Systems, Methods, and Apparatuses for Utilizing Heat
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for utilizing heat are provided. A heat pump is configured to provide high-pressure steam and includes at least one compressor and at least one flash vessel. A heat exchanger is configured to be disposed proximate to a facility and further includes a first flow path and the second flow path. The first flow path is configured to transfer heat to the second flow path within the heat exchanger. An inlet of the first flow path is configured to be coupled to a source of hot fluid exiting the facility. Moreover, an inlet of the second flow path is configured to be coupled to a water source. An outlet of the second flow path is configured to be coupled to an inlet of the heat pump.
The present application is a continuation of, and claims benefit to, International Patent Application No.: PCT/US2024/041978, filed Aug. 12, 2024, tilted “Systems, Methods, and Apparatuses for Utilizing Heat,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/532,240, entitled “Mechanical Vapor Recompression Steam Generating Heat Pump and Heat Exchanger Integration,” filed Aug. 11, 2023, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure relates generally to systems, methods, and apparatuses for utilizing heat (e.g., waste heat generated at a facility).
BACKGROUNDReducing on-site emissions in the industrial sector is critical to achieving desired greenhouse gas targets. For example, one set of greenhouse gas targets are set forth in California's Air Resources Board's AB32 and SB 32 greenhouse gas reduction targets, although this particular set of greenhouse gas targets should not be deemed the only targets to meet in the industrial sector. Presently, industrial manufacturing processes generate thermal energy that needs to be dissipated from these processes. For example, waste heat may be transferred to a cooling water loop, which increases the temperature of the cooling water. The hot cooling water may then be sent to a cooling tower where the thermal energy is dissipated to atmosphere to reduce the temperature of the cooling water.
To comply with greenhouse gas targets and become carbon neutral, it is desired to increase industrial electrification.
A barrier to achieving desired energy goals is a lack of efficient and economically attractive technologies to electrify the massive thermal energy demands associated with steam production in industry. State-of-the-art industrial heat pumps are unable to reach the temperatures required to produce medium-high pressure saturated steam required by many industrial facilities. State-of-the-art electric boiler technologies, on the other hand, are indeed able to reach required temperatures and pressures, but they do so with a low coefficient of performance (COP) of 1.0 or less. This results in excessive electricity consumption, making these systems uneconomical to operate. Additionally, the high electricity consumption may add undue strain on the electric power grid.
It would also be desirable that development of an alternative technology to meet the demand for medium to high pressure saturated steam could be implemented in a manner that limits custom engineering and specialized, one-off field assemblies. Custom engineering and specialized field assemblies drastically limit availability and increase cost. Further, customized solutions with specialized field assemblies could potentially require very costly downtime, and thus industrial customers are reluctant to try new technologies that may be perceived as possibly failing and/or causing undesired downtime.
Furthermore, one of skill in the art will appreciate that transporting vapor, such as steam generated within a flash vessel, over large distances is physically difficult or uneconomical because the steam has a low density, which necessitates large ducting or piping structures to avoid associated pressure drops. For instance, particularly for low temperature and pressure steam, a large pressure drop may be a physical impossibility as the initial pressure of the steam is too low. Additionally, a large pressure drop negatively impacts the performance of the heat pump as the compression ratio is larger, which requires additional energy input.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved system and method that addresses one or more of the above-described disadvantages, in a manner that is cost-effective, efficient, reliable, scalable, etc.
SUMMARYGiven the above background, what is needed in the art are systems and methods to utilize heat, such as waste heat generated at a facility, thereby enhancing an overall energy consumption efficiency level and reducing associated manufacturing, installation, and operating costs. Accordingly, various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for producing high-pressure steam. For instance, in some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure are configured as a heat pump. In some embodiments, the heat pump of the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure is configured for open-cycle mechanical vapor recompression and high-pressure steam production. In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure are configured to capture a low temperature media flow rejected from an industrial process performed at a facility, increase a temperature of the media flow, and use the media flow having an increased temperature to generate steam. The steam may have the same temperature, pressure, and quality as steam provided by existing boilers.
In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure are configured to transfer heat, whether that be heat from an exhaust stack, heat from a cooling tower loop, heat from any other liquid or gaseous phase heat source, or a combination thereof into a flow path that circulates (e.g., loops) media through a heat exchanger. In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure are configured to pump heated water through the length of the flow path, such as piping associated with the flow path. In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure are configured to provide the heater water to a flash vessel train (e.g., at least one flash vessel) that is associated with a heat pump. In some embodiments, the flash vessel train is configured to reduce the pressure of the heated water, generating both flash steam and or cooled water. The cooled water is returned to the heat source for reheating, closing the loop, such as by returning the cooled water to the heat exchanger. In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure are configured to provide the flash steam to a compressor train (e.g., at least two compressors). The steam exits a mechanical vapor recompression (MVP) heat pump at high pressure suitable for use in various process applications or for a variety of heating.
Accordingly, in some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure provide a repeatable modular architecture that provides medium or high pressure working steam regardless of the type, quality, and/or size of the facility or the heat source associated with the facility. Moreover, in some embodiments, by transferring heat from the facility into a flow path with circulating liquid, the source of the heat and the heat pump can be physically distant from one another. In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure transfer heat to a liquid, which enables using smaller piping structures to transport the heat over large distances, such as a distance over 0.5 miles (e.g., greater than 800 meters (m)).
In some embodiments, the circulating flow path allows for large distances between the heat source associated with the facility and the heat pump, or similarly the heat exchanger of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, placing a relatively large distance between the facility and the heat pump and/or the heat exchanger is beneficial in that there is no need to demolish buildings, build or retrofit new buildings, or locate real estate to dispose the system at the facility. In some embodiments, the heat pump is modular, allowing for the heat pump to utilize heat from a variety of heat sources, such as a variety of types of fluid, a variety of capacities, a variety of temperatures, a variety of physical geometries, or a combination thereof, because the heat pump is disposed at a distance relatively far from the heat source.
In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure generates high pressure steam having a density greater than a density of low pressure steam, allowing the high pressure steam to be transported large distances. Therefore, in some embodiments, the heat pump is physically separated from the heat source and a heat sink or heat rejector, such as a cooling tower or the like.
Turning to more specific aspects, one aspect of the present disclosure is directed to providing a system for utilizing heat. The system includes a heat exchanger, a heat pump, a media inlet, and a fluid pump. The heat exchanger is configured to receive a first media flow and transfer heat of the first media flow to a second media flow via the heat exchanger. Moreover, the heat exchanger further includes a first flow path having an inlet configured to be coupled to a facility and receive the first media flow from the facility. Furthermore, the heat exchanger includes a second flow path thermally coupled to the first flow path. The second flow path is configured to guide the second media flow. The second media flow is at least partially liquid passing along the second flow path. The heat pump is coupled to the second flow path of the heat exchanger. The heat pump further includes at least one flash vessel configured to receive the second media flow, flash evaporate a first portion of the second media flow to generate a vaporized media flow, and provide a second portion of the second media flow (e.g., cooled water) to the second flow path. The heat pump further includes a compressor train coupled to the at least one flash vessel. The compressor train includes at least two compressors and is configured to increase a pressure of the vaporized media flow. Further, the media inlet is coupled to the second media flow and configured to supplement the second media flow, e.g., with top-up water. The fluid pump is coupled to the second flow path of the heat exchanger and configured to control the second media flow.
In some embodiments, herein the second flow path is a closed loop.
In some embodiments, the fluid pump is further configured to control a flow rate associated with the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the at least one flash vessel is configured to provide liquid water to the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the first flow path is configured to bypass a source of hot fluid exiting the facility.
In some embodiments, the first flow path is configured to fluidly couple in series or parallel with the source of hot fluid exiting the facility.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a vapor condenser heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a pipe heat exchanger, a fin heat exchanger, a frame heat exchanger, a shell heat exchanger, a spiral heat exchanger, a tube heat exchanger, or a combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a parallel flow heat exchanger, a counter flow heat exchanger, or a cross-flow heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is configured to prevent mixing of the first flow path and the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the heat pump is a mechanical vapor recompression (MVP) heat pump.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises an outlet of the heat pump that is configured to couple to an existing steam header of the facility or a different facility.
In some embodiments, the source of hot fluid exiting the facility is waste heat generated at the facility.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is configured to transfer latent heat and sensible heat from the first flow path to the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises an outlet of the second flow path that is configured to couple with an existing heat exchanger associated a heat rejector.
In some embodiments, the heat rejector is a cooling tower.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises an outlet of the heat pump that is configured to be coupled with a water source associated with the inlet of the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises a nozzle that is configured to spray water into the hot fluid exiting a facility and capture heat from the hot fluid.
In some embodiments, the water sprayed into the hot fluid is further configured to decontaminate the hot fluid.
In some embodiments, the first flow path is configured to be in fluidic communication with a first stream of makeup water produced at the facility or the different facility.
In some embodiments, the water sprayed into a hot fluid includes the first stream of makeup water.
In some embodiments, the second flow path is configured to be in fluidic communication with a second stream of makeup water produced at the facility or the different facility.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises a filter that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to remove contaminates from the first flow path upstream from the heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises: a first sensor that is configured to detect a temperature at the inlet of the first flow path; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the first sensor and a damper assembly that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to control a flow rate of the first flow path at the inlet of the first flow path.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises: a second sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of first flow path at an inlet of the heat exchanger; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the second sensor and a fan assembly that is configured to fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to maintain the temperature at the inlet of the heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises: a third sensor that is configured to detect a temperature at the inlet of the first flow path; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the third sensor and a first fluid pump that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to control a flow rate at the inlet of the heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises: a fourth sensor that is configured to detect a pressure of the heat pump; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the fourth sensor and a second fluid pump that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path and is further configured to maintain the pressure of the heat pump.
In some embodiments, the pressure is an internal pressure of the heat pump that is less than a saturation pressure of the hot fluid.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises: a fifth sensor that is configured to detect a pressure of the inlet of the heat pump; a sixth sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of the inlet of the heat pump; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the fifth sensor, the sixth sensor, and a value that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path and is further configured to maintain the pressure of the heat pump.
In some embodiments, the controller is a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises a first blowdown that is configured to remove a contaminant accommodated by the first flow path.
In some embodiments, the first blowdown is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path upstream of the inlet of the heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises a second blowdown that is configured to remove a contaminant accommodated by the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the second blowdown is further configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path downstream of an outlet of the heat pump.
In some embodiments, a distance between the facility and the heat exchanger is between 100 meters and 10 kilometers.
In some embodiments, a distance between the heat exchanger and the heat pump is less than 100 meters.
In some embodiments, the distance between the facility and the heat exchanger is greater than the distance between the heat exchanger and the heat pump.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is configured to be disposed at a first height greater than a second height associated with the heat pump.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a direct contact heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises: a seventh sensor that is configured to detect a liquid depth of the heat pump; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the seventh sensor and the second fluid pump that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path and is further configured to maintain the liquid depth of the heat pump.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to providing a system for utilizing heat. The system includes a heat pump configured to provide high-pressure steam. The heat pump includes at least one compressor and at least one flash vessel. Additionally, the system includes a heat exchanger configured to be disposed proximate to a facility. The heat exchanger includes a first flow path and the second flow path. The first flow path is configured to transfer heat to the second flow path within the heat exchanger. Moreover, an inlet of the first flow path is configured to be coupled to a source of hot fluid exiting the facility, and an inlet of the second flow path is configured to be coupled to a second media, such as a water source. Furthermore, an outlet of the second flow path is configured to be coupled to an inlet of the heat pump.
In some embodiments, the second flow path is configured to accommodate a flow that is at least partially liquid.
In some embodiments, the second flow path is a closed loop.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a fluid pump that is fluidly coupled to the second flow path and further configured to control a flow rate associated with the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the at least one flash vessel is configured to flash some or all of the water of the second flow path to provide a vapor received by an inlet of the at least one compressor.
In some embodiments, the at least one flash vessel is configured to provide liquid water to the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the first flow path is configured to bypass the source of hot fluid exiting the facility.
In some embodiments, the first flow path is configured to fluidly couple in series or parallel with the source of hot fluid exiting the facility.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a vapor condenser heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a pipe heat exchanger, a fin heat exchanger, a frame heat exchanger, a shell heat exchanger, a spiral heat exchanger, a tube heat exchanger, or a combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a parallel flow heat exchanger, a counter flow heat exchanger, or a cross-flow heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is configured to prevent mixing of the first flow path and the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the heat pump is a mechanical vapor recompression (MVP) heat pump.
In some embodiments, the system further includes an outlet of the heat pump that is configured to couple to an existing steam header of the facility or a different facility.
In some embodiments, the source of hot fluid exiting the facility is waste heat generated at the facility.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is configured to transfer latent heat and sensible heat from the first flow path to the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the system further includes an outlet of the second flow path that is configured to couple with an existing heat exchanger associated a heat rejector.
In some embodiments, the heat rejector is a cooling tower.
In some embodiments, the system further includes an outlet of the heat pump that is configured to be coupled with the water source associated with the inlet of the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a nozzle that is configured to spray water into the hot fluid exiting a facility and capture heat from the hot fluid.
In some embodiments, the water sprayed into the hot fluid is further configured to decontaminate the hot fluid.
In some embodiments, the first flow path is configured to be in fluidic communication with a first stream of makeup water produced at the facility or the different facility.
In some embodiments, the water sprayed into the hot fluid includes the first stream of makeup water.
