing to heat exchanger 602A by about 5%, about
10%, about 15%,
about 20%, or up to about 90%. Such an increase in the rate of flow may
further facilitate the
transfer of heat to the working fluid, allowing the overall temperature of the
flow of gas to
decrease. In either example, the percentage of increase/decrease of the flow
of working fluid may
be based on various factors or variables, such as the desired temperature or
range of temperatures
of the flow of gas, the amount of electrical power currently generated, the
desired amount of
electrical power to be generated, the total temperature and/or flow rate of
the working fluid (e.g.,
the temperature and/or flow rate of the working fluid flowing between the
supply manifold 604
and ORC unit 608), the temperature and/or flow rate of the working fluid
flowing to and/or from
a heat exchanger (e.g., heat exchangers 602A, 602B, 602C, 602D, and up to
602N), the total
amount of working fluid, and/or the rate of flow of working fluid for each
heat exchanger (e.g.,
heat exchangers 602A, 602B, 602C, 602D, and up to 602N). Such working fluid
flow rate
adjustments may be made intermittently or continuously. In a further example,
an adjustment to a
particular working fluid flow rate may be performed and then temperatures,
flow rates, and/or
other characteristics may be determined. Further adjustments may be performed
and temperatures,
flow rates, and/or other characteristics may be determined again. Such
operations may be
performed until the temperature of the flow of gas and/or the working fluid is
at a desired
temperature, with a selected operating range or window, and/or steady-state
temperature.
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[69] FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are simplified diagrams illustrating a control system
for managing
electrical power production at a facility, according to one or more embodiment
of the disclosure.
A master controller 702 may manage the operations of electrical power
generation at a facility
during gas compression. The master controller 702 may be one or more
controllers, a supervisory
controller, programmable logic controller (PLC), a computing device (such as a
laptop, desktop
computing device, and/or a server), an edge server, a cloud based computing
device, and/or other
suitable devices The master controller 702 may be located at or near the
facility or site The master
controller 702 may be located remote from the facility. The master controller
702, as noted, may
be more than one controller. In such cases, the master controller 702 may be
located near or at
various facilities and/or at other off-site locations. The master controller
702 may include a
processor 704, or one or more processors, and memory 706. The memory 706 may
include
instructions. In an example, the memory 706 may be a non-transitory machine-
readable storage
medium. As used herein, a "non-transitory machine-readable storage medium" may
be any
electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage apparatus to contain
or store information
such as executable instructions, data, and the like. For example, any machine-
readable storage
medium described herein may be any of random access memory (RAM), volatile
memory, non-
volatile memory, flash memory, a storage drive (e.g., hard drive), a solid
state drive, any type of
storage disc, and the like, or a combination thereof As noted, the memory 706
may store or include
instructions executable by the processor 704. As used herein, a "processor"
may include, for
example one processor or multiple processors included in a single device or
distributed across
multiple computing devices. The processor may be at least one of a central
processing unit (CPU),
a semiconductor-based microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a
field-programmable
gate array (FPGA) to retrieve and execute instructions, a real time processor
(RTP), other
electronic circuitry suitable for the retrieval and execution instructions
stored on a machine-
readable storage medium, or a combination thereof.
[70] As used herein, "signal communication" refers to electric communication
such as hard
wiring two components together or wireless communication for remote monitoring
and
control/operation, as understood by those skilled in the art. For example,
wireless communication
may be Wi-Fi , Bluetooth , ZigBee, cellular wireless communication, satellite
communication,
or forms of near field communications. In addition, signal communication may
include one or
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more intermediate controllers or relays disposed between elements that are in
signal
communication with one another.
[71] The master controller 702 may include instructions 708 to measure the
temperature at
various points in the facility or at the site. For example, the temperature at
the inlet of one or more
heat exchangers may be measured or sensed from one or more heat exchanger
inlet temperature
sensors 714A, 714B, and up to 714N. The temperature at the outlet of one or
more heat exchangers
may be measured from one or more heat exchanger outlet temperature sensors
716A, 716B, and
up to 716N. The master controller 702 may further include instmctions 712 to
measure the amount
of electrical power output from the ORC unit 722. In an embodiment, the
facility or site may
include one or more ORC units and, in such examples, each ORC unit may connect
to the master
controller 702 to provide, among other information, the amount of electrical
power output over
time.
