Patent ID: 11946459
Assignee: ICE THERMAL HARVESTING, LLC
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  E  Y | IPC E  F

Claim 11:
12. A method for generating power, the method comprising:
pumping drilling fluid from a drilling fluid container through a drill pipe to adjacent a location that generates a heated drilling fluid from flow of the drilling fluid;
determining a temperature of the heated drilling fluid;
determining one or more of: (1) a temperature of a flow of a first portion of a working fluid from a first heat exchanger connected to a working fluid manifold via a first working fluid flow control device, the flow of the first portion of the working fluid to flow through the first heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger positioned to allow the heated drilling fluid to flow therethrough, the first heat exchanger to facilitate transfer of heat from heated drilling fluid to the flow of the first portion of the working fluid, thereby to generate a cooled drilling fluid and a heated first portion of the working fluid, the heated first portion of the working fluid positioned to cause a generator to generate electrical power or, (2) a temperature of a flow of a second portion of the working fluid from a second heat exchanger connected to the working fluid manifold via a second working fluid flow control device, the flow of the second portion of the working fluid to flow through the second heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger to facilitate transfer of heat from exhaust produced by one or more engines to the flow of the second portion of the working fluid, thereby to generate a heated second portion of the working fluid, the heated second portion of the working fluid positioned to cause a generator to generate electrical power;
determining an exhaust thermal mass of the exhaust produced by the one or more engines;
determining electrical power utilized by a drilling fluid chiller; and
adjusting one or more of (1) a first heat exchanger supply valve to allow continuous diversion of the heated drilling fluid to the first heat exchanger, (2) a second heat exchanger supply valve configured to (a) prevent or (b) allow flow of the exhaust from the one or more engines to the second heat exchanger, or (3) (a) the first working fluid flow control device or (b) the second working fluid flow control device; and
returning the cooled drilling fluid to the drilling fluid container.