In some embodiments, the second flow path is configured to be in fluidic communication with a second stream of makeup water produced at the facility or the different facility.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a filter that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to remove contaminates from the first flow path upstream from the heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a first sensor that is configured to detect a temperature at the inlet of the first flow path; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the first sensor and a damper assembly that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to control a flow rate of the first flow path at the inlet of the first flow path.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a second sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of first flow path at an inlet of the heat exchanger; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the second sensor and a fan assembly that is configured to fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to maintain the temperature at the inlet of the heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a third sensor that is configured to detect a temperature at the inlet of the first flow path; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the third sensor and a first fluid pump that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to control a flow rate at the inlet of the heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a fourth sensor that is configured to detect a pressure of the heat pump; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the fourth sensor and a second fluid pump that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path and is further configured to maintain the pressure of the heat pump.
In some embodiments, the pressure is an internal pressure of the heat pump that is less than a saturation pressure of the hot fluid.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a fifth sensor that is configured to detect a pressure of the inlet of the heat pump; a sixth sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of the inlet of the heat pump; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the fifth sensor, the sixth sensor, and a value that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path and is further configured to maintain the pressure of the heat pump.
In some embodiments, the controller is a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a first blowdown that is configured to remove a contaminant accommodated by the first flow path.
In some embodiments, the first blowdown is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path upstream of the inlet of the heat exchanger.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a second blowdown that is configured to remove a contaminant accommodated by the second flow path.
In some embodiments, the second blowdown is further configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path downstream of the outlet of the heat pump.
In some embodiments, a distance between the facility and the heat exchanger is between 100 meters and 10 kilometers.
In some embodiments, a distance between the heat exchanger and the heat pump is less than 100 meters.
In some embodiments, the distance between the facility and the heat exchanger is greater than the distance between the heat exchanger and the heat pump.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is configured to be disposed at a first height greater than a second height associated with the heat pump.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a direct contact heat exchanger.
Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to providing a system for utilizing waste heat. The system includes a heat exchanger and a heat pump. The heat exchanger is configured to receive a first flow from a facility, transfer heat between a first flow of the heat exchanger and a second flow of the heat exchanger, and discharge the first flow. The heat pump is coupled to the heat exchanger. Moreover, the heat pump is configured to receive the second flow from the heat exchanger and is further is configured to convert the second flow into a stream of high-pressure steam and a stream of fluid cooler than the stream of high-pressure steam.
Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a system for utilizing heat. The system includes a heat pump. The heat pump further includes a flash vessel train coupled to a compressor train. The heat pump is further configured to receive some or all of a second flow path. Moreover, the compressor train is configured to provide high-pressure steam. The system includes a heat exchanger disposed proximate to a facility. The heat exchanger includes a first flow path and the second flow path. The first flow path is configured to transfer heat to the second flow path within the heat exchanger. The second flow path is a loop configured to accommodate at least a partial liquid. An inlet of the first flow path is configured to be coupled to a source of hot fluid exiting the facility. Moreover, an inlet of the second flow path is configured to be coupled to a water source. An outlet of the second flow path is configured to be coupled to an inlet of the heat pump. Additionally, the system includes a fluid pump that is fluidly coupled to the second flow path. The fluid pump is further configured to control a flow rate associated with the second flow path.
Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to providing a system for utilizing heat. The system includes a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from a first flow path to a second flow path within the heat exchanger. Furthermore, the heat exchanger includes the first flow path having an inlet configured to receive waste heat from a facility. Moreover, the heat exchanger includes the second flow path thermally coupled to the first flow path. The second flow path is configured to transfer energy from the first flow path to a liquid flowing along the second flow path. Additionally, the system includes a heat pump coupled to an exit of the second flow path. The heat pump includes at least one flash vessel configured to flash evaporate the liquid to generate steam and return any remaining liquid to the second flow path. Moreover, the heat pump includes at least two compressors coupled to the at least one flash vessel. The at least two compressors is configured to increase a pressure of the steam. Moreover, the system includes a media inlet coupled on the second media flow and configured to supplement the second media flow. Additionally, the system includes a fluid pump coupled to the second flow path and configured to control the flow of the liquid and steam.
The systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.
In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTSSystems, methods, and apparatuses for producing utilizing heat are provided. In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatus transfer heat from a heat source associated with a facility to a heat pump of a system using liquid flowing along a flow path of a heat exchanger of the system. In some embodiments, the heat pump is configured to vaporize the liquid and increase a pressure of the vapor to a pressure that for industrial processes and/or conveyance to the facility or a different facility. By way of example, advantageously, in some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses provide a heat pump that is configured to provide high-pressure steam and includes at least one compressor and at least one flash vessel. In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses provide a heat exchanger that is configured to be disposed proximate to a facility and further includes a first flow path and the second flow path. In some embodiments, the first flow path is configured to transfer heat to the second flow path within the heat exchanger. In some embodiments, an inlet of the first flow path is configured to be coupled to a source of hot fluid exiting the facility. Moreover, in some embodiments, an inlet of the second flow path is configured to be coupled to a water source. In some embodiments, an outlet of the second flow path is configured to be coupled to an inlet of the heat pump.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.
It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For instance, a first compressor could be termed a second compressor, and, similarly, a second compressor could be termed a first compressor, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The first compressor and the second compressor are both compressors, but they are not the same compressor.
The terminology used in the present disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in the description of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The foregoing description includes example systems, methods, techniques, instruction sequences, and computing machine program products that embody illustrative implementations. For purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of various implementations of the inventive subject matter. It will be evident, however, to those skilled in the art that implementations of the inventive subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In general, well-known instruction instances, protocols, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail.
The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific implementations. However, the illustrative discussions below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The implementations are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles and their practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the implementations and various implementations with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the implementations described herein are shown and described. It will be appreciated that, in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions are made in order to achieve the designer's specific goals, such as compliance with use case- and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from one designer to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a design effort might be complex and time-consuming, but nevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordering skill in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure.
As used herein, the term “if” may be construed to mean “when” or “upon” or “in response to determining” or “in response to detecting,” depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined” or “if [a stated condition or event] is detected” may be construed to mean “upon determining” or “in response to determining” or “upon detecting [the stated condition or event]” or “in response to detecting [the stated condition or event],” depending on the context.
As used herein, the term “about” or “approximately” can mean within an acceptable error range for the particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art, which can depend in part on how the value is measured or determined, e.g., the limitations of the measurement system. For example, “about” can mean within 1 or more than 1 standard deviation, per the practice in the art. “About” can mean a range of ±20%, 10%, ±5%, or ±1% of a given value. Where particular values are described in the application and claims, unless otherwise stated, the term “about” means within an acceptable error range for the particular value. The term “about” can have the meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The term “about” can refer to ±10%. The term “about” can refer to ±5%.
As used herein, the term “epoch” means a predefined period of time.
Furthermore, the terms “compressor” and “blower” are used interchangeably herein unless expressly stated otherwise.
The terms “flash vessel” and “knockout drum” are used interchangeably herein unless expressly stated otherwise.
The terms “steam” and “water vapor” are used interchangeably herein unless expressly stated otherwise.
Moreover, the term “stream” as used herein means any material moving or en route, directly or indirectly, from one location to another. In some embodiments, a stream is still a stream even if it is temporarily stationary for any epoch. In some embodiments, it will be understood that if the present disclosure refers to a particular stream, this does not necessarily refer to a single pipe or other physical conveyance.
Furthermore, when a reference number is given an “ith” denotation, the reference number refers to a generic component, set, or embodiment. For instance, a compressor termed “compressor i” refers to the ith compressor in a plurality of compressors (e.g., a compressor 204-i in a plurality of compressors 204).
In some embodiments, the system 104 is coupled to one or more facilities (e.g., first facility 102-1 of
Referring to
One of skill in the art of the present disclosure will appreciate that temperature rise and mechanical stresses within a respective compressor limit the maximum pressure differential provided by any stage of the respective compressor. Accordingly, in order to provide the high-pressure steam 140 that is utilizable by the facility 102, the compressor train 202 includes a series of at least two compressors (e.g., first compressor 204-1 of any of
In some embodiments, the compressor train 202 includes m compressors 204, in which m is an integer, such as an integer greater than two. In some embodiments, m is at least two and less than twenty-one. Moreover, in some embodiments, m is selected for the system 104 in accordance with one or more input parameters (e.g., parameters 916 of
In some embodiments, the series of at least two compressors 204 is configured such that the at least two compressors 204 in the series of at least two compressors 204 are fluidically coupled in series. In some embodiments, the series of at least two compressors 204 are coupled, at least in part, fluidically in series, which allows for a stream of medium to flow from a first compressor 204-1 in the series of at least two compressors 204 into a second compressor 204-2 in the series of at least two compressors 204. For instance, in some embodiments, the series of at least two compressors 204 includes a pathline through both the first compressor 204-1 and the second compressor 204-2 when the series of at least two compressors 204 are coupled, at least in part, fluidically in series. In some embodiments, the series of at least two compressors 204 is configured such that each compressor in the series of at least two compressors 204 is disposed in a straight line, a substantially straight line, an arc line, or a substantially arc line. In some embodiments, the series of at least two compressors 204 is configured such that each compressor in the series of at least two compressors 204 is disposed in an array, such as an array of two or more rows of parallel, or substantially parallel lines. For instance, in some embodiments, the series of at least two compressors 204 is configured such that each compressor in the series of at least two compressors 204 is disposed in a herringbone array, in which a first line associated with a first set of compressors 204 in the series of at least two compressors 204 has a first slope and a second set of compressors 204 in the series of at least two compressors 204 has a second slope opposite the first slope. As a non-limiting example, referring briefly to
In some embodiments, the compressor train 202 includes the first compressor 202-1 and the second compressor 202-2. The first compressor 202-1 includes a first optimal inlet volumetric flow rate. Moreover, in some such embodiment, the second compressor 202-2 includes a second optimal inlet volumetric flow rate that is greater than the first optimal inlet volumetric flow rate of the first compressor 202-1. Moreover, in some such embodiments, the first compressor 204-1 is coupled upstream of the second compressor 204-2 in the compressor train 202.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the compressor train 202 includes a third compressor 204-3 that is adjacent to and interposing between the first compressor 204-1 and the second compressor 204-2. As a non-limiting example, referring briefly to
In some embodiments, each compressor 204 in the compressor train 202 includes a compression ratio of less than 2.5. For instance, in some embodiments, the compression ratio of a respective compressor 204 is defined by a ratio of an absolute discharge pressure against the absolute suction pressure of the respective compressor 204. Said otherwise, in some such embodiments, the compression ratio of the respective compressor 204 is the ratio of a pressure at an inlet of the respective compressor 204 (e.g., inlet 224) and a pressure of an outlet of the respective compressor 204. Accordingly, a higher compression ratio yields a greater pressure increase when compressing a fluid via the respective compressor 204.
