Patent Abstract:
An assembly includes a combustion engine and a housing to protect an engine, wherein the housing has a first wall and the first wall has a container.

Full Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority of European Patent Application No. 14000636.2, filed Feb. 24, 2014, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention refers to an assembly comprising an engine. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Currently a stationary internal combustion engine is shipped in a container to a distant location. At the destination site the engine is removed from the container and is placed in a building, where the engine may be attached to a generator. The container will be removed from the site and can be used to transport other engines. 
         [0004]    It is also known in the art to assemble a unit comprising an engine, a generator, and supporting devices like a cooler. The unit is placed in a container, so that the container may be used to transport the unit and to house the unit at the destination site. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to an assembly comprising an engine and a housing to protect the engine, wherein the housing has a first wall and the first wall further comprises a container. 
         [0006]    In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method setting up an assembly, the method comprising: placing two or more containers to create an empty space surrounded by the containers; placing an engine in the space; and placing a roof on top of the containers to shield the engine. 
         [0007]    In yet another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a power plant comprising at least two assemblies, each assembly including an engine and a housing to protect the engine, wherein the housing includes a first wall and the first wall further includes a container. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows an assembly. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  shows an assembly with an engine. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a power plant comprising two assemblies. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]      FIG. 1  shows an assembly  1  comprising an engine  2  (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) and a housing  3 . The engine  2  may be a stationary combustion engine, particularly a stationary combustion gas-type engine, connected with a generator to produce electric power. The engine  2  and the generator are located inside the housing  3 . The housing  3  has a first wall  4 , a second wall  5 , a third wall  6 , and a fourth wall  7 . The first wall  4  may be parallel to the third wall  6 , and normal to the second wall  5  and the fourth wall  7 . The walls  4 ,  5 ,  6 , and  7  may form a generally square or rectangular arrangement in which the engine  2  is located. The first wall  4 , second wall  5 , and fourth wall  7  may each consist of two containers, namely, the containers  8  and  9 ,  10  and  11 ,  15  and  16 , respectively. The containers  9 ,  11 , and  16  are placed on top of the containers  8 ,  10 , and  15 , respectively. The third wall  6  may consist of three containers, namely the containers  12 ,  13 , and  14 , stacked from the bottom to the top, respectively. The containers  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 , and  16  may be detachably connected to each other by bolts, screws, locks, turning locks, angle plates, etc. Furthermore, the lower containers  8 ,  10 ,  12 ,  15  may be placed on a foundation, such as a ground plate  17  made of concrete. 
         [0012]    The lower containers  8 ,  10 ,  12 , and  15  may be placed on leveled bottom plates, which may be positioned on the foundation at the lower corners of the lower containers. Four or more leveled bottom plates may be used per container. 
         [0013]    Between the upper and the lower containers a shield to reduce the transmission of noise, heat, or the both may be installed. This shield may be made of foam material. 
         [0014]    On top of the upper containers  11  and  16 , a roof  18  may be placed, which covers the inner space of the housing  3  formed by the containers  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 , and  16 . A chimney  19  may be attached to the housing  3  and connected to the exhaust system of the engine  2 . The chimney  19  may include an exhaust silencer  20  to reduce the operating noise of the assembly  1 . 
         [0015]    The chimney  19  and the exhaust silencer  20  may be attached to a rack  27 , which has the dimensions of an ISO container. An ISO container may have a length of 6.095 m, a width of 2.352 m, and a height of 2.393 m, and could be called a 20-ft container. Alternatively, the ISO container may have a length of 12.032 m, a width of 2.352 m, and a height of 2.393 m, and may be called a 40-ft container. An ISO container could also have a length of 12.032 m, a width of 2.352 m, and a height of 2.698 m. 
         [0016]    The chimney  19  and the exhaust silencer  20  may be at least partially surrounded by the rack  27 . 
         [0017]    The containers  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 , and  16  may include doors  21  to allow entrance to the containers and to provide access to the interior of the assembly  1 . Also, the containers  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 , and  16  may include windows  22  to allow light to enter the containers. 
         [0018]    The containers  8 ,  9 ,  12 ,  13 , and  14 , forming the first wall  4  and the third wall  6 , may be ISO 20-ft containers. The containers  10 ,  11 ,  15 , and  16 , forming the second wall  5  and the fourth wall  7 , may be ISO 40-ft containers. 
