Use of intersecting vane machines in combination with wind turbines

Abstract

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a fluid compressor comprising: a rotatable turbine mounted to a mast; a toroidal intersecting vane compressor (TIVC) characterized by a fluid intake opening and a fluid exhaust opening, wherein the rotation of the turbine drives the compressor. The combination of the TIVC and turbine permits good to excellent control over the hours of electrical power generation, thereby maximizing the commercial opportunity and meeting the public need during hours of high usage. Additionally, the invention avoids the need to place an electrical generator off-shore. Further, the apparatuses of the invention can be operated with good to excellent efficiency rates.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/744,232, filed on Dec. 22, 2003. The entire teaching of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

From its commercial beginnings more than twenty years ago, wind energy has achieved rapid growth as a technology for the generation of electricity. The current generation of wind technology is considered mature enough by many of the world's largest economies to allow development of significant electrical power generation. By the end of 2002 more than 31,000 MW of windpower capacity had been installed worldwide, with annual industry growth rates of greater than 30% experienced during the last decade.

Certain constraints to the widespread growth of windpower have been identified. Many of these impediments relate to the fact that in many cases, the greatest wind resources are located far from the major urban or industrial load centers. This means the electrical energy harvested from the areas of abundant wind must be transmitted to areas of great demand, often requiring the transmission of power over long distances.

Transmission and market access constraints can significantly affect the cost of wind energy. Varying and relatively unpredictable wind speeds affect the hour to hour output of wind plants, and thus the ability of power aggregators to purchase wind power, such that costly and/or burdensome requirements can be imposed upon the deliverer of such varying energy. Congestion costs are the costs imposed on generators and customers to reflect the economic realities of congested power lines or “Bottlenecks.” Additionally, interconnection costs based upon peak usage are spread over relatively fewer kwhs from intermittent technologies such as windpower as compared to other technologies.

Power from existing and proposed offshore windplants is usually delivered to the onshore loads after stepping up the voltage for delivery through submarine high voltage cables. The cost of such cables increases with the distance from shore. Alternatives to the high cost of submarine cables are currently being contemplated. As in the case of land-based windplants with distant markets, there will be greatly increased costs as the offshore windpower facility moves farther from the shore and the load centers. In fact, the increase in costs over longer distance may be expected to be significantly higher in the case of offshore windplants. It would thus be advisable to develop alternative technologies allowing for the transmission of distant offshore energy such as produced by windpower.

Thus, a need exists, for example, to reduce the costs associated with, improve the reliability of and commercial attractiveness of energy generated from, and improve the durability of the equipment associated with wind powered generators. Further, there exists the need to develop alternative technologies for the transmission of shaft power from the aloft portions of windpowered turbines to the base of the tower or mast. Additionally, it would be desirable to develop alternative technologies for the long distance transmission of power. It would also be advisable to enhance the economic value of wind-generated electricity, by the development of technologies which allow for the storage of intermittent wind energy to sell at times of peak demand. There is also the need to develop technologies which enhance the value of windpower to be useful in the production of various hydrogen and other green fuels, to supplement current power supplies in areas where the power grid is ineffective or unreliable and to provide an economic power supply for consumers that do not have access to the power grid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a fluid compressor comprising: a rotatable turbine (including, but not limited to a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine or a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine, or Arrays or Clusters grouped together in multiples of said wind turbines); a toroidal intersecting vane compressor (TIVC) characterized by a fluid intake opening and a fluid exhaust opening, wherein the rotation of the turbine drives the compressor. The combination of the TIVC and turbine permits good to excellent control over the hours and efficiency of electrical power generation, thereby maximizing the commercial opportunity and meeting the public need during hours of high usage. Additionally, the invention in certain embodiments avoids the need to place an electrical generator off-shore. Additionally, the invention allows for the production of other products than electricity, such as shaft power. Further, the apparatuses of the invention can be operated with good to excellent efficiency rates.