In some embodiments, the series of at least two compressors 204 includes one or more centrifugal compressors 204, one or more piston compressors 204, one or more rotary compressors 204, one or more screw compressors 204, or a combination thereof.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, each compressor 204 in the series of at least two compressors 204 of the compressor train 202 is a single-stage compressor 204. For instance, in some embodiments, each stage of each compressor 204 is associated with a corresponding motor (e.g., power supply 986 of
In some embodiments, the controller 1906 is configured to modify a rotational velocity of a respective compressor 204 in the series of at least two compressors 204 of the compressor train 202. For instance, in some embodiments, the controller 1906 is configured to modify the rotational velocity of each respective compressor 204 in the compressor train 202 in order to maintain a pressure of the outlet of the compressor train 202, such as in order to maintain an outlet pressure of the high-pressure steam 140 at a pressure of at least 80 PSI. However, the present disclosure is not limited there. For instance, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to increase a rotational velocity of the first compressor 202-1, decrease the rotational velocity of the first compressor 202-1, increase the rotational velocity of the second compressor 202-2, decrease the rotational velocity of the second compressor 202-2, or a combination thereof (e.g., both decrease the rotational velocity of the first compressor 202-1 and increase the rotational velocity of the second compressor 202-2, etc.). However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
Moreover, the compressor train 202 includes an inlet (e.g., first inlet 216-1 of any of
Furthermore, the compressor train 202 includes an outlet (e.g., outlet 208 of any of
Referring to
In some embodiments, the outlet of the compressor train 202 is configured to provide the high-pressure steam 140 at a pressure between 50 PSI (3.44 Bar) and 315 PSI (21.7 Bar). For instance, in some embodiments, the compressor train 202 is configured to provide the high-pressure steam 140 to an existing steam header of a facility 102 at a pressure between 50 PSI (3.44 Bar) and 300 PSI (20.7 Bar), between 50 PSI (3.44 Bar) and 275 PSI (19.0 Bar), between 50 PSI (3.44 Bar) and 250 PSI (17.2 Bar), between 50 PSI (3.44 Bar) and 225 PSI (15.5 Bar), between 50 PSI (3.44 Bar) and 200 PSI (13.8 Bar), between 50 PSI (3.44 Bar) and 175 PSI (12.1 Bar), between 50 PSI (3.44 Bar) and 150 PSI (10.3 Bar), between 50 PSI (3.44 Bar) and 125 PSI (8.62 Bar), between 50 PSI (3.44 Bar) and 100 PSI (6.89 Bar), between 110 PSI (7.58 Bar) and 315 PSI (21.7 Bar), between 110 PSI (7.58 Bar) and 300 PSI (20.7 Bar), between 110 PSI (7.58 Bar) and 275 PSI (19.0 Bar), between 110 PSI (7.58 Bar) and 250 PSI (17.2 Bar), between 110 PSI (7.58 Bar) and 225 PSI (15.5 Bar), between 110 PSI (7.58 Bar) and 200 PSI (13.8 Bar), between 110 PSI (7.58 Bar) and 175 PSI (12.1 Bar), between 110 PSI (7.58 Bar) and 150 PSI (10.3 Bar), between 110 PSI (7.58 Bar) and 125 PSI (8.62 Bar), between 170 PSI (11.7 Bar) and 315 PSI (21.7 Bar), between 170 PSI (11.7 Bar) and 300 PSI (20.7 Bar), between 170 PSI (11.7 Bar) and 275 PSI (19.0 Bar), between 170 PSI (11.7 Bar) and 250 PSI (17.2 Bar), between 170 PSI (11.7 Bar) and 225 PSI (15.5 Bar), between 170 PSI (11.7 Bar) and 200 PSI (13.8 Bar), between 170 PSI (11.7 Bar) and 175 PSI (12.1 Bar), between 230 PSI (15.6 Bar) and 315 PSI (21.7 Bar), 230 PSI (15.6 Bar) and 300 PSI (20.7 Bar), between 230 PSI (15.6 Bar) and 275 PSI (19.0 Bar), between 230 PSI (15.6 Bar) and 250 PSI (17.2 Bar), between 290 PSI (20.0 Bar) and 315 PSI (21.7 Bar), or between 290 PSI (20.0 Bar) and 300 PSI (20.7 Bar), inclusive. In some embodiments, the compressor train 202 is configured to provide the high-pressure steam 140 to an existing steam header of a facility 102 at a pressure of at least 50 PSI (3.44 Bar), at least 70 PSI (4.83 Bar), at least 90 PSI (6.21 Bar), at least 110 PSI (7.58 Bar), at least 130 PSI (8.96 Bar), at least 150 PSI (10.3 Bar), 170 PSI (11.7 Bar), at least 190 PSI (13.1 Bar), at least 210 PSI (14.5 Bar), at least 230 PSI (15.6 Bar), at least 250 PSI (17.2 Bar), at least 270 PSI (18.6 Bar), at least 290 PSI (20.0 Bar), or at least 310 PSI (21.4 Bar). In some embodiments, the compressor train 202 is configured to provide the high-pressure steam 140 to an existing steam header of a facility 102 at a pressure of at most 50 PSI (3.44 Bar), at most 70 PSI (4.83 Bar), at most 90 PSI (6.21 Bar), at most 110 PSI (7.58 Bar), at most 130 PSI (8.96 Bar), at most 150 PSI (10.3 Bar), 170 PSI (11.7 Bar), at most 190 PSI (13.1 Bar), at most 210 PSI (14.5 Bar), at most 230 PSI (15.6 Bar), at most 250 PSI (17.2 Bar), at most 270 PSI (18.6 Bar), at most 290 PSI (20.0 Bar), or at most 310 PSI (21.4 Bar). Accordingly, the system 104 is capable of providing high-pressure steam 140 to the facility 102 at a pressure sufficient such that the high-pressure steam 140 can be directly utilized by the facility 102. In some embodiments, all pressures in this paragraph are quotes as gauge pressures. In some embodiments, all pressures in the present disclosure are gauge pressures, unless expressly stated otherwise.
The system 104 further includes the flash vessel train (e.g., flash vessel train 210 of any of
In some embodiments, each compressor 204 in the compressor train 202 and each flash vessel 212 in the flash vessel train 210 share a one-to-one relationship. For instance, referring briefly to
Similar to the series of at least two compressors 204 of the compressor train 202, the series of at least two flash vessels 212 of the flash vessel train 210 are coupled, at least in part, fluidically in series, which allows for a stream of medium to flow from one flash vessels 212 in the series of at least two flash vessels 212 into another flash vessel 212 in the series of at least two flash vessels. For instance, in some embodiments, referring briefly to
Accordingly, the series of at least two flash vessels 212 includes a terminal flash vessel 212 at one end of the flash vessel train 210. For instance, referring briefly to
In some embodiments, each flash vessel 212 in the series of at least two flash vessels 212 is configured to be maintained (e.g., by control module 906 of
In some embodiments, one or more flash vessels 212 in the flash vessel train 210 is disposed above an inlet (e.g., second inlet 224-2 of any of
Accordingly, in some embodiments, each flash vessel 212 in the series of at least two flash vessels 212 includes two or more outlets. For instance, in some embodiments, a vapor outlet (e.g., vapor outlet 226-1 of flash vessel 212-1 of any of
Additionally, the system 104 includes vapor outlets 226 of a remainder of the series of at least two flash vessels 212 that are fluidly coupled between compressors 204 of the series of at least two compressors 204 of the compressor train 202. As a non-limiting example, referring briefly to
In some embodiments, the flash vessel train 210 further includes an inlet (e.g., second inlet 224-2 of first flash vessel 212-1 of
In some embodiments, the inlet 224 of the flash vessel train 210 is an inlet of the terminal flash vessel 212-1 of the flash vessel train 210. For instance, in some embodiments, a second inlet 224-2 of the terminal flash vessel 212-1 is configured to receive hot water received from hot water source 110, which is supplied to an interior of the terminal flash vessel 212-1.
In some embodiments, the remainder of the series of at least two flash vessels 212 each includes a liquid outlet (e.g., second liquid outlet 228-2 of any of
In some embodiments, the terminal flash vessel 212-1 includes a liquid outlet (e.g., first liquid outlet 228-1 of any of
In some embodiments, the liquid outlet 228-1 of the terminal flash vessel 212-1 is fluidly coupled to a repressurization pump (e.g., repressurization pump 220 of any of
In some embodiments, the system 104 includes one or more valves (e.g., first valve 218-1 of any of
In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes a controller (e.g., control module 906 of
In some embodiments, the controller 906 is configured to maintain a respective centrifugal compressor 204 in the compressor train 202 from stonewalling or surging. For instance, in some embodiments, the controller 906 is configured to determine if a mass flow rate associated with the respective centrifugal compressor 204 in the compressor train 202 satisfies a first threshold mass flow rate that is associated with a stonewall condition for flow within the respective centrifugal compressor 204 and/or a second threshold mass flow rate that is associated with a surge condition for flow within the respective centrifugal compressor 204. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As a non-limiting example, each respective compressor 204 has a minimal mass flow rate that the respective compressor 204 is able to stably operate at, which is the surge condition.
In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes a desuperheater train (e.g., desuperheater train 230 of
Each desuperheater 232 in the desuperheater train 230 includes an outlet that is configured to inject hot water received from the facility 102 or a different facility 102 into the compressor train 202. For instance, in some embodiments, each desuperheater 232 in the desuperheater train 230 is configured to receive a portion of the hot water received from hot water source 110 supplied to the inlet 224-2 of the terminal flash vessel 212-1, which allows for the desuperheater train 230 to utilize the same source of the hot water received from hot water source 110. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, each desuperheater 232 of the desuperheater train 230 is configured to remove heat (e.g., superheat) that is added to the low-pressure steam 206 by each compressor 204 of the compressor train 202 by injecting the hot water received from the hot water source 110 into the low-pressure steam 206 between compressors 204. Accordingly, in some such embodiments, the water injected by the desuperheater 232 evaporates, which removes the superheat from the low-pressure steam 206 and increases the mass flow of the low-pressure steam 206 through the system 104. In some embodiments, the desuperheater train 230 is configured such that each compressor 204 of the compressor train 202 does not require an interstage cooler. Moreover, in some embodiments, a high efficiency of the system 104 is enabled by utilizing the desuperheater train 230 to provide desuperheating of low-pressure steam 206 when compressed by the compressor 204, which allows the system 104 to operate at or approximately at to a water saturation line without heat loss that would otherwise be incurred due to intercoolers or entropy loss due from high amounts of superheat.
In some embodiments, each compressor 204 in the compressor train 202 and each desuperheater 232 in the desuperheater train 230 share a one-to-one relationship. For instance, referring briefly to
In some embodiments, the system 104 includes a coefficient of performance (COP) greater than 65 percent of a corresponding Carnot efficiency, in which the Carnot efficiency represents the highest possible efficiency of heat pump systems operating between a higher temperature source and a lower temperature source. For instance, in some embodiments, the system 104, as a heat pump system 104 operating between two sources of different thermal temperatures (e.g., higher temperature hot water source 110 and lower temperature cooling water source 120, lower temperature hot water source 110 and higher temperature high-pressure steam, higher temperature high-pressure steam and lower temperature cooling water source 120, or a combination thereof) has an associated efficiency rating, which is in determine in accordance with a coefficient of performance (COP), an energy efficiency ratio (EER), or the like. In some embodiments, the COP is determined in accordance with a value of heat transferred from a lower temperature source divided by network input, which is a value of heat transferred to a higher temperature source less a refrigerant effect value. For instance, in some embodiments, the COP of the system 104 is determined in accordance with a temperature of the high-pressure steam 140 produced by the system 104 and a temperature of the hot water source 110 that provides hot water received by the system. In some embodiments, the COP of the system 104 is determined in accordance with a ratio of an electrical power consumption of the system 104 against an output thermal power of the system 104. In some embodiments, the corresponding percentage Carnot efficiency is determined in accordance with a ratio of a Carnot COP against an actual COP of the system 104. Additional details and information regarding the COP and/or Carnot efficiency of a heat pump system is found at Sadegh, et al., 2018, “Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers,” McGraw-Hill Education., print, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
In some embodiments, a flash vessel 212 in the flash vessel train 210 includes a blowdown (e.g., blowdown 170 of
In some embodiments, the blowdown 170 is associated with a second liquid outlet of a corresponding flash vessel 212 in the flash vessel train 210. In some embodiments, the blowdown 170 is fluidly configured to selectively remove fluid from a corresponding flash vessel 212.
In some embodiments, the controller 906 is in electronic communication with the second liquid outlet of the corresponding flash vessel 212. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the selective removal of fluid.
In some embodiments, a flash vessel 212 in the flash vessel train 210 includes a deaerator (e.g., deaerator 240 of
In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes one or more boilers (e.g., boiler 236 of
In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes a steam accumulator (e.g., steam accumulator 238 of
The systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.
Furthermore, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure avoid an intermediate refrigerant and associated losses transferring heat to and/or from the intermediate refrigerant. Rather, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure generated high-pressure steam directly from the hot water source 110 and directly compressed with low-pressure steam generated by a flash vessel train 210 using a multi-stage mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) compressor train 202 having a series of at least two centrifugal compressors 204. In some embodiments, the system 104 includes a desuperheater train 230 including a desuperheater 232 disposed between each compressor 204 of the compressor train 202.
Accordingly, in some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure achieved high COP (e.g., a COP of 4.5, a COP of 4.0, etc.) by leveraging high efficiency associated with utilizing one or more centrifugal compressors 204 in the compressor train 202 and avoiding superheat losses associated with high compression ratio compressors 204 typically found in conventional high-temperature industrial heat pumps technology.
In some embodiments, primary competitive advantages of the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure over conventional high-temperature industrial heat pump technology are the ability to produce steam at a higher pressure, produce the high-pressure steam with a higher coefficient of performance, use a more attractive refrigerant in the form of water, or a combination thereof.
In some embodiments, conventional high-temperature industrial heat pump technology using one or more hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) refrigerants and/or one or more hydrofluoroolefins (HFO) refrigerants that produced thermal energy at temperatures up to 320 degrees Fahrenheit (160° C.). In some embodiments, the conventional high-temperature industrial heat pump is unable to produce steam directly, but rather must be used in combination with an unfired steam generator, which introduces a 20° F. nominal temperature drop. As a result, the maximum saturated steam pressure the conventional high-temperature industrial heat pump can produce is 3.5 Barg (50 PSIg), which is not sufficient to address medium pressure (e.g., between 3.5 Barg and 20 Barg) applications common to industrial facilities 102. In addition, the conventional high-temperature industrial heat pump had a relatively low coefficient of performance of that is less than 3.0, resulting in high electricity demand and high operating costs.
Furthermore, the one or more HFC refrigerants have high global warming potential (GWP). In contrast, the one or more HFO refrigerants have low GWP but prohibitive cost. In contrast, the heat pump system 104 of the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure directly produced high-pressure steam 140 at pressures up to 20 Barg (290 PSIg). Moreover, the heat pump system 104 of the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure produced this high-pressure steam 140 with a COP that is 50% higher than the conventional high-temperature industrial heat pump when performing under the same operating conditions, which resulted in proportionally lower electric demand and operating costs for the heat pump system 104 of the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure. Moreover, since the heat pump system 104 of the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure used water as a refrigerant, the heat pump system 104 provided the benefits of being low-cost, safe, non-toxic, zero-GWP, or a combination thereof.
Moreover, conventional high-temperature industrial heat pump that are CO2-based utilized a low-cost and low-GWP refrigerant in the form of CO2. However, the conventional high-temperature industrial CO2 heat pump is limited to temperatures of 238° F. (114° C.) or less due to the high pressures required by the refrigerant. In this way, one of skill in the art will appreciate that, although 238° F. (114° C.) is above the atmospheric boiling point of water, the conventional high-temperature industrial CO2-based heat pump is not able to generate adequate high-pressure steam because the conventional high-temperature industrial CO2-based heat pump required a low fluid return temperature of 203° F. (95° C.) or less, which directly dictated an ability of the conventional high-temperature industrial CO2-based heat pump to drive a steam generator.