1721 The master controller 702 may further connect to one or more heat
exchanger valves 720A,
720B, and up to 720N and gas bypass valves 718A, 718B, and up to 718N. The
master controller
702 may include instructions 710 to adjust each of these valves based on
various factors. For
example, if the temperature measured from one of the heat exchangers is below
a threshold or
outside of a selected operating temperature range or window, then the master
controller 702 may
transmit a signal causing one or more of the heat exchanger valves 720A, 720B,
up to 720N to
close. Such a threshold may be defined by the temperature sufficient to ensure
the ORC unit 722
generates an amount of electrical power. The operating temperature range or
window may be
defined by an operating temperature of the ORC unit 722 and/or by the lowest
and highest potential
temperature of the flow of gas. In another example, based on a heat exchanger
inlet temperature
and an outlet temperature, the master controller 702 may adjust, via a signal
transmitted to, one of
the one or more gas bypass valves 718A, 718B, up to 718N. The master
controller 702 may
consider other factors (e.g., temperature, pressure, density, composition,
etc.) as described herein.
[73] As shown in FIG. 7B, the master controller 702 may include instructions
726 to measure
the working fluid temperature via one or more heat exchanger working fluid
inlet temperature
sensor 730A, 730B, up to 730N and/or one or more heat exchanger working fluid
inlet temperature
sensor 732A, 732B, up to 732N. The master controller 702 may include
instructions 728 to adjust
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the flow of working fluid to any one of the one or more heat exchangers based
on the measured
temperatures. The flow of the working fluid may be adjusted by the master
controller 702, as noted,
based on various temperature measurements of the working fluid, via one or
more working fluid
flow control devices 734A, 734B, up to 734N and/or a master flow control
device 736. In an
embodiment, the adjustment of the flow of working fluid may occur to adjust
the temperature of
the flow of gas through a corresponding heat exchanger. Thus, instructions 726
and instructions
728 may be included in or with or may be a sub-routine or sub-module of
instructions 710
[74] In an embodiment, the master controller 702 may connect to a user
interface 724 A user
may interact with the master controller 702 via the user interface 724. The
user may manually
enter each of the thresholds and/or the operating temperature ranges or
windows described herein
and/or may manually adjust any of the control valves described herein.
[75] FIGS. 8A through 8D are flow diagrams of electrical power generation in
which, during
gas compression, working fluid heated via the flow of gas facilitates ORC
operations, according
to one or more embodiment of the disclosure. The method is detailed with
reference to the master
controller 702 and system 700 of FIG. 7A. Unless otherwise specified, the
actions of method 800
may be completed within the master controller 702. Specifically, methods 800,
801, 803, and 805
may be included in one or more programs, protocols, or instructions loaded
into the memory of
the master controller 702 and executed on the processor or one or more
processors of the master
controller 702. The order in which the operations are described is not
intended to be construed as
a limitation, and any number of the described blocks may be combined in any
order and/or in
parallel to implement the methods.
[76] Turning first to method 800, at block 802, the master controller 702 may
determine a first
temperature at the heat exchanger inlet based on a temperature sensor
positioned at the heat
exchanger inlet (e.g., the heat exchanger external or internal to an ORC
unit). The heat exchanger
inlet may be associated with a particular heat exchanger (e.g., the first heat
exchanger).
1771 At block 804, the master controller 702 may determine the second
temperature of the fluid
at the heat exchanger outlet. Other temperatures or characteristics of the
fluid and/or other fluid
may be determined, such as working fluid temperature and/or flow rates of the
working fluid,
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pressure of the working fluid, flow rates of the fluid (e.g., the flow rate of
the flow of gas), and/or
density of the fluid.
[78] At block 806, the master controller 702 may determine whether the
temperature within an
operating temperature range or window. Such an operating temperature range or
window may be
defined by one or more of the temperature at which volatiles condense in the
fluid (e.g., in the flow
of gas), the temperature of working fluid at which an ORC unit is able to
generate electrical power,
and/or other temperatures of other fluids used on site. In another embodiment,
the operating
temperature may further be defined by the condensation point or dew point of
the flow of gas. At
block 808, if the temperature is not within the operating temperature range or
window, the master
controller 702 may adjust a bypass valve. Adjustment of the bypass valve may,
in other
embodiments, be based on various thresholds of various fluids at the site
(e.g., pressure of working
fluid or flow of gas, temperature of working fluid or flow of gas, composition
of the working fluid
or flow of gas, etc.). The bypass valve may divert a portion of the fluid
(e.g., flow of gas) away
from the heat exchanger thereby increasing the temperature of the fluid (e.g.,
flow of gas). In other
words, a portion of the fluid, prior to cooling in the heat exchanger may be
introduced into the
remaining portion of the fluid from the heat exchanger. If the bypass valve is
at a position other
than fully closed and the temperature is above the operating temperature range
or window, the
portion of the fluid (e.g., flow of gas) may be prevented by further closing
the bypass valve to
decrease the temperature of the fluid (e.g., flow of gas). Otherwise, if the
temperature is within the
operating temperature range or window, the method 800 may be executed again.