In one embodiment, the invention comprises a generator apparatus comprising:

(a) a rotatable turbine;

(b) at least one toroidal intersecting vane compressor characterized by a fluid intake opening and a fluid exhaust opening, wherein the rotation of the turbine drives the compressor;

(c) a conduit having a proximal end and a distal end wherein said proximal end is attached to said fluid exhaust opening;

(d) at least one toroidal intersecting vane expander characterized by a fluid intake opening attached to said distal end;

(e) an electrical generator operably attached to said expander to convert force transmission means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The variability and unpredictability of the wind resource can impose certain economic constraints. Though the state of the art of wind resource prediction is improving rapidly, the timing and deliverability of intermittent sources of power can be predicted only within a wider range and timescale than conventional power generation. Conventional generation can thus come on or offline with much more precision as to the timing and degree of power delivery than more unpredictable sources of power such as windpower. Thus there is value in providing storage for the wind energy, so that it can be converted into a more valuable energy product, timed to meet the greatest load demand. The ability of windpower to use alternative transmission technologies, such as those contemplated by this invention, could prove to be more economic than adapting to traditional long-distance transmission requirements. Providing a technological alternative to these problems may enhance the market position of wind generating facilities.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a fluid compressor comprising: a rotatable turbine mounted to a mast; a toroidal intersecting vane compressor (TIVC) characterized by a fluid intake opening and a fluid exhaust opening, wherein the rotation of the turbine drives the compressor. The inventions permit good to excellent control over the hours of electrical power generation, thereby maximizing the commercial opportunity and meeting the public need during hours of high or peak usage. Additionally, the invention avoids the need to place an electrical generator off-shore. The invention further serves to allow for an alternative method for transmission of power over long distance. Further, the apparatuses of the invention can be operated with good to excellent efficiency rates.

In one embodiment, the invention comprises a generator apparatus comprising:

(a) a rotatable turbine mounted to a mast;

(b) at least one toroidal intersecting vane compressor characterized by a fluid intake opening and a fluid exhaust opening, wherein the rotation of the turbine drives the compressor;

(c) a conduit having a proximal end and a distal end wherein said proximal end is attached to said fluid exhaust opening;

(d) at least one toroidal intersecting vane expander characterized by a fluid intake opening attached to the distal end;

(e) an electrical generator operably attached to said expander to convert force transmission means.

The turbine can be powered to rotate by a number of means apparent to the person of skill in the art. One example is air flow, such as is created by wind. In this embodiment, the turbine can be a windmill, such as those well known in the art. One example of a windmill is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,308, which is incorporated herein by reference. Because wind velocities are particularly reliable off shore, the windmill can be configured to stand or float off shore, as is known in the art.

In yet another embodiment, the turbine can be powered to rotate by water flow, such as is generated by a river or a dam.

The compressor is preferably a toroidal intersecting vane compressor, such as those described in Chomyszak U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,954, issued Aug. 10, 1993 and Tomcyzk, United States Patent Application Publication 2003/0111040, published Jun. 19, 2003. The contents of the patent and publication are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. For example, the toroidal intersecting vane compressor comprises a supporting structure, a first and second intersecting rotors rotatably mounted in said supporting structure, said first rotor having a plurality of primary vanes positioned in spaced relationship on a radially inner peripheral surface of said first rotor with said radially inner peripheral surface of said first rotor and a radially inner peripheral surface of each of said primary vanes being transversely concave, with spaces between said primary vanes and said inside surface defining a plurality of primary chambers, said second rotor having a plurality of secondary vanes positioned in spaced relationship on a radially outer peripheral surface of said second rotor with said radially outer peripheral surface of said second rotor and a radially outer peripheral surface of each of said secondary vanes being transversely convex, with spaces between said secondary vanes and said inside surface defining a plurality of secondary chambers, with a first axis of rotation of said first rotor and a second axis of rotation of said second rotor arranged so that said axes of rotation do not intersect, said first rotor, said second rotor, primary vanes and secondary vanes being arranged so that said primary vanes and said secondary vanes intersect at only one location during their rotation. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the toroidal intersecting vane compressor is a self-synchronizing machine, such as those described in copending patent application Ser. No. 10/744,230, by Chomyszak and Bailey, Attorney Docket No. 4004-3001, which is incorporated herein by reference.

In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises one, two or more toroidal intersecting vane compressors. The compressors can be configured in series or in parallel and/or can each be single stage or multistage compressors. The compressor will generally compress air, however, other environments or applications may allow other compressible fluids to be used. Examples of other compressible fluids include hydrogen, biogas, methane, natural gas (as may be found in a gas pipeline), propane, nitrogen, ethanol, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, argon, helium, oxygen, fluorocarbons, acetylene, nitrous oxide, neon, krypton, xenon, and the like.

The turbine is generally configured to power the compressor(s). For example, the turbine can drive the compressor by a friction wheel drive which is frictionally connected to the turbine and is connected by a belt, a chain, or directly to a draft shaft or gear of the compressor, or through a hydraulic drive.