Furthermore, conventional high-temperature industrial heat pump that are ammonia-based heat pump have the high-pressure characteristics that limited the conventional high-temperature industrial ammonia-based heat pump to a maximum output temperature of 203° F. (95° C.), which is unsuitable for steam generation.
Referring to
In some embodiments, primary competitive advantages of the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure over conventional electric boiler technology is a higher COP by the of the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure, which led to lower operating costs. Furthermore, the conventional electric boiler technologies are determined to have a COP approaching 1.0 and required approximately 295 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity to produce 1 klb of steam. When the price of an industrial electricity is assumed to be 0.12 dollars ($) per kWh, the conventional electric boiler required $35.40 in energy costs per klb of steam generated by the conventional electric boiler technology.
In contrast, even though the COP of the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure depended on the temperature of the hot water source 110 received by the system 104, the temperature of cooling water source 120 associated with the system 104, and a common operating condition that sourced 85° F. hot water from the facility and produced 10 Barg (130 PSIg) high-pressure steam 140. At these operating conditions, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure had a COP of 3.0. Moreover, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure required three times less electricity than the conventional electric boiler of 97 kWh per klb of high-pressure steam. Additionally, the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure provided three times lower energy cost than the conventional electric boiler, at a cost of $11.80 per klb of high-pressure steam.
Furthermore, the operating costs of the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure are comparable or lower than the conventional natural gas boiler technologies. For instance, new conventional natural gas boiler technologies with economizers have a COP of 0.85 and required approximately 11.8 therms (thm) of natural gas to produce 1 klb of high-pressure steam. At a natural gas price of $1.30 per thm, conventional natural gas boiler technologies require $15.34 of energy costs per klb of steam, which is greater than the $11.80/klb achieved by the systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure.
In some embodiments, the method 800 is conducted by a heat pump system 104 in
Referring to block 804 in
In some embodiments, the heat pump system 104 is connected to a hot water source (e.g., hot water source 110 of any of
Furthermore, in some embodiments, the heat pump system 104 is connected to a steam condensate return (e.g., steam condensate return 214 of any of
In some embodiments, the connecting the heat pump system 104 between the hot water source 110 of the facility 102 and the existing steam header of the same or the different facility 102 further connects the heat pump system 104 to one or more utilities of the facility 102. For instance, referring briefly to
It is noted that in various embodiments of this application, “connect” broadly means “directly connect” or “indirectly connected” via an additional structure.
Referring to block 806 in
In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes a water loop, such as closed water loop configured to. In some embodiments, the water loop includes an upstream portion and a downstream portion. In some embodiments, the downstream portion is configured to receive the hot water from the same or a different facility. In some embodiments, the upstream portion configured to supply cooling water to the same or the different facility. Moreover, in some embodiments, the water loop is heated by the same or the different facility.
Referring to block 808 in
For instance, in some embodiments, the heat pump system 104 includes a compressor train (e.g., compressor train 202 of any of
More particularly, in some embodiments, the passing the hot water through the heat pump system 104 to produce the high-pressure steam 140 includes expanding the hot water at a flash vessel (e.g., first flash vessel 212-1 of any of
In some embodiments, the method 800 is configured to produce the first low-pressure steam 206-1 a first pressure between 0.256 pounds per square inch (PSI) (17.7 milliBar (mBar)) and 3.72 PSI (257 mBar), between 0.256 PSI (17.7 mBar) and 3.2 PSI (221 mBar), between 0.256 PSI (17.7 mBar) and 2.7 PSI (186 mBar), between 0.256 PSI (17.7 mBar) and 1.2 PSI (82.7 mBar), between 0.256 PSI (17.7 mBar) and 0.7 PSI (48.3 mBar), between 0.35 PSI (24.1 mBar) and 3.72 PSI (257 mBar), between 0.35 PSI (24.1 mBar) and 3.2 PSI (221 mBar), between 0.35 PSI (24.1 mBar) and 2.7 PSI (186 mBar), between 0.35 PSI (24.1 mBar) and 1.2 PSI (82.7 mBar), between 0.35 PSI (24.1 mBar) and 0.7 PSI (48.3 mBar), between 0.85 PSI (58.6 mBar) and 3.72 PSI (257 mBar), between 0.85 PSI (58.6 mBar) and 3.2 PSI (221 mBar), between 0.85 PSI (58.6 mBar) and 2.7 PSI (186 mBar), between 0.85 PSI (58.6 mBar) and 1.2 PSI (82.7 mBar), between 1.35 PSI (93.1 mBar) and 3.72 PSI (257 mBar), between 1.35 PSI (93.1 mBar) and 3.2 PSI (221 mBar), between 1.35 PSI (93.1 mBar) and 2.7 PSI (186 mBar), between 1.85 PSI (128 mBar) and 3.72 PSI (257 mBar), between 1.85 PSI (128 mBar) and 3.2 PSI (221 mBar), between 1.85 PSI (128 mBar) and 2.7 PSI (186 mBar), between 2.35 PSI (162 mBar) and 3.72 PSI (257 mBar), between 2.35 PSI (162 mBar) and 3.2 PSI (221 mBar), between 2.35 PSI (162 mBar) and 2.7 PSI (186 mBar), between 2.85 PSI (197 mBar) and 3.72 PSI (257 mBar), between 2.85 PSI (197 mBar) and 3.2 PSI (221 mBar), or between 3.35 PSI (231 mBar) and 3.72 PSI (257 mBar), inclusive. In some embodiments, the first pressure is at least 0.256 PSI (17.7 mBar), at least 0.363 PSI (25 mBar), at least 0.35 PSI (24.1 mBar), at least 0.5 PSI (34.5 mBar), at least 0.7 PSI (48.3 mBar), at least 0.85 PSI (58.6 mBar), at least 1 PSI (68.9 mBar), at least 1.2 PSI (82.7 mBar), at least 1.3 PSI (89.6 mBar), at least 1.35 PSI (93.1 mBar), at least 1.5 PSI (103 mBar), at least 1.65 PSI (114 mBar), at least 1.85 PSI (128 mBar), at least 2 PSI (138 mBar), at least 2.2 PSI (152 mBar), at least 2.35 PSI (162 mBar), at least 2.5 PSI (172 mBar), at least 2.7 PSI (186 mBar), at least 2.85 PSI (197 mBar), at least 3 PSI (207 mBar), at least 3.2 PSI (221 mBar), at least 3.35 PSI (231 mBar), at least 3.5 PSI (241 mBar), or at least 3.72 PSI (257 mBar). In some embodiments, the first pressure is at most 0.256 PSI (17.7 mBar), at most 0.363 PSI (25 mBar), at most 0.35 PSI (24.1 mBar), at most 0.5 PSI (34.5 mBar), at most 0.7 PSI (48.3 mBar), at most 0.85 PSI (58.6 mBar), at most 1 PSI (68.9 mBar), at most 1.2 PSI (82.7 mBar), at most 1.3 PSI (89.6 mBar), at most 1.35 PSI (93.1 mBar), at most 1.5 PSI (103 mBar), at most 1.65 PSI (114 mBar), at most 1.85 PSI (128 mBar), at most 2 PSI (138 mBar), at most 2.2 PSI (152 mBar), at most 2.35 PSI (162 mBar), at most 2.5 PSI (172 mBar), at most 2.7 PSI (186 mBar), at most 2.85 PSI (197 mBar), at most 3 PSI (207 mBar), at most 3.2 PSI (221 mBar), at most 3.35 PSI (231 mBar), at most 3.5 PSI (241 mBar), or at most 3.72 PSI (257 mBar).
In some embodiments, the expanding of the hot water at the flash vessel 212 when passing the hot water through the heat pumps system 104 further produces cooled water (e.g., condensate) from the hot water. In some embodiments, the cooled water produced by the flash vessel 212 has a lower temperature than the hot water. Said otherwise, in some such embodiments, a third temperature of the cooled water produced by the flash vessel 212 is less than the first temperature of the first temperature of the hot water source 110. Moreover, in some embodiments, the third temperature of the cooled water is less than the second temperature of the low-pressure steam 206 produced by the flash vessel 212. Accordingly, by expanding the hot water at the flash vessel 212, the heat pump system 104 increases the thermal energy of a portion of the hot water received from the hot water source 110 by forming the low-pressure steam 206, which is transferred from the cooled water produced by the flash vessel 212. For instance, in some embodiments, the facility 102 is configured to utilize the high-pressure steam 140 produced by the system 104, which, in turn, produces the cooling water source 120 at the third temperature that is less than the first temperature of the hot water received from the hot water source 31-0. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, a pressure in the flash vessel 212 is less than a saturation pressure of the hot water. For instance, in some embodiments, the passing the hot water through the heat pumps system 104 further includes compressing the low-pressure steam 206 to a first higher-pressure steam having a pressure higher than the low-pressure steam. For instance, referring briefly to
In some embodiments, the passing the hot water through the heat pumps system 104 further includes introducing hot water into the first higher-pressure steam (e.g., first low-pressure steam 206-1 produced by first flash vessel 212-1 of any of
In some embodiments, the passing the hot water through the heat pumps system 104 further includes repeating the compressing and introducing steps a desired number of times to produce the high-pressure steam.
In some embodiments, the desired number of times is greater than one. In some embodiments, the desired number of times is greater than one but less than twenty-one. In some embodiments, the desired number of times is between two and twenty, between two and seventeen, between two and fifteen, between two and twelve, between two and nine, between two and six, between two and three, between three and twenty, between three and seventeen, between three and fifteen, between three and twelve, between three and nine, between three and six, between five and twenty, between five and seventeen, between five and fifteen, between five and twelve, between five and nine, between five and six, between seven and twenty, between seven and seventeen, between seven and fifteen, between seven and twelve, between seven and nine, between nine and twenty, between nine and seventeen, between nine and fifteen, between nine and twelve, between eleven and twenty, between eleven and seventeen, between eleven and fifteen, between eleven and twelve, between thirteen and twenty, between thirteen and seventeen, between thirteen and fifteen, between fifteen and twenty, between fifteen and seventeen, or between seventeen and twenty, inclusive. In some embodiments, the desired number of times is at least two, at least three, at least four, at least five, at least six, at least seven, at least eight, at least nine, at least ten, at least eleven, at least twelve, at least thirteen, at least fourteen, at least fifteen, at least sixteen, at least seventeen, at least eighteen, at least nineteen, or at least twenty. In some embodiments, the desired number of times is at most two, at most three, at most four, at most five, at most six, at most seven, at most eight, at most nine, at most ten, at most eleven, at most twelve, at most thirteen, at most fourteen, at most fifteen, at most sixteen, at most seventeen, at most eighteen, at most nineteen, or at most twenty.
Referring to block 810 in
In some embodiments, the high-pressure steam 140 is supplied from the heat pump system 104 to the same or a different facility 102 at a mass flow rate between 10 kilopounds per hour (klb/hr) and 300 klb/hr, between 10 klb/hr and 250 klb/hr, between 10 klb/hr and 200 klb/hr, between 10 klb/hr and 150 klb/hr, between 10 klb/hr and 100 klb/hr, between 10 klb/hr and 50 klb/hr, between 75 klb/hr and 300 klb/hr, between 75 klb/hr and 250 klb/hr, between 75 klb/hr and 200 klb/hr, between 75 klb/hr and 150 klb/hr, between 75 klb/hr and 100 klb/hr, between 150 klb/hr and 300 klb/hr, between 150 klb/hr and 250 klb/hr, between 150 klb/hr and 200 klb/hr, between 225 klb/hr and 300 klb/hr, or between 225 klb/hr and 250 klb/hr, inclusive. In some embodiments, the mass flow rate of the high-pressure steam produced by the heat pump system 104 is at least 10 klb/hr, at least 25 klb/hr, at least 50 klb/hr, at least 75 klb/hr, at least 100 klb/hr, at least 125 klb/hr, at least 150 klb/hr, at least 175 klb/hr, at least 200 klb/hr, at least 225 klb/hr, at least 250 klb/hr, at least 275 klb/hr, or at least 300 klb/hr. In some embodiments, the mass flow rate of the high-pressure steam produced by the heat pump system 104 is at most 10 klb/hr, at most 25 klb/hr, at most 50 klb/hr, at most 75 klb/hr, at most 100 klb/hr, at most 125 klb/hr, at most 150 klb/hr, at most 175 klb/hr, at most 200 klb/hr, at most 225 klb/hr, at most 250 klb/hr, at most 275 klb/hr, or at most 300 klb/hr.
In the present disclosure, unless expressly stated otherwise, descriptions of devices and systems will include implementations of one or more computers. For instance, and for purposes of illustration in
In some embodiments, the communication network 984 optionally includes the Internet, one or more local area networks (LANs), one or more wide area networks (WANs), other types of networks, or a combination of such networks. Examples of communication networks 984 include the World Wide Web (WWW), an intranet and/or a wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network, a wireless local area network (LAN) and/or a metropolitan area network (MAN), and other devices by wireless communication. The wireless communication optionally uses any of a plurality of communications standards, protocols and technologies, including Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), high-speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), Evolution, Data-Only (EV-DO), HSPA, HSPA+, Dual-Cell HSPA (DC-HSPDA), long term evolution (LTE), near field communication (NFC), wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ax, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and/or IEEE 802.11n), voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, a protocol for e-mail (e.g., Internet message access protocol (IMAP) and/or post office protocol (POP)), instant messaging (e.g., extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP), Session Initiation Protocol for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE), Instant Messaging and Presence Service (IMPS)), and/or Short Message Service (SMS), or any other suitable communication protocol, including communication protocols not yet developed as of the filing date of this document.
