Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D11/00—Central heating systems using heat accumulated in storage masses
  • F24D11/002—Central heating systems using heat accumulated in storage masses water heating system
  • F24D11/005—Central heating systems using heat accumulated in storage masses water heating system with recuperation of waste heat
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D18/00—Small-scale combined heat and power [CHP] generation systems specially adapted for domestic heating, space heating or domestic hot-water supply
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D2101/00—Electric generators of small-scale CHP systems
  • F24D2101/20—Wind turbines
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D2101/00—Electric generators of small-scale CHP systems
  • F24D2101/40—Photovoltaic [PV] modules
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D2101/00—Electric generators of small-scale CHP systems
  • F24D2101/70—Electric generators driven by internal combustion engines [ICE]
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D2103/00—Thermal aspects of small-scale CHP systems
  • F24D2103/10—Small-scale CHP systems characterised by their heat recovery units
  • F24D2103/13—Small-scale CHP systems characterised by their heat recovery units characterised by their heat exchangers
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D2103/00—Thermal aspects of small-scale CHP systems
  • F24D2103/10—Small-scale CHP systems characterised by their heat recovery units
  • F24D2103/17—Storage tanks
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D2105/00—Constructional aspects of small-scale CHP systems
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D2105/00—Constructional aspects of small-scale CHP systems
  • F24D2105/10—Sound insulation
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D2200/00—Heat sources or energy sources
  • F24D2200/15—Wind energy

Definitions

• the invention relates to units for supplying energy to structures and equipment associated with these structures.
• the primary structures with which the invention is concerned are houses, however, the invention relates to other structures such as swimming pools, greenhouses, business buildings, stadiums, refugee camps and public facilities requiring energy in the form of heat or electricity.
• the average house is also usually connected to the grid for its electricity requirements.
• the occasional house incorporates solar panels or even wind generators to meet a fraction of its energy requirements. These can be for example in the form of solar collectors placed on the building's roof to accumulate solar energy in the form of heat in its hot water system.
• Standard standby generators operate using a conventional engine to drive an electricity generator to meet the electricity requirement of the installation to which the generator is connected.
• a further objective of the invention is to even substitute both the electricity and the gas supply grids.
• Another objective of the present invention is to provide a unit or system which can be easily retrofit or incorporated into new buildings for dwelling or commercial purposes.
• the unit may be used in conjunction with existing power and heating systems.
• the unit of the invention also aims at doing away with unsightly electrical grid pylons, cables and sub-stations.
• This particular combination of features is advantageous because it can substitute or even operate autonomously, not merely augment, the electricity grid.
• This energy-generating unit is also advantageous because it provides for a substantial portion if not the entire heating requirement of the structures with which the unit is in operation.
• a unit of this type also presents unforeseen aesthetic advantages as it operates without unsightly pylons, cables and sub-stations .
• a subsidiary aspect of the present invention presents a unit wherein the, or at least one of the, fuel-powered engines is a diesel engine.
• diesel engines are common in the field of self-propelled machinery, using diesel engines in a unit embodied in the invention represents a complete departure from the conventional thinking within that field, which is to use gas as the burner fuel wherever a domestic gas supply is available.
• the modern highly developed diesel engine has a life-expectancy which exceeds the life-expectancy of conventional boilers when operated as proposed in the system. Diesel engine fuel consumption can be very accurately monitored and is very efficient.
• Another advantage of this combination is that the engine can be easily adapted to only run intermittently (for say, from a minute to several hours) .
• a further subsidiary aspect of the present invention presents a unit wherein the or at least one of the fuel powered engines is a gas engine.
• means are provided to transmit heat from the sump oil of the engine to any appropriate section of the or each structure and/or its associated equipment.
• the heat generated by the unit is stored as hot water.
• the engine of the unit as hereinbefore described is activated for prolonged periods to provide sufficient power to the structure, consequently a large amount of heat is generated.
• Part of this heat may stored in for example a boiler to provide hot water to the structure and part of this heat may be dissipated directly in the structure for example via the central heating system to provide heating of the structure.
• the heat dissipation is maximised and heat is absorbed by the system whilst the power demand is still high thereby still producing additional heat.
• the unit may comprise a heat store for storing the heat generated by the unit .
• the control means control the amount of heat stored in the heat store depending on the heat and power requirements of any appropriate section of the structure.
• the unit may comprise means for selecting the amount of power stored and the amount of power which is directly provided to the structure.