Additionally, the invention can provide a method or means of controlling or allowing a turbine to drive the generator, the compressor, or both (e.g., simultaneously). In a typical prior art apparatus, the variability of the torque of the turbine is undesirable. Where the turbine is driving the generator and compressor, simultaneously, the apparatus can be configured and controlled to ensure that the torque to the generator is constant or fixed and the flux is controlled or modulated by the compressor. Thus, variable flow can be used to modulate torque of the turbine allowing the generator output to be more constant.

Additionally or alternatively, the invention may include a means or method of control enabling a turbine and/or the expander to drive the generator and/or compressor. In this embodiment, the expander can complement the power input of the turbine.

In yet another embodiment, the generator (or other external power source) can drive the compressor. This can be desirable to replenish the power storage within the conduit using off-peak power for use during peak power times, even when the turbine's activity is insufficient to do so.

In another embodiment, the TIVC/E can also be configured so that it can function as a compressor during the storage phase of the cycle and an expander during the power production phase.

The air exiting the compressor through the compressor exhaust opening will directly or indirectly fill a conduit. Multiple turbines, and their associated compressors, can fill the same or different conduits. For example, a single conduit can receive the compressed air from an entire windmill farm, windplant or windpower facility. Alternatively or additionally, the “windmill farm” or, the turbines therein, can fill multiple conduits. The conduit(s) can be used to collect, store, and/or transmit the compressed fluid, or air. Depending upon the volume of the conduit, large volumes of compressed air can be stored and transmitted. The conduit can direct the air flow to a storage vessel or tank or directly to the expander. The conduit is preferably made of a material that can withstand high pressures, such as those generated by the compressors. Further, the conduit should be manufactured out of a material appropriate to withstand the environmental stresses. For example, where the windmill is located off shore, the conduit should be made of a material that will withstand seawater, such as pipelines that are used in the natural gas industry.

The location of the conduit is not particularly critical. It can be under the ground or ocean surface or on the surface of the ground or an integral part of the wind turbine tower (e.g., a supporting member or nacelle).

The air (fluid) feeding the compressor or the compressed air (fluid) can be heated or cooled in the conduit or in a slip, or side, stream off the conduit or in a storage vessel or tank. Heating the fluid can have the advantage of increasing the energy stored within the fluid, prior to subjecting it to an expander. The compressed air can be subjected to a constant volume or constant pressure heating. The source of heating/cooling can be passive or active. For example, sources of heat/cooling include solar energy/ambient temperature, thermal energy using the heat/cooling available in the oceans, rivers, ponds, lakes, underground and shallow or deep geothermal heating (as can be found in hot springs). The conduit, or compressed air, can be passed through a heat exchanger to cool waste heat, such as can be found in power plant streams and effluents and industrial process streams and effluents (e.g., liquid and gas waste streams). In yet another embodiment, the compressed air can be heated via combustion.

Like the TIVC, the expander is preferably a toroidal intersecting vane expander (TIVE), such as those described by Chomyszak, referenced above. Thus, the toroidal intersecting vane expander can comprise a supporting structure, a first and second intersecting rotors rotatably mounted in said supporting structure, said first rotor having a plurality of primary vanes positioned in spaced relationship on a radially inner peripheral surface of said first rotor with said radially inner peripheral surface of said first rotor and a radially inner peripheral surface of each of said primary vanes being transversely concave, with spaces between said primary vanes and said inside surface defining a plurality of primary chambers, said second rotor having a plurality of secondary vanes positioned in spaced relationship on a radially outer peripheral surface of said second rotor with said radially outer peripheral surface of said second rotor and a radially outer peripheral surface of each of said secondary vanes being transversely convex, with spaces between said secondary vanes and said inside surface defining a plurality of secondary chambers, with a first axis of rotation of said first rotor and a second axis of rotation of said second rotor arranged so that said axes of rotation do not intersect, said first rotor, said second rotor, primary vanes and secondary vanes being arranged so that said primary vanes and said secondary vanes intersect at only one location during their rotation. Similarly, the toroidal intersecting vane expander is self-synchronizing. Like the TIVC, the expanders can be multistage or single stage, used alone, in series or in parallel with additional TIVEs. A single TIVE can service a single conduit or multiple conduits.