         [0019]    The container  8  may contain a gas train, and an inter-cooling circuit and its connections. 
         [0020]    The container  9  may contain installations, such as fans, filters, and openings to transport air from the inside of the assembly to the outside. 
         [0021]    The container  10  may be an auxiliary container containing an engine-cooling system and a lube-oil-cooling system. Each of the engine-cooling system and the lube-oil-cooling system may include a heat exchanger. Moreover, an engine-control system and an auxiliary control system may be installed in the container  10 . 
         [0022]    The container  11  may be an exhaust container. An exhaust-heat exchanger and a catalyzer may be inside of the exhaust container  11 . 
         [0023]    The containers  12 ,  13 , and  14  may each house an inlet-air system including fans and air filters to supply air to the inner space of the assembly, and the engine in particular. 
         [0024]    The container  15  may contain control units to supply pressurized air to the assembly. 
         [0025]    The container  16  may be a medium-voltage container, housing at least one transformer to provide the assembly  1  with medium-voltage electricity. Furthermore, the container  16  may include a medium-voltage control unit to control the medium-voltage power supply. Medium voltage may be used to power the engine-cooling system and the lube-oil-cooling system. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  shows an assembly  1  housing an engine  2  and a generator  25  (not labeled in  FIG. 2 ). The engine  2  is placed in an area which is defined by the containers  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 , and  16 . The engine  2  is directed along the main axis of the housing. The generator  25  is connected to the engine  2 , so that the engine  2  can drive the generator  25 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows a power plant  26 , which comprises two assemblies  1 . The assemblies  1  are placed next to each other and may be connected by wires, bolts, etc. The main control unit of the power plant  26  may be located in one of the assemblies and connected to the engine of the other assembly  1 . 
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
       [0028]    In the following the method of setting up the assembly will be described. The assembly may be pre-assembled for transportation at an assembly site. Referring to  FIG. 1 , at the assembly site, a gas train and an inter-cooling circuit are pre-installed in the container  8 . Pumps, filters, and control units to transport air from the inside of the assembly to the outside are pre-installed in the container  9 . A heat exchanger and an auxiliary control system may be pre-installed in the container  10 . A catalyzer and an exhaust-heat exchanger may be pre-installed in the container  11 . Devices supplying air to the inner space of the assembly may be pre-installed in the containers  12 ,  13 , and  14 . Devices supplying pressured air and associated control units may be pre-installed in the container  15 . Transformers to transform electric power to medium voltage and a medium-voltage control unit may be pre-installed in container  16 . 
         [0029]    Furthermore, the engine, the generator, desk-coolers, pipes, working platforms, and supporting structures may be stored in one or more containers for transportation. 
         [0030]    At a destination site, bottom plates  23  may be placed on a foundation  17 . The foundation  17  may be made of concrete. The bottom plates  23  may be leveled out. The bottom plates  23  may support the containers to keep the containers in horizontal surfaces. 
         [0031]    The bottom containers  8 ,  10 , and  15  may be placed on the bottom plates  23  one after another. The containers may be connected by angle plates, which are fixed to the containers by screws. The containers  8 ,  10 , and  15  may be arranged in a U-shape, whereby the container  10  and the container  15  respectively may form the legs of the U-shape and the container  8  may be located between the containers  10  and  15 . The container  8 ,  10 , and  15  may define three sides of the inner space of the assembly. Shields may be placed on top of the bottom containers  8 ,  10  and  15  to insulate noise, heat, or the both. The container  9 ,  11 , and  16  are placed on top of the containers  8 ,  10 , and  15 , respectively. The top containers  9 ,  11 , and  16  may be connected to the bottom containers  8 ,  10 , and  15  using twist locks. On top of the containers  11  and  16  a roof may be placed, which spans the inner space of the assembly. Supporting structures and working platforms may be installed in the inner space of the assembly. The engine and the generator may be assembled, connected, and put into the inner space of the assembly. 
         [0032]    The devices and systems located in different containers may be connected with flexible pipes. Electric wires may be set up between the containers to connect electric components in different containers. 
         [0033]    The containers  12 ,  13 , and  14  may be placed at the open end of the U-shape to close the open end. Silencers and exhaust pipes may be placed in the containers  12 ,  13 , and  14 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 5