초록 ▼

A cogeneration plant for a site having an expected daily thermal load. In one embodiment, the plant includes a heat engine/electrical power generator set and a heat storage unit. The engine/generator set is sized to normally operate only during the peak rate period of the central electric service ut

A cogeneration plant for a site having an expected daily thermal load. In one embodiment, the plant includes a heat engine/electrical power generator set and a heat storage unit. The engine/generator set is sized to normally operate only during the peak rate period of the central electric service utility while rejecting a quantity of heat equal to the daily thermal load at the site. The storage unit is sized to contain a quantity of heat equal to the daily thermal load reduced by that portion of the daily load incurred during the peak rate period. In another embodiment, the cogeneration plant includes a fuel cell electrical power generator serving a local energy-integrated community. The fuel cell is sized to reject a quantity of heat to satisfy the collective average daily thermal load at the community site. Separate thermal storage sections are provided for high and low grade rejected heat.

대표청구항 ▼

A cogeneration plant at a local site operating under the priority of supplying substantially all of its expected daily thermal load requirement which varies throughout a 24-hour period, the plant including a heat engine, a source of combustible fuel for driving the engine, electric power generating

A cogeneration plant at a local site operating under the priority of supplying substantially all of its expected daily thermal load requirement which varies throughout a 24-hour period, the plant including a heat engine, a source of combustible fuel for driving the engine, electric power generating means for converting mechanical energy of the heat engine to electrical power, means interconnecting the electrical power generating means to an electrical utility grid, the utility grid experiencing a load that regularly varies significantly in magnitude throughout a 24-hour period and is characterized by a peak demand period which is substantially less than 24 hours, a heat storage unit having a capacity sized in accordance with the expected daily thermal load requirement, first means thermally connecting the engine to the heat storage unit for conducting heat energy rejected by the heat engine to the storage unit, second means thermally connecting the heat storage unit to the thermal load, control means for energization of the heat engine and generating means ordinarily exclusively during the peak rate period of the utility, and sensing means monitoring the heat value stored in the storage unit and arranged to normally override said control means when said storage unit contains a desired capacity of heat to discontinuous operation of said heat engine and generating means, said heat engine and generating means forming a set sized to run primarily through the peak rate period to develop a quantity of rejected heat equivalent to the modified design day thermal load of the site, said sensing means and control means being mutually arranged to normally assign priority of operation of said heat engine and generating means ordinarily exclusively to the condition where, during the peak demand period, the expected following 24-hour heat demand is greater than the quantity of heat contained in the heat storage unit.