In various embodiments, the computer system 900 includes one or more processing units (CPUs) 972, a network or other communications interface 974, and memory 992.
In some embodiments, the computer system 900 includes a user interface 976. The user interface 976 typically includes a display 978 for presenting media, such as a status of a respective instrument (e.g., first instrument 910-1, second instrument 910-2, . . . , instrument Q 912-Q of
In some embodiments, the computer system 900 presents media to a user through the display 978. Examples of media presented by the display 978 include one or more images, a video, audio (e.g., waveforms of an audio sample), or a combination thereof. In typical embodiments, the one or more images, the video, the audio, or the combination thereof is presented by the display 978 through a client application stored in the memory 992. In some embodiments, the audio is presented through an external device (e.g., speakers, headphones, input/output (I/O) subsystem, etc.) that receives audio information from the computer system 900 and presents audio data based on this audio information. In some embodiments, the user interface 976 also includes an audio output device, such as speakers or an audio output for connecting with speakers, earphones, or headphones.
The memory 992 includes high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solid state memory devices, and optionally also includes non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state storage devices. The memory 992 may optionally include one or more storage devices remotely located from the CPU(s) 972. The memory 992, or alternatively the non-volatile memory device(s) within memory 992, includes a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. Access to memory 992 by other components of the computer system 900, such as the CPU(s) 972, is, optionally, controlled by a controller. In some embodiments, the memory 992 can include mass storage that is remotely located with respect to the CPU(s) 972. In other words, some data stored in the memory 992 may in fact be hosted on devices that are external to the computer system 900, but that can be electronically accessed by the computer system 900 over an Internet, intranet, or other form of network 984 or electronic cable using communication interface 974.
In some embodiments, the memory 992 of the computer system 900 for producing high-pressure steam stores:
-
- an operating system 902 (e.g., ANDROID, iOS, DARWIN, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks) that includes procedures for handling various basic system services;
- optionally, an electronic address 904 associated with the computer system 900 that identifies the computer system 900 (e.g., within the communication network 984, within a network of facilities, etc.);
- a control module 906 that facilitates controlling one or more operations conducted when producing high-pressure steam in accordance with a plurality of heuristic instructions, in which the control module 906 includes an instrument module 908 storing a record of a plurality of instruments 910 (e.g., first instrument 910-1, second instrument 910-2, . . . , instrument 910-Q of
FIG. 9 ) utilized for producing a high-pressure steam, and further includes a task module 912 that stores a plurality of tasks 914, each task 914 defines an operation for producing high-pressure steam at a heat pump system in accordance with one or more parameters 916 associated with a respective task 914; and - optionally, a client application 918 for presenting information (e.g., media) using a display 978 of the computer system 900, such as a status of a step and/or process of a method (e.g., method 800 of
FIG. 8 ) for producing high-pressure steam.
As indicated above, an optional electronic address 904 is associated with the computer system 900. The optional electronic address 904 is utilized to at least uniquely identify the computer system 900 from other devices and components of the distributed system 900, such as other devices having access to the communication network 984 (e.g., facility 102). For instance, in some embodiments, the electronic address 904 is utilized to receive a request from a remote device associated with a first facility 102-1 to initiate producing high-pressure steam for utilization by a second facility 102-2 using the computer system 900. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the electronic address 904 is utilized to receive the request from the remote device associated with the first facility 102-1 to initiate producing high-pressure steam for utilization by the first facility 102-1 using the computer system 900.
In some embodiments, the computer system 900 includes a control module 906, hereinafter “controller,” that is configured to control one or more operations conducted when producing high-pressure steam. Specifically, the controller 906 is configured to control the one or more operations conducted when producing the high-pressure steam in accordance with a plurality of heuristic instructions. As a non-limiting example, in some embodiments, the plurality of heuristic instructions include one or more proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) loop instructions and/or one or more variable frequency drive (VFD) instructions. For instance, in some embodiments, the controller 906 is in electronic communication with one or more sensors (e.g., sensor 982 of
An instrument 910 is an apparatus, device, mechanism, or a combination thereof that conducts a specific function or functions in the system 104 for producing high-pressure steam, such as for producing a high-pressure steam product (e.g., high-pressure steam of method 800 of
In some embodiments, each task 914 is associated with a function, step, or process in the production of high-pressure steam 140 (e.g., function, step, or process of method 800 of
Moreover, each task 914 includes a set of parameters 916 used in the performance of a function by a respective instrument 910. In some embodiments, each task 914 is a logical dependency of operations that defines the function performed by the respective instrument 910. For instance, in some embodiments, the task 914 is a first operation to run a first instrument 910-1 with a first set of parameters 916 and a second task 914-2 is a second operation to run a second instrument 910-2. As a non-limiting example, in some embodiments, the parameters 916 include a temperature of hot water received from hot water source 110 by the system 104, a pressure of hot water received from hot water source 110 by the system 104, a mass flow rate of hot water received from hot water source 110 by the system 104, a temperature of low-pressure steam 206 produced by the system 104, a pressure of low-pressure steam 206 produced by the system 104, a mass flow rate of low-pressure steam 206 produced by the system 104, a temperature of high-pressure steam 140 produced by the system 104, a pressure of high-pressure steam 140 produced by the system 104, a mass flow rate of high-pressure steam 140 produced by the system 104, a temperature of cooling water received from cooling water source 120 produced by the system 104, a pressure of cooling water received from cooling water source 120 produced by the system 104, a mass flow rate of cooling water received from cooling water source 120 produced by the system 104, a temperature of steam condensate return 214 received by the system 104, a pressure of steam condensate return 214 received by the system 104, a mass flow rate of steam condensate return 214 received by the system 104, and/or the like. As a non-limiting example, in some embodiments, the computer system 900 configures one or more parameters 916 including configuring a flow rate parameter 916 associated with a respective instrument 910 (e.g., mass flow rate), a pressure parameter 916, a temperature parameter 916, a directional parameter 916, or the like in order to optimize production of the high-pressure steam 140 at the system 104. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
Each of the above identified modules and applications correspond to a set of executable instructions for performing one or more functions described above and the methods described in the present disclosure (e.g., the computer-implemented methods and other information processing methods described herein, method 800 of
It should be appreciated that the computer system 900 of
Additional details and information regarding the system 104 is found at International Patent Application no.: PCT/US2023/030626, entitled “Systems, Methods, and Apparatuses for Producing High-Pressure Steam,” filed Aug. 18, 2023, published as WO 2024/039878 A1, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
In some embodiments, the system 104 is configured for utilizing heat, such as waste heat generated at the facility 102.
In some embodiments, the system 104 includes a heat pump (e.g., heat pump 1006 of any of
In some embodiments, the heat pump 1006 includes at least one compressor (e.g., first compressor 204-1 of
In some embodiments, the heat pump 1006 includes at least one flash vessel (e.g., first flash vessel 212-1 of
In some embodiments, the heat pump 1006 is a mechanical vapor recompression (MVP) heat pump. The MVP heat pump is configured to return some or all of remaining fluid associated with the heat pump to the second flow path 1010, such as at an inlet of the second flow path 1010 upstream from the heat exchanger 1004, which reduces energy consumption of the system 104 by recycling the heat of some or all of remaining fluid. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the heat pump 1006 includes the compressor train 202 and the flash vessel train 210 of
Additionally, the system 104 includes a heat exchanger (e.g., heat exchanger 1004 of any of
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 is configured to be disposed proximate to the facility 102. For instance, in some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 is disposed a distance from a heat source (e.g., heat source 1400 of
In some embodiments, a distance between the facility 102 and the heat exchanger 1004 is between 100 meters (m) and 10 kilometers (km). In some embodiments, the distance between the facility 102 and the heat exchanger 1004 is between 100 m and 10000 m, 100 m and 5050 m, 419 m and 9681 m, 419 m and 4731 m, 739 m and 9361 m, 739 m and 4411 m, 1058 m and 9042 m, 1058 m and 4092 m, 1377 m and 8723 m, 1377 m and 3773 m, 1697 m and 8403 m, 1697 m and 3453 m, 2016 m and 8084 m, 2016 m and 3134 m, 2335 m and 7765 m, 2335 m and 2815 m, 2655 m and 7445 m, 2974 m and 7126 m, 3294 m and 6806 m, 3613 m and 6487 m, 3932 m and 6168 m, 4252 m and 5848 m, 4571 m and 5529 m, 4890 m and 5210 m, 5050 m and 10000 m, 5369 m and 9681 m, 5689 m and 9361 m, 6008 m and 9042 m, 6327 m and 8723 m, 6647 m and 8403 m, 6966 m and 8084 m, or 7285 m and 7765 m. In some embodiments, the distance between the facility 102 and the heat exchanger 1004 is at least 100 m, at least 419 m, at least 739 m, at least 1058 m, at least 1377 m, at least 1697 m, at least 2016 m, at least 2335 m, at least 2655 m, at least 2815 m, at least 2974 m, at least 3134 m, at least 3294 m, at least 3453 m, at least 3613 m, at least 3773 m, at least 3932 m, at least 4092 m, at least 4252 m, at least 4411 m, at least 4571 m, at least 4731 m, at least 4890 m, at least 5050 m, at least 5210 m, at least 5369 m, at least 5529 m, at least 5689 m, at least 5848 m, at least 6008 m, at least 6168 m, at least 6327 m, at least 6487 m, at least 6647 m, at least 6806 m, at least 6966 m, at least 7126 m, at least 7285 m, at least 7445 m, at least 7765 m, at least 8084 m, at least 8403 m, at least 8723 m, at least 9042 m, at least 9361 m, at least 9681 m, at least 10000 m. In some embodiments, the distance between the facility 102 and the heat exchanger 1004 is at most 100 m, at most 419 m, at most 739 m, at most 1058 m, at most 1377 m, at most 1697 m, at most 2016 m, at most 2335 m, at most 2655 m, at most 2815 m, at most 2974 m, at most 3134 m, at most 3294 m, at most 3453 m, at most 3613 m, at most 3773 m, at most 3932 m, at most 4092 m, at most 4252 m, at most 4411 m, at most 4571 m, at most 4731 m, at most 4890 m, at most 5050 m, at most 5210 m, at most 5369 m, at most 5529 m, at most 5689 m, at most 5848 m, at most 6008 m, at most 6168 m, at most 6327 m, at most 6487 m, at most 6647 m, at most 6806 m, at most 6966 m, at most 7126 m, at most 7285 m, at most 7445 m, at most 7765 m, at most 8084 m, at most 8403 m, at most 8723 m, at most 9042 m, at most 9361 m, at most 9681 m, at most 10000 m.
By way of example, in some embodiments, a first distance between an edge portion of the heat source 1400 and an inlet of the heat exchanger 1004 is at least 0.5 miles, at least 1 mile, or at least 2 miles.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, the distance between the facility 102 and the heat exchanger 1004 is greater than the distance between the heat exchanger 1004 and the heat pump 1006. For instance, in some embodiments, the distance between the facility 102 and the heat exchanger 1004 is at least twice the distance between the heat exchanger 1004 and the heat pump 1006, at least three times the distance between the heat exchanger 1004 and the heat pump 1006, or the like.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 is configured to be disposed at a first height greater than a second height associated with the heat pump 1006. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 includes two or more flow paths thermally coupled to one another. In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 includes the first flow path 1008 that configured to receive energy in the form of heat from the facility 102 and the second flow path 1010 that is configured to receive heat transferred to it from the first flow path 1008. For instance, in some embodiments, the first flow path 1008 includes a gas and/or a liquid (e.g., air, water, vapor, a combination thereof, etc.) that, at least in part, flows within an interior of the heat exchanger 1004. Moreover, in some embodiments, the gas and/or liquid flowing along the first flow path 1008 includes waste heat received from the facility 102. In some embodiments, the gas and/or liquid flowing along the first flow path 1008 is received from a heat source 1400 of hot fluid exiting the facility 102, in which the heat source 1400 provides waste heat generated at the facility 102. In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 is configured to transfer latent heat and sensible heat from fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 to liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010. Accordingly, the system 104 allows for conserving energy by utilizing heat generated at the facility 102 and transferred ultimately to the heat pump 1006 by the first flow path 1008 and the second flow path 1010 of the heat exchanger 1004 in order to generate steam 140 at the heat pump 1006.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 is a plate heat exchanger. In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 is a vapor condenser heat exchanger. In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 is a pipe heat exchanger, a fin heat exchanger, a frame heat exchanger, a shell heat exchanger, a spiral heat exchanger, a tube heat exchanger, or a combination thereof. By way of example, in some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a finned tube heat exchanger or a shell and tube heat exchanger, which allows for indirectly transferring heat from the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 to the liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010 by passing the fluid and the liquid through the heat exchanger 1004, with heat transferring through a surface (e.g., wall) of the heat exchanger 1004. In some embodiments, the indirect heat exchanger 1004 is utilized for flowing gas along the first flow path 1008, such as a gas that does not condense into a liquid when releasing heat through the heat exchanger 1004. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, in which the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 includes hot liquid, the heat exchanger 1004 includes a plate and frame heat exchanger configured to directly to transfer heat from the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 to the liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 includes vapor and the heat exchanger 1004 is a shell and tube heat exchanger, which allows for vapor to flow along a shell portion of the heat exchanger (e.g., to minimize pressure drop) and the liquid flows along a tube portion of the heat exchanger 1004. In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 is a direct contact heat exchanger. For instance, in some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 includes a nozzle (e.g., nozzle 1040 of
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 is a parallel flow heat exchanger, in which the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 flows in a first direction and the liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010 flows in the first direction and parallel or substantially parallel to the first direction for at least a portion of a length of the heat exchanger 1004. Referring briefly to
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is configured to prevent mixing of the first flow path 1008 and the second flow path 1010. For instance, in some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 is configured to thermally couple the first flow path 1008 and the second flow path 1010 and prevent the fluid (e.g., hot water and/or hot air received from the facility 102) flowing along the first flow path from interfacing with the liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010, which at least allows for maintaining the second flow path 1010 having a liquid or liquid-vapor mix flow therein. By further way of example, in some embodiments, a design of the heat exchanger 1004 is configured based at least in part on a type of fluid received from the facility 102. In some embodiments, the fluid received from the facility 1002 includes a stream of gas, a stream of vapor, a stream of liquid, or a combination thereof, in which the heat exchanger is configured as an indirect contact heat exchanger to prevent mixing between the first flow path 1008 and the second flow path 1010.