[79] Turning to FIG. 8B, method 801 includes additional processes or
operations to the
processes or operations described for method 800. At block 810, the master
controller 702 may
determine whether one or more gas compressors are operating. If a gas
compressor is not operating,
the master controller 702 may wait a specified amount of time and determine
again whether any
of the one or more gas compressors are operating. In another embodiment, a
user may indicate, for
example, via the user interface 724, whether gas compression has begun. If any
of the one or more
gas compressors are operating, the master controller 702 may proceed to
perform the next
operation.
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[80] At block 812, the master controller 702 may open a first heat exchanger
valve or any other
heat exchanger valve If the first heat exchanger valve is already open, then
the master controller
702 may not adjust the first heat exchanger. In an embodiment, the master
controller 702 may open
and/or adjust a heat exchanger valve by transmitting a signal to the heat
exchanger valve indicating
the position that the heat exchanger valve should be adjusted to.
[81] As described above, at block 802, the master controller 702 may determine
a first
temperature at the heat exchanger inlet based on a temperature sensor
positioned at the heat
exchanger inlet. At block 814, the master controller 702 may determine whether
the fluid flowing
into the heat exchanger within an input operating range, input operating range
defined by the
minimum temperature and a maximum temperature. The minimum temperature may be
defined
by the lowest temperature at which an ORC unit may generate electricity. The
maximum
temperature may be defined by a temperature at which an ORC generates a
maximum amount of
electricity. In other embodiments, the maximum temperature may be defined by a
maximum
operating temperature of the ORC unit. The maximum temperature may be utilized
to determine,
at least in part, the position of the bypass valve or how much working fluid
may flow to the heat
exchanger. Such a minimum temperature may be about 25 C, about 30 C, or a
greater value which
may be based on any temperature drop between heat transfer.
[82] At block 816, if the fluid (e.g., a flow of gas) is not within the
input operating range, master
controller 702 may close or adjust the heat exchanger valve (e.g., the first
heat exchanger valve).
[83] At block 818, the master controller 702 may wait a specified period of
time prior to re-
opening the heat exchanger valve (e.g., the first heat exchanger valve). After
the specified period
of time the controller may re-open the first heat exchanger valve and check
the temperature of the
fluid again to determine whether the fluid is within the input operating
range. In some examples,
the rather than re-opening the first heat exchanger valve, the master
controller 702 may determine
the inlet temperature of the fluid and adjust the heat exchanger valve based
on the inlet
temperature.
[84] As described above, at block 804, if the fluid is at a temperature within
the input operating
range, the master controller 702 may determine the second temperature of the
fluid at the heat
exchanger outlet. At block 806, the master controller 702 may determine
whether the temperature
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is within an operating range. The operating range may be defined by the
temperature at which
vol atiles condense in the fluid (e.g., in the flow of gas), the temperature
of working fluid at which
an ORC unit is able to generate electrical power, and/or other temperatures of
other fluids used on
site. At block 808, if the temperature is outside of the operating
temperature, the master controller
702 may adjust a bypass valve. The bypass valve may divert more or less of a
portion of the fluid
(e.g., flow of gas) away from the heat exchanger thereby increasing or
decreasing the temperature
of the fluid (e g , flow of gas). In other words, a portion of the fluid,
prior to cooling in the heat
exchanger may be introduced into the remaining portion of the fluid from the
heat exchanger.
[85] Turning to FIG. 8C, the method 803 may include the same or similar
operations as method
801 with the addition of block 820. At block 820, the temperature of the flow
of gas may further
be maintained based on an adjusted working fluid flow. In other words, the
working fluid flowing
through the heat exchanger may be increased or decreased depending on whether
the temperature
of the flow of gas is to be decreased or increased. For example, if the
temperature of the flow of
gas is too low or below the operating range or window at block 806, the master
controller 702 may
decrease the flow of working fluid to the heat exchanger. In such examples,
rather than following
such a step with adjustment of the bypass valve, the master controller 702 may
wait a specified
period of time for the temperature to stabilize, determine the temperature
again, and then adjust
the bypass valve or re-adjust the amount of working fluid flow to further
adjust the temperature of
the flow of gas.
[86] Turning to FIG. 8D, the method 805 may include the same or similar
operations as method
803 with the addition of block 822. At block 822, the master controller 702
may determine if the
temperature of the flow of gas is within a second operating range defined by a
compressor or pump
efficiency (e.g., the range of temperatures at which the compressor or pump
operates to output
higher amounts of gas). If the temperature is above or below the second
operating range, the master
controller 702 may further adjust working fluid flow and/or bypass valve
position. In an
embodiment, the second operating range may be defined by a compressor or pump
efficiency, The
second operating range may be based on various and varying other factors
related to a compressor
and/or pump. Such factors may include the type of gas and/or the density of
the gas. For example,
for a specific type of gas, the condensation or dew point may be a particular
temperature. The
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compressor or pump may output the highest rate of gas at another temperature
for gasses of that
particular density. As such, the operating range may include the other
temperature and the
condensation or dew point temperature, based on a measurement of the density
of the gas and a
determination of the condensation or dew point of the gas.
