Patent ID: 9664140
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: F02B,F02G,F24D,H02J,H02K,Y02E

Claim:
1. A combined heat and power (CHP) system comprising: a generator configured to generate power; a power storage configured to store and discharge the power generated by the generator; an exhaust conduit configured to receive exhaust from the generator; a waste heat recovery unit (WHRU) disposed in thermal communication with the exhaust conduit and configured to heat a fluid by transferring heat from the exhaust to the fluid; a tank configured to store the fluid heated by the WHRU; a transfer conduit configured to circulate the fluid between the WHRU and the tank; an evaporator configured to evaporate liquid carbon dioxide using heat recovered from the exhaust, wherein the evaporator is disposed in thermal communication with the exhaust conduit downstream from the WHRU, with respect to a direction the exhaust flows through the exhaust conduit from the generator or wherein the evaporator is disposed in thermal communication with the transfer conduit and is configured to recover heat from the fluid; and a controller configured to operate the CHP system, wherein: in a first mode, when an electrical load applied to the CHP system is substantially equal to the full electrical power output of the generator and an external process requires substantially all of the heat transferred by the WHRU, the controller is configured to operate the generator at full power, apply the full electrical power output of the generator to the external load, and supply substantially all of the heated fluid to the external process; in a second mode, when an electrical load applied to the CHP system is less than the full electrical power output of the generator and an external process requires substantially all of the heat transferred by the WHRU, the controller is configured to operate the generator at full power, store excess electrical power output of the generator in the power storage, and supply substantially all of the heated fluid to the external process; and in a third mode, when an electrical load applied to the CHP system exceeds the full electrical power output of the generator and an external process requires less than all of the heat transferred to the fluid, the controller is configured to operate the generator at full power, apply the full electrical power output of the generator to the external load, to supplement the electrical power output of the generator with an electrical power output from the power storage, and to store any heated fluid in excess of an external thermal process requirement in the tank.