• the unit or system may further comprise means for selecting the amount of heat stored and the amount of heat which is directly provided to the structure.
• the control means preferably controls the selection means so that depending on the demand for heat and/or power the appropriate amount of heat and/or power is extracted from the respective stores or stored in the respective stores.
• heat is produced by the unit for example to heat the central heating in the structure or to provide sufficient hot water. This could for instance occur during the Winter months when the demand for heat is significantly higher than the demand for power. When heat is produced by the unit, this also results in the production of power. Some of this power is stored in the power store. However, if demand for heat is high and prolonged, the power store will be fully loaded and excess power is available.
• the power is converted into heat by means of a suitable converter.
• the power may be provided directly to the structure in the form of heat by means of a converter in the form of an electric heater.
• the conversion means are provided in the heat store in the form of a heating element or immersion heater so that the heat is stored for later use.
• the number of batteries required to store electric power may be reduced. This significantly decreases the cost of the autonomous power and heat unit and greatly increases the efficiency of the unit. In addition, the overall size and weight of the unit is significantly reduced. This increases the number of applications of the autonomous heat and power unit.
• the heat store provides synchronisation of heat and power as provided by the engine and generator assembly independent from the actual demands for heat and power from the structure.
• the heat store thus allows efficient operation of the engine and generator assembly whereby little or no excess power or heat is discarded because it cannot be effectively used in the structure or stored.
• the heat and power store also act as buffers to allow sufficient heat and power to be supplied when demands for heat and/or power are suddenly high.
• the heat store may store heat for a number of hours whereas the power store may store power for a number of days .
• control means preferably control the conversion means depending on the heat and power requirements of any appropriate section of the structure.
• a heat store for storing heat .
• the heat generated by the unit is stored using a heat pump in an underground heat store .
• the heat store preferably comprises a material or medium adapted to change phase upon input of heat into the medium or extraction of heat out of the material.
• the heat store comprises input and output heat exchangers to provide heat transfer to and from the medium.
• the medium comprises a heat absorbent material such as wax or a wax like substance.
• the medium has a melting point which is below the temperature of the fluid in the input heat exchanger.
• the heat store comprises a medium in which heat is stored using latent heat of fusion which occurs when a liquid changes into a solid and vice versa.
• the heat store comprises a container or enclosure or tank, which is thermally insulated, containing a medium which changes phase (melts/solidifies/evaporates) in the region of the temperature at which the heat is to be stored.
• Heat is put into the store by a primary (input) heat exchanger in the form of flow of hot water (at the input temperature) through conduits within the tank. The conduits are in contact with the heat storage medium.
• Heat is withdrawn from the store by a secondary (output) heat exchanger in the form of the flow of water through further pipes within the tank. This secondary water flow is heated to a temperature approaching the melting temperature of the medium, in the process removing heat from the store, ultimately resulting in the medium solidifying and giving up the latent heat.
• Fins may be fitted to the pipes to promote the heat exchange in order to provide a high thermal conductivity.
• the heat store absorbs heat from the cooling water of the engine at a temperature probably but not necessarily between 80 and 100°C, store it in a medium with a melting point probably but not necessarily around 75°C and in the process melting the medium and later to give up this heat to water probably but not necessarily forming part of a domestic central heating system at a temperature probably but not necessarily around 60 to 70°C and in the process solidifying the medium.
• the fluid in the unit is thus conveyed through the unit and the structure to transport and transfer the heat whereas -lithe heat storage medium is stationary and it absorbs the heat and releases the heat to the fluid.
• the heat store is particularly suitable for storing heat energy for later release into structures such as houses, swimming pools, greenhouses, business buildings and other places requiring heat .
• the heat store is located underground. This has the advantage that the space required by the unit on the surface is limited. As the heat store does not contain any moving components that could malfunction, access to the heat store is not essential to ensure proper functioning of the unit.
• the primary application for the heat store is anywhere that requires heat input at a temperature in the approximate range of 60°C to 80°C.
• the key features of the heat store are that it exhibits improved heat storage and recovery efficiency and that it exhibits a higher energy density relative to conventional water containing heat storage devices such as hot water boilers whilst avoiding the use of environmentally unfriendly materials.
• autonomous employed in this specification is intended to mean either that the unit is self-contained or that it operates independently from the electricity grid.
• Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 2 presents two further block diagrams of a subsequent embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 3 presents a diagrammatic view of an autonomous heat and power unit according to another embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 4 presents a block diagram of an autonomous heat and power unit according to yet another embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 5 presents a diagrammatic plan view of a heat store according to a further embodiment of the invention.
• the term 'fuel powered engine' extends to engines such as diesel, petrol, gas and even so-called fuel cell engines.
• the engine, the heat exchanger, the generator and the control means are located within a housing one of whose wall abuts against the exterior wall of the house.
• This housing is preferably waterproof and should be able to withstand harsh weather conditions over an extended period of time.
• a vent is provided in one of the walls of the housing to permit air to enter and to be fed to the engine.
• the housing is preferably provided with an insulating layer to minimise the emission of heat and noise from the housing to its neighbouring environment.
• the housing will ideally also comprise a front door to allow easy access and maintenance.
• the unit is not limited to be mounted against the exterior wall of the house and can be easily adapted to fit within the dimensions of the neighbouring garage or within a specifically designed room of the house such as a boiler room .
• the engine used in the invention's unit is advantageously a diesel engine.
• the size of the diesel engine will easily be selected by the person skilled in the art depending on the energy requirements of the structure to which the unit is inserted.
• a particularly well-suited diesel engine is a 11 kilowatt three-cylinder engine. This type of engine is capable of supplying sufficient energy to either two modern semi-detached houses or one modern four bedroomed executive detached house.
• the unit 10 illustrated in Figure 1 in the form of a series of block diagrams comprises an engine 14 whose operation depends entirely on the control means 15.
• These control means 15 can be manual, however it is preferred that these are automatic so that the energy requirements of the dwelling to which the unit is connected, are provided without any human intervention apart from the occasional service.
• the control means is connected to sensors placed within the house 18 to measure the temperature of the air or of the water circulating through the radiators.
• the house 18 may also be equipped with a means to select the desired temperature of either the water or the air. Dependent on this selection the control means will compare the actual temperature of the various sections of the house 18 with the desired temperatures and commission the operation of the engine. It is also envisaged that during the operation of the engine and the consequential change in temperature readings within the house 18, the control means will instruct the switching off of the engine as and when the state of the heat and power stores (battery) dictate.
• the circulating fluid can be water, a specific coolant or even air.
• the heat is transmitted to the house 18 through conventional radiators. It is also envisaged within the scope of this invention that the hot water obtained through the heat exchanger 19 is stored in an appropriately-sized hot water cylinder to be available whenever an operator requires it.
• a fan can be placed at any appropriate location of the unit 10 to extract the hot air.
• This hot air can be directly pumped into an appropriate location of the house 18 or fed to a heat pump, for example one formed of underground cavities to retain the air and to maintain it at an elevated temperature, and then the air can be extracted from these cavities to meet the house's requirements.
• a power store in the form of a bank of batteries 16 may be provided to store via an inverter the electricity generated by the unit 10. Since damage may occur to the battery due to the elevated temperature of the operating engine and the heat exchanger 19, the bank of batteries 16 may be stored in a neighbouring compartment of the unit 10 that would be to a certain extent thermally isolated from the engine.
• the invention also foresees that any heat generated by the battery 16 or even the generator 12 may be captured by a circulating fluid such as water or even air over the battery 16 and the generator 12 respectively. Although the heat generated by the battery 16 and the generator 12 is not of the same magnitude as that generated by an engine, the capture of this modest source of energy may be useful to supplement the heat transferred to the house 18.
• the bank of batteries 16 of the unit 10 may be additionally charged through renewable energy sources such as photo-voltaic cells and wind turbines.
• renewable energy sources such as photo-voltaic cells and wind turbines.
• its generator 12 emits a high level of heat when it is constantly activated due to persistent winds.
• the invention envisages that some of the circulating fluid may pass around an appropriate surface of the turbine generator 12 to provide an additional source of heat to the house 18.
• FIG 2 presents a further embodiment of the present invention where a unit 100 of the type described with reference to Figure 1 is designed to operate in conjunction with a house 102, an air-conditioning unit 104 and a swimming pool 106.
• the swimming pool 106 of this embodiment is an outdoor pool destined to be used primarily during the summer months .
• the air-conditioning unit 104 and the swimming pool 106 are not usually required to operate in conjunction with the unit 100.
• the heat exchangers 108 which operate with the engine, the sump and the exhaust transmit heat to the house 102 which is stored in the house 102 as hot water. This hot water is either stored in an insulated boiler or circulated through conventional radiators appropriately placed in a variety of locations in the house.
