Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10060283-B2
Application number	US-201615280808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Oct 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

Specific operation is executable in a Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus. In the Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus, a) in the specific operation, the control device adjusts the degree of opening of the opening/closing device so that the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber approaches first electric power, or b) in the specific operation, the degree of opening of the opening/closing device is increased to the predetermined intermediate degree of opening so that the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber falls within a predetermined range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus comprising:
a Rankine-cycle device including:
an expander that converts expansion energy of a working fluid into mechanical energy,
a bypass flow channel that bypasses the expander,
an opening/closing device that opens/closes the bypass flow channel and whose degree of opening is adjustable to any of a fully opened state, a fully closed state, and an intermediate degree of opening between the fully opened state and the fully closed state, and
a power generator that is linked to the expander; and

a control device including:
a converter that converts alternating-current electric power generated by the power generator into direct-current electric power,
an inverter that is connected to the converter via a direct-current electric power line and is capable of converting the direct-current electric power into alternating-current electric power and feeding the alternating-current electric power to a commercial system, and
an electric power absorber that absorbs part of or all of the direct-current electric power,

a specific operation being executable in the Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus,
a) in the specific operation, the control device is configured to output a command signal to the opening/closing device for adjusting the degree of opening so that the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber approaches a first electric power, or
b) in the specific operation, the control device is configured to output a command signal to the opening/closing device for increasing the degree of opening to the intermediate degree of opening so that the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber falls within a predetermined range.

2. The Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
A) in the specific operation, the control device is configured to output the command signal to the opening/closing device for adjusting the degree of opening by feedback control using the degree of opening of the opening/closing device as a manipulated variable so that the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber approaches the first electric power; or
b) in the specific operation, the control device is configured to output the command signal to the opening/closing device for increasing the degree of opening to the intermediate degree of opening so that the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber falls within the predetermined range.

3. The Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is configured to feed the direct-current electric power to the Rankine-cycle device,
the Rankine-cycle device is configured to consume the direct-current electric power fed from the control device,
α) in the specific operation, the control device is configured to output the command signal to the opening/closing device for adjusting the degree of opening so that the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber approaches the first electric power, and
in the specific operation, when electric power consumption in the Rankine-cycle device increases, the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber temporarily decreases and electric power fed from the control device to the Rankine-cycle device increases, and then the direct-current electric power approaches the first electric power again; or

β) in the specific operation, the control device is configured to output the command signal to the opening/closing device for increasing the degree of opening to the intermediate degree of opening so that the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber falls within the predetermined range, and
in the specific operation, when the electric power consumption in the Rankine-cycle device increases, the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber decreases and electric power fed from the control device to the Rankine-cycle device increases.

4. The Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the Rankine-cycle device further includes a pump that delivers the working fluid by pressure;
the control device is configured to feed the direct-current electric power to the pump, and
in the specific operation, part of the direct-current electric power fed from the control device is used as electric power for driving the pump.

5. The Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is configured to feed the direct-current electric power to the Rankine-cycle device,
the Rankine-cycle device is configured to consume the direct-current electric power fed from the control device,
a) in the specific operation, the control device is configured to output the command signal to the opening/closing device for adjusting the degree of opening so that the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber approaches the first electric power, and
A) in the specific operation, the control device is configured to output the command signal to the opening/closing device for adjusting the degree of opening of the opening/closing device by feedback control using the degree of opening of the opening/closing device as a manipulated variable so that the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber approaches the first electric power; or
α) in the specific operation, the control device is configured to output the command signal to the opening/closing device for adjusting the degree of opening so that the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber approaches the first electric power, and
in the specific operation, when electric power consumption in the Rankine-cycle device increases, the direct-current electric power absorbed by the electric power absorber temporarily decreases and electric power fed from the control device to the Rankine-cycle device increases, and then the direct-current electric power approaches the first electric power again.

6. The Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the Rankine-cycle device further includes a pump that delivers the working fluid by pressure;
the control device is configured to feed the direct-current electric power to the pump,
in the specific operation, part of the direct-current electric power fed from the control device is used as electric power for driving the pump; and
in the specific operation, when the degree of opening of the opening/closing device decreases to a first degree of opening, the control device is configured to output a command signal to the pump for starting to decrease a rotational speed of the pump.

7. The Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the Rankine-cycle device further includes:
a pump that delivers the working fluid by pressure,
an evaporator that heats the working fluid, and
a sensor that is used to specify a temperature of the working fluid that is present in a flow passage starting from an exit of the evaporator and ending at an entry of the expander;

the control device is configured to feed the direct-current electric power to the pump,
in the specific operation, part of the direct-current electric power fed from the control device is used as electric power for driving the pump; and
in the specific operation, when the temperature specified by the sensor decreases to a first temperature, the control device is configured to output a command signal to the pump for starting to decrease a rotational speed of the pump.

8. The Rankine-cycle power-generating apparatus according to claim 6 , wher

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp

Inventors

• Tomigashi Yoshio
• Hikichi Takumi

Classifications

• F01D15/10

  Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators · CPC title

• F01K13/02 Primary

  Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting · CPC title

• F01D17/00 Primary

  Regulating or controlling by varying flow (for reversing F01D1/30; by varying rotor-blade position F01D7/00; specially for starting F01D19/00; shutting-down F01D21/00; regulating or controlling in general G05 {; specially adapted for hand-held tools or the like F01D15/06}) · CPC title

• Y10S415/916

  Perpetual motion devices · CPC title

• F03B17/005

  Installations wherein the liquid circulates in a closed loop (F03B13/06 takes precedence); Alleged perpetua mobilia of this or similar kind (perpetua mobilia using hydrostatic thrust or buoyancy F03B17/04) · CPC title