[87] FIGS. 9A and 9B are flow diagrams of electrical power generation in
which, during gas
compression, working fluid is heated via engine exhaust and/or water jacket
fluid flow, according
to one or more embodiment of the disclosure. The method is detailed with
reference to the master
controller 702 and system 900 of FIG. 9. Unless otherwise specified, the
actions of method 900
may be completed within the master controller 702. Specifically, method 900
may be included in
one or more programs, protocols, or instructions loaded into the memory of the
master controller
702 and executed on the processor or one or more processors of the master
controller 702. The
order in which the operations are described is not intended to be construed as
a limitation, and any
number of the described blocks may be combined in any order and/or in parallel
to implement the
methods.
[88] Turning to FIG. 9A, at block 902, the master controller 702 may determine
whether the gas
compressor is operating. If the gas compressor is not operating, the master
controller 702 may wait
and perform the determination again. If the gas compressor is operating, the
master controller 702
may proceed to perform the next operation.
[89] At block 904, fluid (e.g., exhaust) produced by the engine may be
transported to a first heat
exchanger. The first heat exchanger may facilitate heat transfer from the
fluid (e.g., exhaust) to a
working fluid or intermediate work fluid. The heated working fluid or
intermediate working fluid
may be utilized by an ORC unit to generate electrical power during an ORC
operation. The
working fluid or intermediate working fluid may be considered warm or hot and
may be utilized
in a warm or low temperature ORC operation or a hot or high temperature ORC
operation,
respectively. Blocks 904 and 906 may be executed continuously as a gas
compressor operates, the
gas compressor being operated or driven by one or more engines.
[90] At block 906, fluid from a water jacket may be transported to a second
heat exchanger. The
second heat exchanger may facilitate heat transfer from the fluid of the water
jacket to a working
fluid or intermediate work fluid. The heated working fluid or intermediate
working fluid may be
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utilized by an ORC unit to generate electrical power during an ORC operation.
The working fluid
or intermediate working fluid may be considered warm or hot and may be
utilized in a warm or
low temperature ORC operation or a hot or high temperature ORC operation,
respectively.
[91] Turning to FIG. 913, the method 901 may include blocks 902 and 904. After
block 904 is
executed, at block 906 the master controller 702 may determine the temperature
and/or thermal
mass of the exhaust. The master controller 702 may determine the temperature
based on feedback
from a temperature sensor associated with the exhaust. Thermal mass may be
determined further,
in addition to temperature, based on a flow rate of the exhaust measured or
sensed by an additional
sensor.
[92] At block 910, the master controller 702 may determine whether the
temperature or thermal
mass of the exhaust is within a range or window. The range or window may be
defined by a
maximum operating temperature or thermal mass of the first heat exchanger and
a minimum
temperature or thermal mass at which ORC equipment generates electricity.
[93] At block 912, if the temperature is above or below the range or window,
the master
controller 702 may adjust an exhaust control valve. The exhaust control valve
may partially or
fully divert a portion of the exhaust produced by the engine. In another
embodiment, the exhaust
control valve may be adjusted to maintain the first heat exchanger. Over time,
scaling or
depositions of particulates in the exhaust may build. As such, the first heat
exchanger may be
cleaned or maintained to remove the buildup and, during such cleaning or
maintenance, the exhaust
control valve may be fully closed. Once the first heat exchanger has been
maintained, the exhaust
control valve may be adjusted to allow the exhaust to flow to the first heat
exchanger. In another
embodiment, a portion of the exhaust may be diverted (e.g., via the exhaust
control valve) from
the first heat exchanger to limit the amount of scaling and/or deposition of
particulates. In yet
another embodiment, the exhaust control valve may be adjusted to prevent
interruption of catalyst
performance.
1941 In the drawings and specification, several embodiments of systems and
methods to provide
electrical power from heat of a flow of gas and/or other source have been
disclosed, and although
specific terms are employed, the terms are used in a descriptive sense only
and not for purposes of
limitation. Embodiments of systems and methods have been described in
considerable detail with
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specific reference to the illustrated embodiments. However, it will be
apparent that various
modifications and changes can be made within the spirit and scope of the
embodiments of systems
and methods as described in the foregoing specification, and such
modifications and changes are
to be considered equivalents and part of this disclosure
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