Power plants – Fluid motor means driven by waste heat or by exhaust energy... – Having fluid motor motive fluid treating – controlling or...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-30
2003-12-16
Nguyen, Hoang (Department: 3748)
Power plants
Fluid motor means driven by waste heat or by exhaust energy...
Having fluid motor motive fluid treating, controlling or...
C060S614000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06662563
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a compact power generation apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention further relates to a method of generating energy, a method of automated power management of a compact power generation apparatus, and a power management system for carrying out this method.
Small generators and accessories such as small heaters and battery chargers are products which are used in a wide field of applications. Such type of small generator can be used for powering a heater and other electrical appliances in e.g. trucks, leisure boats, mobile homes, caravans, for military purposes, in crises zones and other areas where normal electrical power and heat sources are not available,
The generator is driven by an internal combustion engine for the generation of electrical power. This power can be used for powering various electrical devices, such as electrical heaters, lights, pumps, etc. and air conditioning installations.
The combustion engine in the generator can be air cooled, such as e.g. known from GB-A-2 213 201, U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,405, U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,946 or DE-A1-35 11 123. A constant flow of air is generated around the engine and the generator in order to remove the surplus heat, preventing the engine and the generator from overheating. The flow passages of the cooling air are designed in such a way that the noise from the engine is reduced. Also a silencer such in the exhaust is installed, and a protective, soundproof cover is fitted around the unit, in order to reduce the noise emission from the generator unit. Most devices are controlled by regulating the revolutions per minute of the engine and thus the frequency of the output. A small fuel tank is installed allowing for a few hours of operation. An exhaust silencer is fitted for noise reduction purposes.
For the provision of heat, heaters are known that consist of a hot chamber in which the fuel is consumed and a fin provides air for the combustion. A small fuel pump which is controlled by basic control electronics control the amount of fuel. The associated control panel is typically a timing device, which will allow a timed start and stop.
Battery chargers normally consist of a transformer which is designed such that when a certain charging voltage has been reached, the current will be close to zero and thus providing a simple charging mechanism. Unfortunately, the point where a battery is considered fully charged varies considerably with the temperature and rarely the batteries are charged properly causing a substantial wear on the batteries and a low life time.
In boats, trucks, mobile homes etc. the increasing power consumption due to the increase in the amount of equipment such as micro wave ovens, heaters, television, etc. require large battery capacity and large battery chargers in order to provide adequate battery charging when power is available.
In trucks for example, the need for battery charging, air conditioning and heating, when the main engine is not running, is real. The heating can be solved by using a small diesel powered heater which consumes considerable DC power when in use and thus increases the need for battery charging even more. Air conditioning is only possible to have while the main engine is running and truck drivers must tolerate ambient temperatures when resting.
From e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,175 an engine generator is known where a water cooled diesel engine for driving the generator. The use of water as coolant provides an efficient cooling in a compact system, just as the water cooling system in addition provides a noise reducing effect. Other water cooled diesel solutions are also known in particular for maritime purposes, that exhibits an excellent noise reduction and thus an extremely silent and compact generator.
However, these water cooled generators generally have a low efficiency. Moreover, a water cooling system is quite heavy as water connections, flow channels and air coolers must be present. This makes the water cooled generators both heavy and somewhat bulky and thus less suitable for purposes where frequent transportation is needed.
The low efficiency is a rather generic problem by an engine as well as by a generator. In the conversion from one energy source to another, energy is lost. In the engine where the fuel is combusted, in the transmission between the engine and the generator and in the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical power in the generator. Insufficient cooling and poor air supply and circulation into and around the engine are also factors contributing to a poor overall performance of a power generation apparatus. However, the reduction of the noise emission of the small generator usually causes some amount of decrease in efficiency of the power output, although many solutions attempts to minimise this efficiency decrease.
The efficiency is also decreased in the subsequently connected electrical appliances, and current small diesel powered generators only convert 20-30% of the total available power into electrical power. The remaining energy in the form of heat is wasted.
The object of the present invention is to provide a solution to these above identified problems and other problems associated with the prior art solutions and to provide a compact power generation apparatus. It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of generating energy and managing the power generation in a compact power generation apparatus.
This object is achieved by a compact power generation apparatus of the initially mentioned kind, wherein heat exchanging means are provided for extracting heat from the exhaust system and from the circulating air flow and passing said extracted heat on to a utility medium, such as air or water for utility purposes.
By the present invention a compact power generation apparatus is provided that can produce several types of energy outputs for the consumption in e.g. cabins of trucks, boats and recreation vehicles. By producing both electrical and heat energy for the consumption, the electrical energy need not be converted further in order to produce heat. This means that the efficiency in the production of heat is improved compared to the generator-sets known in the art. The heat energy that previously was considered a waste produce, can now be recovered and used for e.g. heating purposes, such as hot water or hot air. By cooling the exhaust air, the air volume is reduced and thus the noise level is reduced.
By making use of the available energy, including the normally wasted heat, the efficiency of a compact power generation apparatus according to the invention can be increased immensely.
In the preferred embodiment of a compact power generation apparatus according to the invention, the flow generating means involves means for generating an air flow through the generator, the engine and/or the heat exchanging means. This ensures a sufficient amount of air supply for the engine to run smoothly and a good cooling effect.
In the preferred embodiment the housing is provided with an inner and an outer chamber, said chambers being connected by a spacing divided into channels, said inner chamber accommodating the engine, generator and heat exchanging means. The channels between the inner and outer chamber can moreover be covered in sound absorbing material. Hereby a good cooling air circulation is provided that also provides a noise reduction of the power generation apparatus.
The inner chamber is in a preferred embodiment diverted into a number of channels, in which the cooling air can circulate by the assistance of a first and second fan that are provided in the inner chamber, in such a way that the inner chamber exhibits a cool section between the two fans and a hot section after the second fan. Hereby an efficient cooling is provided by the circulating air. By providing a slight over pressure in the cold section where the air intake is located, a super charging effect can be provided for the engine.
In the preferred embodiment, the first fan is a fly wheel mounted on the shaft of the genera
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Nguyen Hoang
Norton ApS
LandOfFree
Compact power generation apparatus and method of generating... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Compact power generation apparatus and method of generating..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Compact power generation apparatus and method of generating... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3120412