In some embodiments, the first flow path 1008 include an inlet (e.g., inlet 1012 of any of
In some embodiments, the first flow path 1008 includes an outlet (e.g., 1014), which allows for the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 to transfer heat through the heat exchanger 1004 and be dissipated or returned to a process, such as the source of the fluid. By way of example, in some embodiments in which the fluid includes a flow of hot gas exhaust received from the facility 102, the fluid is preferably exhausted through a new exhaust stack downstream of the heat exchanger 1004 (e.g., exhaust outlet 1402 of
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 1004 includes a second flow path (e.g., second flow path 1010 of any of
In some embodiments, the second flow path 1010 includes an inlet (e.g., inlet 1016 of
In some embodiments, the second flow path 1010 includes an outlet (e.g., outlet 1020 of
In some embodiments, the second flow path is a closed loop. In some such embodiments, the system 104 further includes an outlet of the heat pump that is configured to be coupled with the water source associated with the inlet of the second flow path.
For instance, in some embodiments, the liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010 is recovered for recirculation (e.g., recycling) through the second flow path 1010. By way of example, in some embodiments, the at least one flash vessel 212 of the heat pump 1006 is configured to flash evaporate the liquid, which flows along the second flow path and is received by the inlet 1021 of the heat pump 1006 for generating steam. Some or all of any remaining liquid is returned to the second flow path 1010, forming the closed loop. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the at least one flash vessel 212 of the heat pump 1006 is configured to provide liquid second media to the second flow path 1010. In some such embodiments, the at least one flash vessel 212 is configured to provide liquid water to the second flow path 1010. In some embodiments, the flash vessel 212 is configured to provide liquid to the second flow path 1010. For instance, in some embodiments, an outlet 1034 of the heat pump allows for the second flow path 1010 to receive the liquid from the heat pump 1006, such as liquid water.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a fluid pump (e.g., fluid pump 1022 of
In some embodiments, the fluid pump 1022 is configured to receive the remaining liquid exiting the at least one flash vessel 212 of the heat pump 1006 and increases a pressure of the liquid so that the liquid can flow along the second flow path 1010 to an inlet of the heat exchanger 1004 and further to the inlet of heat pump 1006.
In some embodiments, the fluid pump 1022 includes a vertical turbine can pump. In some of such embodiments, the fluid pump 1022 is disposed below ground level (e.g., below the horizontal) inside an interior of a structure, such as a container. In some embodiments, a depth of the liquid at the fluid pump 1022 increases the pressure of the liquid at or near an impeller of the fluid pump 1022. In some embodiments, the fluid pump 1022 includes a centrifugal pump that is configured to be disposed in a sub-grade vault to generate a gravity head pressure. In some embodiments, the fluid pump 1022 includes a positive displacement pump, which allows for controlling multi-phase fluids flowing along the second flow path 1010. In some embodiments, the fluid pump 1022 is disposed at a height equal to or less than that of a flash vessel 212 of the at least one flash vessel 212 of the heat pump
In some embodiments, the at least one flash vessel 212 is configured to flash some or all of the liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010. For instance, in some embodiments, the at least one flash vessel 212 is configured to flash evaporate the liquid that includes water to provide a vapor (e.g., steam 140-1 of
In some embodiments, the first flow path 1008 is configured to bypass the source of hot fluid exiting the facility 102. For instance, in some embodiments, the first flow path 1008 is configured to have a negative pressure and/or temperature gradient based on a first temperature associated with the source of hot fluid, such as the heat source 1400, exiting the facility 102 and a second temperature associated with an outlet of the first flow path 1008, which promotes flow of the how fluid into the first flow path 1008.
In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes an outlet 1060 of the heat pump 1006 that is configured to couple to an existing steam header of the facility 102 or a different facility 102. In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes an outlet of the second flow path 1010 that is configured to couple with an existing heat exchanger (e.g., existing heat exchanger 1220 of
In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes a nozzle (e.g., nozzle 1040 of
As a non-limiting example, in some embodiments, the fluid flowing along the first flow part includes water condensation of a humid exhaust stream received from the facility 102. In some such embodiments, the system includes the nozzle 1040 that is configured as a direct contact heat exchanger interfacing the liquid output from the nozzle and received by the first flow path 1008. In some embodiments, the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 includes hot, humid gas, and the liquid sprayed by the nozzle includes cool liquid water, which creates a temperature gradient between the fluid and the liquid. Accordingly, in some such embodiments, the liquid provided by the nozzle receives heat from the fluid flowing along the first flow path 100, such as sensible heat transfer and latent heat from condensation. In some embodiments, the system 104 includes a fluid pump (e.g., fluid pump 1044 of
In some embodiments, the system further includes a filter (e.g., filter 1030 of
In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes a damper assembly (e.g., damper assembly 1026 of
In some embodiments, the system 104 includes a first sensor (e.g., sensor 982 of
Referring briefly to
In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes a sensor 982 that is configured to detect a temperature of the first flow path 1008 at an inlet of the heat exchanger 1004, such as at an opening of the heat exchanger 1004. In some embodiments, the controller 906 is electrically coupled to the second sensor 982 and the fan assembly (e.g., fan assembly 1042 of
In some embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 is configured to promote, induce, circulate, or a combination thereof the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 towards the heat exchanger 1004. For instance, in some embodiments, if the damper assembly 1026 is open and the fan assembly 1042 is in an on state, the fluid will be drawn through the inlet 1012 of the first flow path 1008 and to the heat exchanger 1004.
In some embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 is configured to be operated by a variable speed drive (VFD). In some such embodiments, the VFD is configured to modify a speed of the fan assembly 1042, such speed up or slow down a rotational velocity of the fan assembly 1042, which, in turn, adjusts the flowing of the fluid along the first flow path 1008. In some embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 is configured to ensures a maximum amount of heat is received by the heat exchanger 1004. In some such embodiments, the temperature of the heat source 1400 and the temperature of fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 are determined, such as by using the sensor 982 and/or controller. In some embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 is configured to maintain the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 in accordance with a determination the temperature of the heat source 1400 and the temperature of fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 satisfy a threshold value. By way of example, in some embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 is configured to modulates a flow rate of the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 in order to maintain a threshold temperature difference between the temperature of the heat source 1400 and the temperature of fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008. In some such embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 is configured to maintain a threshold temperature difference between the temperature of the heat source 1400 and the temperature of fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 ensures that flow coming out of the heat source 1400 is delivered to the heat exchanger 1004 with minimal extra flow drawn by the first flow path 1008. By way of example, in some embodiments, in accordance with a determination a first threshold temperature difference is satisfied, too much extra flow is being drawn so the fan assembly 1042 decreases a speed of the fan assembly 1042. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Accordingly, in some embodiments, all of the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 passes through the fan assembly 1042, which allows for the fan assembly 1042 to maximize the heat input and temperature received at the heat exchanger 1004.
In some embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 is configured to maintain the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 in accordance with a determination an output of the heat pump 1006 satisfy a threshold value, too little steam is being demanded or received from the heat pump 1006 so the fan assembly 1042 decreases the speed of the fan assembly 1042. Accordingly, in some such embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 reduces the amount of heat input transferred to the liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010. In some embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 is configured to reduce the amount of flash steam generated in the heat pump 1006.
In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes a first fluid pump (e.g., fluid pump 1024 of
In some embodiments, the first flow path 1008 bypasses or is parallel to a flow of fluid sourced from the facility 102, and the fan assembly 1042 and/or the fluid pump 1028 is configured to draw the fluid into the first flow path 1008 towards an inlet of the heat exchanger 1004. In some embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 and/or the fluid pump 1028 is configured to generate a pressure differential between an inlet of the first flow path and an inlet of the heat exchanger 1004 and/or between a flow of fluid sourced from the facility 102 and a portion of the first flow path 1008. In some embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 includes one or more blowers. In some embodiments, the fan assembly 1042 includes one or more centrifugal fans, one or more axial fans, one or more propeller fans, or a combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 includes hot gas and/or condensation, and the fluid pump 1024 is configured to circulate the liquid, such as water, to the heat exchanger 1004 that absorbs sensible and latent heat from the hot gas, such as by water sprayed from the nozzle 1040 of the system 104. In some embodiments, the fluid pump 1024 is configured to operate a constant speed. In some such embodiment, the fluid pump 1024 is further configured to circulate flow along the first flow path 1008 continuously, such as continuously for a first epoch (e.g., an epoch of 24 hours, an epoch of 72 hours, an epoch of 1,000 hours, etc.). In some embodiments, the fluid pump is configured to receive instructions from the VFD to maximize the temperature of fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008, in an effort to increase the temperature of the liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010 and received by the heat pump 1006, improve performance and/or efficiency of the heat pump 1006. In some such embodiments, the maximum temperature of the fluid flowing along the first flow path is equal or substantially equal to a wet bulb temperature associated with the heat source 1400. In some embodiments, the wet bulb temperature is determined based on a temperature of the system 104 and humidity of the system 104, such as by using a temperature sensor 982 configured to measure a temperature of the heat source 1400 and/or a humidity of the heat source 1400. In some embodiments, the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 is controlled using the fluid pump 1028 and/or fluid pump 1024 in order to satisfy a threshold temperature different between the temperature of the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008 and the wet bulb temperature of the heat source 1400. Accordingly, the system 104 advantageously allows for maximizing the temperature of the fluid flowing along the first flow path 1008, which, in turn, maximizes the temperature of the liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010 to improve the performance of the heat pump 1006.
In some embodiments, the system 104 further includes a value (e.g., valve 1038 of
In some embodiments, the at least one sensor 982 includes a temperature sensor 982 and a pressure sensor 982 that are disposed at the inlet to the valve 1038, which is where pressure of the liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010 is generally expected to be lowest after flowing along a portion of the second flow path 1010. In some embodiments, the at least one sensor is disposed at a location in the system where a local low pressure is determined to occur, which induces boiling. For instance, in some embodiments, if the heat exchanger 1004 is elevated significantly above the flash vessel 212 of the heat pump 1006, the outlet of the heat exchanger 1004 is a location of the system 104 where the liquid flowing along the second flow path 1010 is at a high temperature (e.g., high saturation pressure) and the hydrostatic pressure is low. In some embodiments, the valve 1038 is configured to maintain a temperature range of the liquid flowing along the second flow path based on a threshold temperature and pressure value determined by the at least one sensor 982. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
In some embodiments, the first flow path 1008 includes an inlet (e.g., inlet 1046 of
In some embodiments, the first flow path 1008 includes a first blowdown (e.g., first blowdown 1048 of
In some embodiments, the system further includes a second blowdown (e.g., second blowdown 1050 of
Additional example and implementations of the heat pump system 1006 are described as follows:
Illustration of Subject Technology as ClausesVarious examples of aspects of the disclosure are described as numbered clauses (1, 2, 3, etc.) for convenience. These are provided as examples, and do not limit the subject technology.
-
- Clause 2. A system for utilizing heat, the system comprising: a heat pump configured to provide high-pressure steam and comprising at least one compressor and at least one flash vessel; a heat exchanger configured to be disposed proximate to a facility and further comprising: a first flow path and the second flow path, wherein the first flow path that is configured to transfer heat to the second flow path within the heat exchanger; an inlet of the first flow path configured to be coupled to a source of hot fluid exiting the facility; an inlet of the second flow path configured to be coupled to a water source; and an outlet of the second flow path configured to be coupled to an inlet of the heat pump.
- Clause 2. The system of Clause 1, wherein the second flow path is configured to accommodate a flow that is at least partially liquid.
- Clause 3. The system of either of Clause 1 or 2, wherein the second flow path is a closed loop.
- Clause 4. The system of any one of Clauses 1-3, wherein the system further comprises a fluid pump that is fluidly coupled to the second flow path and further configured to control a flow rate associated with the second flow path.
- Clause 5. The system of any one of Clauses 1-4, wherein the at least one flash vessel is configured to flash some or all of the water of the second flow path to provide a vapor received by an inlet of the at least one compressor.
- Clause 6. The system of any one of Clauses 1-5, wherein the at least one flash vessel is configured to provide liquid water to the second flow path.
