Electrical power generation system with multiple path cooling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10079526-B2
Application number	US-201415023249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2014
Priority date	Sep 27, 2013
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A genset has an enclosure in which a bulkhead separates the enclosure into a high pressure compartment and a low pressure compartment. A first fan is located in the high pressure compartment and draws ambient air into the high pressure compartment and pressurizes the high pressure compartment to a first pressure that is greater than ambient pressure. A radiator is located within the high pressure compartment such that the pressurized air in the high pressure compartment flows through the radiator and out of the high pressure compartment. A generator is located in the high pressure compartment and provides a gas flow path therethrough from the high pressure compartment to the low pressure compartment. An engine is located in the low pressure compartment and is coupled to the radiator for cooling and is coupled to the generator through the bulkhead to drive the generator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an enclosure from an ambient environment, including:
a generator compartment including a first inlet region and a first outlet region in fluid communication with the ambient environment;
an engine compartment including a second inlet region in fluid communication with the generator compartment and a second outlet region in fluid communication with the ambient environment; and
a bulkhead between the generator and engine compartments to at least substantially fluidly separate the generator and engine compartments;

a radiator in the generator compartment, wherein a pressurized gas in the generator compartment flows along a first gas flow path through the radiator and out of the generator compartment through the first outlet region;
a generator at least partially in the generator compartment, the generator having a second gas flow path through the generator including a generator inlet region opening into the generator compartment and a generator outlet region in fluid communication with the second inlet region;
an engine in the engine compartment, the engine coupled to the radiator for cooling and coupled to the generator to drive the generator.

2. The system of claim 1 , in a first modular configuration to accommodate a first size of engine and/or generator, wherein:
the enclosure has a first enclosure length, a first enclosure width and a first enclosure height, and the radiator has a first radiator length, a first radiator thickness and a first radiator height.

3. The system of claim 2 , in a second modular configuration to accommodate a second size of engine and/or generator, wherein:
the enclosure has a second enclosure length, the first enclosure width and the first enclosure height, and the radiator has the first radiator length, the first radiator thickness and a second radiator height.

4. The system of claim 3 , in a third modular configuration to accommodate a third size of engine and/or generator, wherein:
the enclosure has a third enclosure length, the first enclosure width and the first enclosure height, and the radiator has the first radiator length, the first radiator thickness and a third radiator height.

5. The system of claim 1 and further including an electrical terminal box in the generator compartment and coupled to the generator.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the terminal box is on an end of the enclosure opposite the generator from the engine.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the enclosure includes a door on the end to access the electrical terminal box.

8. The system of claim 1 and further including an engine combustion gas intake having an inlet region opening into the generator compartment.

9. The electrical power generation system of claim 1 and further including one or more access doors on the enclosure to provide access to the engine compartment.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein at least one of the access doors is on an end of the engine compartment to provide access to an end of the engine opposite the generator.

11. The electrical power generation system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is configured to allow the radiator to be varied in size by one or more of a height, a width, and a thickness.

12. The electrical power generation system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is configured to vary the radiator size in a single dimensional direction selected from of one of height, width, and thickness to fit a range of radiators that varying in size by that single dimensional direction.

13. The electrical power generation system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the generator and the engine compartments is configured to be varied in length by changing one or more of a roof panel, a side panel, a base panel, a base frame member, and a base.

14. The electrical power generation system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is configured to be varied in height by changing one or more of a side panel, an end panel, an end column, and the bulkhead between the high pressure compartment and the low pressure compartment.

15. The electrical power generation system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is configured to be varied in width by changing one or more of an end panel, a roof panel, a base, a base panel, and the bulkhead between the high pressure compartment and the low pressure compartment.

16. The electrical power generation system of claim 1 , wherein the radiator is mounted at an angle with respect to a base of the enclosure.

17. A system, comprising:
a standard-size ISO enclosure from an ambient environment, including:
a generator compartment including a first inlet region and a first outlet region in fluid communication with the ambient environment;
an engine compartment including a second inlet region in fluid communication with the generator compartment and a second outlet region in fluid communication with the ambient environment;
a bulkhead between the generator and engine compartments to at least substantially fluidly separate the generator and engine compartments;
a plurality of walls and a roof;
a plurality of standard-sized openings including a roof opening; and
at least one modular panel occupying at least a portion of the roof opening;

a radiator in the generator compartment, wherein a pressurized gas in the generator compartment flows along a first gas flow path through the radiator and out of the generator compartment through the first outlet region;
a generator at least partially in the generator compartment, the generator having a second gas flow path through the generator including a generator inlet region opening into the generator compartment and a generator outlet region in fluid communication with the second inlet region;
an engine in the engine compartment, the engine coupled to the radiator for cooling and coupled to the generator to drive the generator.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of standard-sized openings includes a plurality of wall openings.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein at least one standard-size panel occupies one of the plurality of wall openings.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one modular panel is at least partially disposed over the generator compartment.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the at least one modular panel has a length selected to match a length of the radiator, the length of the radiator selected based on the cooling requirements of the engine.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the radiator is disposed horizontally in the generator compartment.

23. The system of claim 22 , further comprising a bank of radiators including the radiator, the number of radiators in the bank selected based on the cooling requirements of the engine.

24. The system of claim 17 , wherein the bulkhead includes a horizontal panel having a length based on the length of the engine and the length of the generator.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the horizontal panel length is further based on the length of the radiator.

26. The system of claim 17 , further including an exhaust system, disposed at least partially over the engine, wherein the at least one modular panel includes an exhaust panel disposed over at least a portion of the exhaust system.

27. The system of claim 17 , further including at least one high pressure fan in the generator compartment.

28. The system of claim 27 ,

Assignees

• Cummins Inc
• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Shatek Nicholas W
• Jayaraman Raghavendran

Classifications

• F02B77/13

  Acoustic insulation · CPC title

• F02B63/042

  Rotating electric generators · CPC title

• F01N13/08

  Other arrangements or adaptations of exhaust conduits {(pipes, joints or supports therefor in general F16L; collecting or removing exhaust gases of vehicle engines in workshops B08B15/00, on highways E01C1/005)} · CPC title

• H02K9/04

  having means for generating a flow of cooling medium · CPC title

• F01P1/06

  Arrangements for cooling other engine or machine parts · CPC title