As discussed above, one of the advantages of the present invention is the ability to collect the compressed air or other fluid and convert the compressed air or fluid to electricity independently of each other. As such, the electricity generation can be accomplished at a different time and in a shorter, or longer, time period, as desired, such as during periods of high power demand or when the price of the energy is at its highest. As such, the expander is preferably configured to operate independently of the turbine and compressor. Further, because the conduit that is directing the compressed fluid, or air, to the expander can be of a very large volume, the expander need not be located proximally with the turbine and compressor. As such, even where the turbine or windmill is located off shore, the expander can be located on land, such as at the power plant itself, thereby avoiding the need to transfer the electricity.

The invention further relates to the use of a TIVM to store and release energy in the form of a compressed gas or fluid, such as air. In such an embodiment, the turbine can be replaced with another power source that drives the TIVM.

Further, the sizes, capacities, of the TIVCs and TIVEs can be approximately the same or different. The capacity of the TIVE is preferably at least 0.5 times the capacity of the TIVCs it serves, preferably the capacity of the TIVE exceeds the capacity of the TIVCs it serves. Generally, the capacity of the TIVE is between about 1 and 5 times the capacity of the TIVCs it serves. For example, if 100 turbines, with 100 TIVCs, each have a capacity of 2 megawatts, a TIVE that services all 100 turbines, preferably has the capacity to produce 100 megawatts, preferably at least about 200 to 1,000 megawatts. Of course, TIVEs and TIVCs of a wide range of capacities can be designed.

Additional modifications to further improve energy usage can be envisioned from the apparatus of the invention. Energy recycle streams and strategies can be easily incorporated into the apparatus. For example, the expanded fluid exiting from the expander will generally be cold. This fluid can be efficiently used as a coolant, such as in a heat exchanger to provide refrigeration, air-conditioning, coolant for a condensing process. Likewise, the compressed fluid exiting from the compressor, or the cooling liquid, such as from the intercoolers, may be used to provide useful heat to a process.

The compressor and expander can be controlled to control the temperature or energy level of the fluids or gases, such as by controlling the rate, pressure, etc. Alternatively multiple sources of fluid (e.g., at different temperatures) can be used to control the temperature of the fluid at various stages of the process. The process can also be controlled by varying the pressure ratio of the compressor and/or expander to allow for optimal injection pressure into the receiver in relation to the pressure of the stored air.

The dimensions and ranges herein are set forth solely for the purpose of illustrating typical device dimensions. The actual dimensions of a device constructed according to the principles of the present invention may obviously vary outside of the listed ranges with departing from those basic principles. Further, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details of the invention as shown and described may be made. It is intended that such changes be included within the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A method of storing and transporting wind generated energy, comprising: determining a first site where wind speeds are sufficient for generating wind power that is remote from a user; providing a plurality of wind turbine stations for generating energy located at said first site; providing at least one compressor per dedicated wind turbine associated with said plurality of wind turbine stations; determining a planned route between said first site and a second site to be serviced by said wind turbine stations; determining the approximate distance between said first and second sites; providing a pipeline structure along said planned route between said first and second sites for storing compressed air energy generated by said wind turbine stations; determining the pipe size and air pressure based on the amount of storage space that is needed within said pipeline structure, taking into account the approximate distance between said first and second sites; extending said pipeline structure from said first site to said second site along said planned route; providing at least one turbo expander located at or near said second site to allow said compressed air energy to be released; and providing an electrical generator to convert said compressed air energy released by said turboexpander into electrical energy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first site is located on a platform located in a body of water, wherein said pipeline structure is extended down into the ground below said body of water, and wherein said pipeline structure is extended to said second site located on land.

3. A method of transporting wind generated energy, comprising: determining a first site where wind speeds are sufficient for generating wind power that is remote from a user; providing a plurality of wind turbine stations for generating energy located at said first site and providing at least one compressor associated therewith; determining a planned route between said first site and a second site to be serviced by said wind turbine stations, wherein said planned route extends substantially along an existing path which comprises at least one taken from the following: an existing road, an existing easement, an existing conduit, an existing open access area, an existing abandoned pipeline; providing a pipeline along said planned route between said first and second sites for storing compressed air energy generated by said wind turbine stations and transporting the compressed air energy from said first site to said second site; providing at least one turbo expander to release said compressed air energy from the pipeline structure at or near said second site; providing an electrical generator to convert the compressed air energy released by said turbo expander into electrical energy; and providing said electrical energy to a user at said second site.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one compressor is provided per dedicated wind turbine associated with said plurality of wind turbine stations.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the compressor is a toroidal intersecting vane compressor.