- Clause 7. The system of any one of Clauses 1-6, wherein the first flow path is configured to bypass the source of hot fluid exiting the facility.
- Clause 8. The system of any one of Clauses 1-6, wherein the first flow path is configured to fluidly couple in series or parallel with the source of hot fluid exiting the facility.
- Clause 9. The system of any one of Clauses 1-8, wherein the heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger.
- Clause 10. The system of any one of Clauses 1-9, wherein the heat exchanger is a vapor condenser heat exchanger.
- Clause 11. The system of any one of Clauses 1-9, wherein the heat exchanger is a pipe heat exchanger, a fin heat exchanger, a frame heat exchanger, a shell heat exchanger, a spiral heat exchanger, a tube heat exchanger, or a combination thereof.
- Clause 12. The system of any one of Clauses 1-11, wherein the heat exchanger is a parallel flow heat exchanger, a counter flow heat exchanger, or a cross-flow heat exchanger.
- Clause 13. The system of any one of Clauses 1-12, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to prevent mixing of the first flow path and the second flow path.
- Clause 14. The system of any one of Clauses 1-13, wherein the heat pump is a mechanical vapor recompression (MVP) heat pump.
- Clause 15. The system of any one of Clauses 1-14, wherein the system further comprises an outlet of the heat pump that is configured to couple to an existing steam header of the facility or a different facility.
- Clause 16. The system of any one of Clauses 1-15, wherein the source of hot fluid exiting the facility is waste heat generated at the facility.
- Clause 17. The system of any one of Clauses 1-16, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer latent heat and sensible heat from the first flow path to the second flow path.
- Clause 18. The system of any one of Clauses 1-17, wherein the system further comprises an outlet of the second flow path that is configured to couple with an existing heat exchanger associated a heat rejector.
- Clause 19. The system of Clause 18, wherein the heat rejector is a cooling tower.
- Clause 20. The system of any one of Clauses 1-19, wherein the system further comprises an outlet of the heat pump that is configured to be coupled with the water source associated with the inlet of the second flow path.
- Clause 21. The system of any one of Clauses 1-20, wherein the system further comprises a nozzle that is configured to spray water into the hot fluid exiting a facility and capture heat from the hot fluid.
- Clause 22. The system of Clause 21, wherein the water sprayed into the hot fluid is further configured to decontaminate the hot fluid.
- Clause 23 The system of any one of Clauses 12-22, wherein the first flow path is configured to be in fluidic communication with a first stream of makeup water produced at the facility or the different facility.
- Clause 24. The system of Clause 23, wherein the water sprayed into the hot fluid includes the first stream of makeup water.
- Clause 25. The system of any one of Clauses 124, wherein the second flow path is configured to be in fluidic communication with a second stream of makeup water produced at the facility or the different facility.
- Clause 26. The system of any one of Clauses 1-25, wherein the system further comprises a filter that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to remove contaminates from the first flow path upstream from the heat exchanger.
- Clause 27. The system of any one of Clauses 1-26, wherein the system further comprises: a first sensor that is configured to detect a temperature at the inlet of the first flow path; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the first sensor and a damper assembly that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to control a flow rate of the first flow path at the inlet of the first flow path.
- Clause 28. The system of any one of Clauses 1-27, wherein the system further comprises: a second sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of first flow path at an inlet of the heat exchanger; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the second sensor and a fan assembly that is configured to fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to maintain the temperature at the inlet of the heat exchanger.
- Clause 29. The system of any one of Clauses 1-22, wherein the system further comprises: a third sensor that is configured to detect a temperature at the inlet of the first flow path; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the third sensor and a first fluid pump that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to control a flow rate at the inlet of the heat exchanger.
- Clause 30. The system of any one of Clauses 1-29, wherein the system further comprises: a fourth sensor that is configured to detect a pressure of the heat pump; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the fourth sensor and a second fluid pump that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path and is further configured to maintain the pressure of the heat pump.
- Clause 31. The system of Clause 30, wherein the pressure is an internal pressure of the heat pump that is less than a saturation pressure of the hot fluid.
- Clause 32. The system of any one of Clauses 1-31, wherein the system further comprises: a fifth sensor that is configured to detect a pressure of the inlet of the heat pump; a sixth sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of the inlet of the heat pump; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the fifth sensor, the sixth sensor, and a value that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path and is further configured to maintain the pressure of the heat pump.
- Clause 33. The system of any one of Clauses 1-32, wherein the controller is a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.
- Clause 34. The system of any one of Clauses 1-33, wherein the system further comprises a first blowdown that is configured to remove a contaminant accommodated by the first flow path.
- Clause 35. The system of Clause 34, wherein the first blowdown is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path upstream of the inlet of the heat exchanger.
- Clause 36. The system of any one of Clauses 1-35, wherein the system further comprises a second blowdown that is configured to remove a contaminant accommodated by the second flow path.
- Clause 37. The system of Clause 36, wherein the second blowdown is further configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path downstream of the outlet of the heat pump.
- Clause 38. The system of any one of Clauses 1-37, wherein a distance between the facility and the heat exchanger is between 100 meters and 10 kilometers.
- Clause 39. The system of any one of Clauses 1-38, wherein a distance between the heat exchanger and the heat pump is less than 100 meters.
- Clause 40. The system of Clause 39, wherein the distance between the facility and the heat exchanger is greater than the distance between the heat exchanger and the heat pump.
- Clause 41. The system of any one of Clauses 1-40, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to be disposed at a first height greater than a second height associated with the heat pump.
- Clause 42. The system of any one Clauses 1-8 or 11-41, wherein the heat exchanger is a direct contact heat exchanger.
- Clause 43. The system of any preceding Clause, wherein the system further comprises: a seventh sensor that is configured to detect a liquid depth of the heat pump; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the seventh sensor and the second fluid pump that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path and is further configured to maintain the liquid depth of the heat pump.
- Clause 44. A system for utilizing heat, the system comprising a heat exchanger configured to receive a first flow from a facility, transfer heat between a first flow of the heat exchanger and a second flow of the heat exchanger, and discharge the first flow; and a heat pump coupled to the heat exchanger, wherein the heat pump further is configured to receive the second flow from the heat exchanger and is further is configured to convert the second flow into a stream of high-pressure steam and a stream of fluid cooler than the stream of high-pressure steam.
- Clause 44. A system for utilizing heat, the system comprising: a heat pump, wherein the heat pump further includes: a flash vessel train coupled to a compressor train and is further configured to receive some or all of a second flow path, and the compressor train that is configured to provide high-pressure steam; a heat exchanger disposed proximate to a facility and further comprising: a first flow path and the second flow path, wherein the first flow path that is configured to transfer heat to the second flow path within the heat exchanger, the second flow path is a loop configured to accommodate a partial liquid, an inlet of the first flow path that is configured to be coupled to a source of hot fluid exiting the facility, an inlet of the second flow path that is configured to be coupled to a water source, and an outlet of the second flow path that is configured to be coupled to an inlet of the heat pump; and a fluid pump that is fluidly coupled to the second flow path and further configured to control a flow rate associated with the second flow path.
- Clause 46. A system for utilizing heat, the system comprising: a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from a first flow path to a second flow path within the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger further including: the first flow path having an inlet configured to receive waste heat from a facility, and the second flow path thermally coupled to the first flow path, wherein the second flow path is configured to transfer energy from the first flow path to a liquid flowing along the second flow path; a heat pump coupled to an exit of the second flow path, the heat pump comprising: at least one flash vessel configured to flash evaporate the liquid to generate steam and return any remaining liquid to the second flow path, and at least two compressors, coupled to the at least one flash vessel, configured to increase a pressure of the steam; a media inlet coupled on the second media flow and configured to supplement the second media flow; and a fluid pump coupled to the second flow path and configured to control the flow of the liquid and steam.
- Clause 47. A system for utilizing heat, the system comprising: a heat exchanger configured to receive a first media flow and transfer heat of the first media flow to a second media flow within the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger further including: a first flow path having an inlet configured to be coupled to a facility and receive the first media flow from the facility, and a second flow path thermally coupled to the first flow path, wherein the second flow path is configured to guide the second media flow, and the second media flow is at least partially liquid when passing the second flow path; a heat pump coupled to the second flow path of the heat exchanger, the heat pump further including: at least one flash vessel configured to receive the second media flow, flash evaporate a first portion of the second media flow to generate a vaporized media flow, and provide a second portion of the second media flow to the second flow path, and a compressor train coupled to the at least one flash vessel, wherein the compressor train includes at least two compressors and is configured to increase a pressure of the vaporized media flow; a media inlet coupled on the second media flow and configured to supplement the second media flow; and a fluid pump coupled to the second flow path of the heat exchanger and configured to control the second media flow.
- Clause 48. The system of Clause 47, wherein the second flow path is a closed loop.
- Clause 49. The system of either of Clause 47 or 48, wherein the fluid pump is further configured to control a flow rate associated with the second flow path.
- Clause 50. The system of any one of Clauses 47-49, wherein the at least one flash vessel is configured to provide liquid water to the second flow path.
- Clause 51. The system of any one of Clauses 47-50, wherein the first flow path is configured to bypass a source of hot fluid exiting the facility.
- Clause 52. The system of any one of Clauses 47-51, wherein the first flow path is configured to fluidly couple in series or parallel with the source of hot fluid exiting the facility.
- Clause 53. The system of any one of Clauses 47-52, wherein the heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger.
- Clause 54. The system of any one of Clauses 47-53, wherein the heat exchanger is a vapor condenser heat exchanger.
- Clause 55. The system of any one of Clauses 47-53, wherein the heat exchanger is a pipe heat exchanger, a fin heat exchanger, a frame heat exchanger, a shell heat exchanger, a spiral heat exchanger, a tube heat exchanger, or a combination thereof.
- Clause 56. The system of any one of Clauses 47-55, wherein the heat exchanger is a parallel flow heat exchanger, a counter flow heat exchanger, or a cross-flow heat exchanger.
- Clause 57. The system of any one of Clauses 47-56, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to prevent mixing of the first flow path and the second flow path.
- Clause 58. The system of any one of Clauses 47-57, wherein the heat pump is a mechanical vapor recompression (MVP) heat pump.
- Clause 59. The system of any one of Clauses 47-58, wherein the system further comprises an outlet of the heat pump that is configured to couple to an existing steam header of the facility or a different facility.
- Clause 60. The system of any one of Clauses 47-59, wherein the source of hot fluid exiting the facility is waste heat generated at the facility.
- Clause 61. The system of any one of Clauses 47-60, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer latent heat and sensible heat from the first flow path to the second flow path.
- Clause 62. The system of any one of Clauses 47-61, wherein the system further comprises an outlet of the second flow path that is configured to couple with an existing heat exchanger associated a heat rejector.
- Clause 63. The system of Clause 62, wherein the heat rejector is a cooling tower.
- Clause 64. The system of any one of Clauses 47-63, wherein the system further comprises an outlet of the heat pump that is configured to be coupled with a water source associated with the inlet of the second flow path.
- Clause 65. The system of any one of Clauses 47-64, wherein the system further comprises a nozzle that is configured to spray water into the hot fluid exiting a facility and capture heat from the hot fluid.
- Clause 66. The system of Clause 65, wherein the water sprayed into the hot fluid is further configured to decontaminate the hot fluid.
- Clause 67. The system of any one of Clauses 47-66, wherein the first flow path is configured to be in fluidic communication with a first stream of makeup water produced at the facility or the different facility.
- Clause 68. The system of Clause 67, wherein the water sprayed into a hot fluid includes the first stream of makeup water.
- Clause 69. The system of any one of Clauses 47-68, wherein the second flow path is configured to be in fluidic communication with a second stream of makeup water produced at the facility or the different facility.
- Clause 70. The system of any one of Clauses 47-69, wherein the system further comprises a filter that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to remove contaminates from the first flow path upstream from the heat exchanger.
- Clause 71. The system of any one of Clauses 47-70, wherein the system further comprises: a first sensor that is configured to detect a temperature at the inlet of the first flow path; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the first sensor and a damper assembly that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to control a flow rate of the first flow path at the inlet of the first flow path.
- Clause 72. The system of any one of Clauses 47-71, wherein the system further comprises: a second sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of first flow path at an inlet of the heat exchanger; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the second sensor and a fan assembly that is configured to fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to maintain the temperature at the inlet of the heat exchanger.
- Clause 73. The system of any one of Clauses 47-72, wherein the system further comprises: a third sensor that is configured to detect a temperature at the inlet of the first flow path; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the third sensor and a first fluid pump that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to control a flow rate at the inlet of the heat exchanger.
- Clause 74. The system of any one of Clauses 47-73, wherein the system further comprises: a fourth sensor that is configured to detect a pressure of the heat pump; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the fourth sensor and a second fluid pump that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path and is further configured to maintain the pressure of the heat pump.
- Clause 75. The system of Clause 75, wherein the pressure is an internal pressure of the heat pump that is less than a saturation pressure of the hot fluid.
- Clause 76. The system of any one of Clauses 47-75, wherein the system further comprises:
- a fifth sensor that is configured to detect a pressure of the inlet of the heat pump;
- a sixth sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of the inlet of the heat pump; and
- a controller that is electrically coupled to the fifth sensor, the sixth sensor, and a value that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path and is further configured to maintain the pressure of the heat pump.
- Clause 77. The system of any one of Clauses 47-76, wherein the controller is a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.
