Abstract: In various embodiments, cylinder assemblies are coupled in series pneumatically, thereby reducing a range of force produced by or acting on the cylinder assemblies during expansion or compression of a gas.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 17, 2012
Date of Patent:
June 25, 2013
Assignee:
SustainX, Inc.
Inventors:
Troy O. McBride, Robert Cook, Benjamin R. Bollinger, Lee Doyle, Andrew Shang, Timothy Wilson, Michael Neil Scott, Patrick Magari, Benjamin Cameron, Dimitri Deserranno
Abstract: In various embodiments, energy-storage systems are based upon an open-air arrangement in which pressurized gas is expanded in small batches from a high pressure of, e.g., several hundred atmospheres to atmospheric pressure. The systems may be sized and operated at a rate that allows for near isothermal expansion and compression of the gas.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 7, 2011
Date of Patent:
May 28, 2013
Assignee:
SustainX, Inc.
Inventors:
Troy O. McBride, Benjamin R. Bollinger, Michael Schaefer, Dax Kepshire
Abstract: In various embodiments, coupling losses between a cylinder assembly and other components of a gas compression and/or expansion system are reduced or eliminated via valve-timing control.
Abstract: In various embodiments, coupling losses between a cylinder assembly and other components of a gas compression and/or expansion system are reduced or eliminated via valve-timing control.
Abstract: In various embodiments, coupling losses between a cylinder assembly and other components of a gas compression and/or expansion system are reduced or eliminated via valve-timing control.
Abstract: In various embodiments, a mechanical assembly and/or storage vessel is fluidly coupled to a circulation apparatus for receiving pressurized heat-transfer fluid from an outlet at a first elevated pressure, boosting a pressure of the heat-transfer fluid to a second pressure larger than the first pressure, and returning heat-transfer fluid to an inlet at a third pressure.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 19, 2011
Date of Patent:
January 29, 2013
Assignee:
Sustainx Inc.
Inventors:
Troy O. McBride, Benjamin R. Bollinger, Michael Neil Scott, Robert Cook, Patrick Magari
Abstract: In various embodiments, efficiency of energy storage and recovery systems employing compressed air and liquid heat exchange is improved via control of the system operation and/or the properties of the heat-exchange liquid.
Type:
Application
Filed:
July 24, 2012
Publication date:
November 15, 2012
Applicant:
SUSTAINX, INC.
Inventors:
Benjamin Bollinger, Patrick Magari, Troy O. McBride
Abstract: In various embodiments, compressed-gas energy storage and recovery systems include a cylinder assembly for compression and/or expansion of gas, a reservoir for storage and/or supply of compressed gas, and a system for thermally conditioning gas within the reservoir.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 27, 2011
Date of Patent:
August 28, 2012
Assignee:
SustainX, Inc.
Inventors:
Benjamin R. Bollinger, Troy O. McBride, Benjamin Cameron, Patrick Magari, Michael Izenson, Weibo Chen
Abstract: In various embodiments, efficiency of energy storage and recovery systems employing compressed air and liquid heat exchange is improved via control of the system operation and/or the properties of the heat-exchange liquid.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 15, 2011
Date of Patent:
August 21, 2012
Assignee:
SustainX, Inc.
Inventors:
Benjamin Bollinger, Patrick Magari, Troy O. McBride
Abstract: In various embodiments, motor-pump efficiency is increased by limiting the fluid pressure communicated to the motor-pump to a range smaller than that communicated by other components of an energy storage and/or recovery system.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 30, 2011
Date of Patent:
August 14, 2012
Assignee:
SustainX, Inc.
Inventors:
Troy O. McBride, Michael Neil Scott, Jeffrey Modderno, Benjamin R. Bollinger
Abstract: The invention relates to systems and methods for rapidly and isothermally expanding gas in a cylinder. The cylinder is used in a staged hydraulic-pneumatic energy conversion system and includes a gas chamber (pneumatic side) and a fluid chamber (hydraulic side) and a piston or other mechanism that separates the gas chamber and fluid chamber while allowing the transfer of force/pressure between each opposing chamber. The gas chamber of the cylinder includes ports that are coupled to a heat transfer subassembly that circulates gas from the pneumatic side and exchanges its heat with a counter flow of ambient temperature fluid from a reservoir or other source.
Abstract: In various embodiments, efficiency of energy storage and recovery systems compressing and expanding gas is improved via heat exchange between the gas and a heat-transfer fluid.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 12, 2011
Date of Patent:
August 7, 2012
Assignee:
SustainX, Inc.
Inventors:
Troy O. McBride, Alexander Bell, Benjamin R. Bollinger
Abstract: The invention relates to systems and methods including an energy conversion system for storage and recovery of energy using compressed gas, a source of recovered thermal energy, and a heat-exchange subsystem in fluid communication with the energy conversion system and the source of recovered thermal energy.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 16, 2011
Date of Patent:
August 7, 2012
Assignee:
SustainX, Inc.
Inventors:
Troy O. McBride, Benjamin R. Bollinger, Michael Izenson, Weibo Chen, Patrick Magari, Benjamin Cameron
Abstract: In various embodiments, systems for providing a constant electrical output from a compressed gas energy storage and recovery system include a hydraulic-pneumatic energy storage and recovery system configured to provide a varying pressure profile at least at one outlet, a hydraulic motor-pump in fluid communication with the outlet, and a control system for enabling the constant electrical output by controlling at least one of pressure, piston position, power, flow rate, torque, RPM, current, voltage, frequency, or displacement per revolution.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 17, 2011
Date of Patent:
August 7, 2012
Assignee:
SustainX, Inc.
Inventors:
Benjamin R. Bollinger, Troy O. McBride, Michael Schaefer
Abstract: The invention relates to systems and methods for rapidly and isothermally expanding and compressing gas in energy storage and recovery systems that use open-air hydraulic-pneumatic cylinder assemblies, such as an accumulator and an intensifier in communication with a high-pressure gas storage reservoir on a gas-side of the circuits and a combination fluid motor/pump, coupled to a combination electric generator/motor on the fluid side of the circuits. The systems use heat transfer subsystems in communication with at least one of the cylinder assemblies or reservoir to thermally condition the gas being expanded or compressed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 16, 2009
Date of Patent:
July 24, 2012
Assignee:
SustainX, Inc.
Inventors:
Troy O. McBride, Benjamin R. Bollinger, Michael Izenson, Weibo Chen, Patrick Magari, Benjamin Cameron, Robert Cook, Horst Richter