• the generator may charge a battery
• the battery may be additionally charged through photo-voltaic cells or through a wind generator. If the unit is placed in a location where the rays of the sun are easily captured, the photo-voltaic cell means can cover the exposed surfaces of the unit's housing.
• the diagram in Figure 3 shows the main components of an alternative autonomous power and heat system 300.
• the system 300 comprises an engine-generator 302, a power store 304, a heat store 306 and an inverter 308 for converting the direct current (DC) of the power stored in the power store into alternating current (AC) .
• the system further comprises a control system 310 for controlling the supply of heat and power.
• power is also provided by a wind generator 312 or a solar energy powered generator (not shown) .
• the heat can further be provided to the heat store 306 by means of a solar collector (not shown) .
• the inverter 308 provides electricity as required to the structure such as a house. This power is directly provided by the power store 304.
• the optional wind turbine 312 represents the ability of the system to incorporate power from wind and/or solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.
• the basic system is capable of supplying heat and power to the house with a substantial reduction in fuel consumption and C02 emissions.
• the addition of solar PV or wind turbine results in an even greater reduction in fuel consumption and C02 emissions.
• Figure 4 presents an autonomous unit 400 for supplying energy to a structure in the form of house 402 and associated equipment comprising a fuel powered engine 404 for driving an electricity generator 406.
• the unit further comprises a power store 408 in the form of one or more batteries for storing the electricity generated by the generator 406.
• the electricity is fed into the house 402 either directly from the generator or is supplied by the power store 408.
• the electricity is stored in a DC format, the power is converted to an AC format at the appropriate voltage and current for running domestic appliances and other equipment (not shown here) .
• the unit 400 further comprises a heat exchanger 410 for receiving heat from the coolant of the engine.
• the heat exchanger is the secondary coolant system of the engine formed by the coolant water that is circulated to cool the oil inside the engine (commonly known as engine cooling system) .
• the heat provided by the heat exchanger is either supplied directly to the house 402 or it is stored in an appropriate heat store 412 for storing the heat.
• the unit further comprises a converter 420 for converting power stored in the power store into heat which is then stored in the heat store.
• the unit further comprises control members 414 and 416 for controlling the amount of heat that is stored in the respective power and heat stores 408,412 and the amount of power and heat that is directly supplied to the house 402.
• the unit 400 further comprises a controller 418 for controlling the engine, generator, heat exchanger, controllers 414, 416 depending on the heat and power requirements of the structure 402.
• the controller 418 establishes the amount of heat and power required by the house.
• heat and power is directly supplied to the house 402.
• the engine 404 is activated to generate power (by the generator 406) which is either stored in the power store 408 or directly supplied to the house 402.
• heat is produced by the engine cooling system which is supplied either directly to the house from the heat exchanger 410 or supplied to the heat store 412.
• the heat store 500 comprises a dual walled tank with foam insulation which separates the tank walls 502. Heat is supplied to the store in the form a hot water which is supplied to the input heat exchanger connections 504.
• the tank contains a heat absorbing medium in the form of a wax-like substance with a melting point which is just below the temperature of the water that is supplied to the store 500. The water circulates through the input heat exchanger 504 and the heat from the water is transferred to the medium.
• the heat store further comprises an output heat exchanger 506 for extracting the heat from the heat store. Water is circulated through the output heat exchanger 506 and this water is subsequently heated. Interlaced fins 508 on the heat exchanger promote exchange of heat from the heat exchangers to the medium.
• heat from the cooling water of an engine is absorbed in the heat store at a temperature of between 80 and 100°C, and the heat is stored in the medium with a melting point of around 75°C in the process melting the medium. This heat is later given up to the water at a temperature of around 60 to 70°C whereby the wax solidifies.
• the exchange of heat into and out of the heat store may also be a continuous process whereby part of the medium is solidified whereas part of the medium is melted and whereby heat is both provided to the heat store and heat is simultaneously extracted.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Heat-Pump Type And Storage Water Heaters (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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ID=9934649

Family Applications (1)

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• 2002
  • 2002-04-11 GB GBGB0208335.0A patent/GB0208335D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2003
  • 2003-04-11 EP EP03725320A patent/EP1495269A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-04-11 AU AU2003227860A patent/AU2003227860A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-04-11 WO PCT/GB2003/001572 patent/WO2003087674A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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