- Clause 78. The system of any one of Clauses 47-77, wherein the system further comprises a first blowdown that is configured to remove a contaminant accommodated by the first flow path.
- Clause 79. The system of Clause 78, wherein the first blowdown is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path upstream of the inlet of the heat exchanger.
- Clause 80. The system of any one of Clauses 47-79, wherein the system further comprises a second blowdown that is configured to remove a contaminant accommodated by the second flow path.
- Clause 81. The system of Clause 80, wherein the second blowdown is further configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path downstream of an outlet of the heat pump.
- Clause 82. The system of any one of Clauses 47-81, wherein a distance between the facility and the heat exchanger is between 100 meters and 10 kilometers.
- Clause 83. The system of any one of Clauses 47-82, wherein a distance between the heat exchanger and the heat pump is less than 100 meters.
- Clause 84. The system of Clause 83, wherein the distance between the facility and the heat exchanger is greater than the distance between the heat exchanger and the heat pump.
- Clause 85. The system of any one of Clauses 47-84, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to be disposed at a first height greater than a second height associated with the heat pump.
- Clause 86. The system of any one Clauses 47-55 or 58-85, wherein the heat exchanger is a direct contact heat exchanger.
- Clause 87. The system of one of Clauses 47-86, wherein the system further comprises: a seventh sensor that is configured to detect a liquid depth of the heat pump; and a controller that is electrically coupled to the seventh sensor and the second fluid pump that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path and is further configured to maintain the liquid depth of the heat pump.
In some embodiments, a heat pump system (e.g., heat pump system 104 of any of
In some embodiments, one or more components of the system 104 are disposed on modular skids or containers designed for easy shipping and final installation.
In some embodiments, the baseline heat pump system 104 is configured to address the edges of the operating parameters 916, such as a minimum hot water source 110 temperature, a minimum steam condensate return 214 temperature, a maximum high-pressure steam 140 temperature, a maximum high-pressure steam 140 pressure, a maximum high-pressure steam 140 flow rate, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more portions of the compressor train 202 and/or the flash vessel train 210 is depopulated from the baseline heat pump system 104 to accommodate higher heat source temperatures and/or lower steam outlet temperature and/or pressure. For instance, in some embodiments, the baseline heat pump system 104 is configured to address minimum hot water source 110 temperature received from the facility 102 at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit (° F.) (15.6 degrees Celsius (° C.)) or at least 80° F. (26.7° C.).
In some embodiments, in accordance with a determination that the hot water source 110 is above 80° F. (26.7° C.), the baseline heat pump system 104 is modified by increasing the pressure of the flash vessel train 210 and depopulating one or more compressors 204 at a front end portion of the compressor train 202.
In some embodiments, in accordance with a determination that the high-pressure steam 140 received by the facility is less than 290 PSIg (20 Bar), the baseline heat pump system 104 is modified by depopulating one or more compressors 204 at a rear end portion of the compressor train 202.
In some embodiments, in accordance with a determination that the high-pressure steam 140 requires a flow rate below 50 kilopounds (klb) per hour, one or more flash vessels 212 of the flash vessel train 210 and/or one or more compressors 204 of the compressor train 202 are substituted for a corresponding one or more flash vessels 212 and/or one or more compressors 204 configured for lower flow rates.
Since the density of steam increases as pressure increases, mass flow for a given size of a compressor 204 also increases. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatus of the present disclosure utilize the upper boundary of operating parameters, such as a 20 Barg output pressure of the high-pressure steam 140, and determined the minimum flow rates (e.g., after desuperheating via the desuperheater train 230) that the compressor train 202 yields such pressure at high efficiency and maximal compression ratio. In some embodiments, at the minimum flow rates, the systems, methods, and apparatus of the present disclosure determine the inlet pressure of hot water received from the hot water source 110 needed to achieve the 20 Barg output pressure of the high-pressure stream produced thereto. In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatus of the present disclosure iteratively repeat this process on the remaining compressors 204 of the compressor train 202, until 35 mBara inlet pressure of the hot water received by the system 104 is reached.
In some embodiments, the baseline heat pump system 104 is modified in accordance with a unique set of parameter requirements associated with performance of the heat pump system 104 and/or one or more processes performed at a facility. For instance, in some embodiments, the unique set of parameter 916 requirements include the temperature of the hot water source 110 received by the system 104, the pressure of the high-pressure steam 140 produced by the system 104, and the mass flow rate of the high-pressure steam 140 produced by the system 104. In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatus of the present disclosure configured the baseline heat pump system 104 into two or more sub-assemblies. Each sub-assembly includes one or more compressors 204 of the compressor train 202 that is configured to be removed from the front end portion and/or the rear end portion of the compressor train 202. In some embodiments, each sub-assembly includes one or more flash vessels 212 of the flash vessel train 210. By modifying the baseline heat pump system 104 through the sub-assemblies, the compressor train 202 is modified to change the temperature of the hot water source 110 received by the system 104, the pressure of the high-pressure steam 140 produced by the system 104. Moreover, in some embodiments, alternative sub-assemblies include smaller lower-flow compressors 204 that are substituted into the baseline heat pump system 104 to change the mass flow rate of the high-pressure steam 140 produced by the system 104 while optimizing for COP, cost, and size of the system 104.
Accordingly, by providing the heat pump system 104 in the modular configuration, the present disclosure allows for pre-engineered (e.g., pre-configured) and/or factory-produced packaged systems 104 ready to connect to a pre-existing facility 102.
Moreover, in some embodiments, this modular configuration of the heat pump system 104 allows the cost and layout footprint of the heat pump system 104 to be optimized for a given application associated with a facility 102, while simultaneously providing standardization needed to achieve economies of scale when manufacturing the heat pump system 104. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the modular configuration of the heat pump system 104 allows for production-level quality and reliability assurance, which is accomplished by qualifying the two or more sub-assemblies in addition to qualifying incoming components of the heat pump system 104.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the modular configuration of the heat pump system 104 allows for factory fabrication of the heat pump system 104 in one or more skids, allows for transportation of the heat pump system 104 from a factory to the facility 102 via standard truck-based transport, allows for simple, non-complex on-site installation of the one or more skids at defined interface points at the facility 102, allows for a minimized footprint area, allows for easy removal and/or substitution of a sub-assembly, or a combination thereof.
For instance, in some embodiments, the footprint (e.g., surface area beneath the system 104) is between 2,000 square feet (ft2) and 8,000 ft2, inclusive, such as 150 foot length by 50 foot width footprint of the system 104.
Example 2: a Computer System, Method, and Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Storage Medium for Configuring a Heat Pump SystemIn some embodiments, the present disclosure provided computer systems, methods, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums for configuring a heat pump system 104.
In some embodiments, the computer systems, methods, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of the present disclosure allow for selection and configuration of one or more sub-assemblies of the heat pump system 104 in order to optimally satisfy a given set of parameter 916 requirements associated with a facility 102.
In some embodiments, the computer systems, methods, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of the present disclosure provide a lookup table. In some embodiments, the lookup table is utilized to match one or more ranges of various parameter requires, such as a first temperature of hot water received from the facility 102 and/or an outlet pressure of the high-pressure steam received by the facility 102 from the system 104 with specific combinations of two or more sub-assembles that are configured to operating collectively.
In some embodiments, the computer systems, methods, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of the present disclosure evaluated the performance of the heat pump system 104 based on the given set of parameter 916 requirements associated with the facility 102. For instance, in some embodiments, the computer systems, methods, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of the present disclosure determined the given set of parameter 916 requirements in the lookup table, then used the lookup table to select two or more sub-assemblies. In some embodiments, the computer systems, methods, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of the present disclosure evaluate the performance of the heat pump system 104 that includes the two or more sub-assemblies selected through the lookup table. In some embodiments, the computer systems, methods, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of the present disclosure display a report that includes a complete, pre-qualified configuration of the heat pump system and the two or more sub-assembles that is ready for fabrication, and a performance specification for that configuration.
Example 3: A Heat Pump SystemReferring to
In some embodiments, the system 104 includes a compressor train 202. The compressor train 202 includes a series of at least two compressors 204. In some embodiments, the series of at least two compressors 204 include at least four compressors 204. Moreover, the compressor train 202 includes an inlet 216 of the compressor train 202. Furthermore, the compressor train 202 includes an outlet 208 of the compressor train 202 that is configured to provide high-pressure steam 140 to a facility 102. In some embodiments, the series of at least two compressors 204 is disposed interposing between the inlet of the compressor train 202 and the outlet of the compressor train 202.
In some embodiments, the system further includes a flash vessel train 210. The flash vessel train 210 includes a series of at least two flash vessels 212, in which the series of at least two flash vessels further include a terminal flash vessel 212 at one end of the flash vessel train 210. In some embodiments, the series of at least two flash vessels 212 include at least four flash vessels 212. Moreover, a vapor outlet 226 of the terminal flash vessel 212 is fluidly coupled to the inlet 216 of the compressor train 202. Additionally, the system 104 includes vapor outlets 226 of a remainder of the series of at least two flash vessels 212 that are fluidly coupled between compressors 204 of the series of at least two compressors 204.
In some embodiments, the system 104 is configured to receive hot water received from hot water source 110 at a temperature of 120° F. (48.9° C.). In some embodiments, the system 104 is configured to receive steam condensate return 214 at a temperature of 200° F. (93.3° C.).
In some embodiments, each flash vessel 212 in the series of at least two flash vessels 212 of the flash vessel train 210 is configured to be maintained at an internal pressure less than a saturation pressure of hot water input into the respective flash vessel 212, and is configured to expand the hot water to produce low-pressure steam. For instance, in some embodiments, the terminal flash vessel 212-1 is configured to be maintained at an internal pressure less than the saturation pressure of hot water at 120° F. (48.9° C.) (e.g., the saturation pressure of water at 120° F. is 116.9 mBar, which yields an internal pressure below 116.8 mbar(a) for the respective flash vessel), a second flash vessel 212-2 is configured to be maintained at an internal pressure less than the saturation pressure of hot water at 140° F. (60° C., a third flash vessel 212-3 is configured to be maintained at an internal pressure less than the saturation pressure of hot water at 160° F. (71.1° C.), and a fourth flash vessel 212-4 is configured to be maintained at an internal pressure less than the saturation pressure of hot water at 180° F. (82.2° C.). Accordingly, in some embodiments, the internal pressure of a first terminal flash vessel (e.g., flash vessel 212-1 of any of
All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and for all purposes to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent or patent application is specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Many modifications and variations of this invention can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The specific embodiments described herein are offered by way of example only. The embodiments are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The invention is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Claims
1. A system for utilizing heat, the system comprising:
- a heat exchanger configured to receive a first media flow and transfer heat of the first media flow to a second media flow within the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger further including: a first flow path having an inlet configured to bypass a source of hot fluid exiting the facility, the bypass coupled to a facility and receive the first media flow from the facility, and a second flow path thermally coupled to the first flow path, wherein the second flow path is configured to guide the second media flow, and the second media flow is at least partially liquid when passing the second flow path;
- a heat pump coupled to the second flow path of the heat exchanger, the heat pump further including: at least one flash vessel configured to receive the second media flow, flash evaporate a first portion of the second media flow to generate a vaporized media flow, and provide a second portion of the second media flow to the second flow path, and a compressor train coupled to the at least one flash vessel, wherein the compressor train includes at least two compressors and is configured to increase a pressure of the vaporized media flow;
- a media inlet coupled on the second media flow and configured to supplement the second media flow; and
- a fluid pump coupled to the second flow path of the heat exchanger and positioned at an elevation below the at least one flash vessel to provide sufficient suction head to the fluid pump.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger, a vapor condenser heat exchanger, a pipe heat exchanger, a fin heat exchanger, a frame heat exchanger, a shell heat exchanger, a spiral heat exchanger, a tube heat exchanger, or a combination thereof.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is a parallel flow heat exchanger, a counter flow heat exchanger, or a cross-flow heat exchanger.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises an outlet of the heat pump that is configured to couple to an existing steam header of the facility or a different facility.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the source of hot fluid exiting the facility is waste heat generated at the facility.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer latent heat and sensible heat from the first flow path to the second flow path.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises an outlet of the second flow path that is configured to couple with an existing heat exchanger associated with a heat rejector.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a nozzle that is configured to spray water into the hot fluid exiting a facility and capture heat from the hot fluid.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the water sprayed into the hot fluid is further configured to decontaminate the hot fluid.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a first blowdown that is configured to remove a contaminant accommodated by the first flow path.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first blowdown is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path upstream of the inlet of the heat exchanger.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a second blowdown that is configured to remove a contaminant accommodated by the second flow path.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second blowdown is further configured to be fluidly coupled to the second flow path downstream of an outlet of the heat pump.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein a distance between the facility and the heat exchanger is greater than the distance between the heat exchanger and the heat pump.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to be disposed at a first height greater than a second height associated with the heat pump.
16. The system of claim 1, wherein the hot fluid comprises a liquid, vapor, and/or a condensable vapor.
17. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a damper assembly that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path.
18. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a fan assembly that is configured to fluidly coupled to the first flow path.
19. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat pump is a mechanical vapor recompression (MVP) heat pump.
20. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a filter that is configured to be fluidly coupled to the first flow path and is further configured to remove contaminates from the first flow path upstream from the heat exchanger.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 10, 2026
Publication Date: Jun 25, 2026
Inventors: Arun Kumar GUPTA (Oakland, CA), Jacob Andrew Miller (Sudbury, MA)
Application Number: 19/536,064
