Turbocharger systems and method for capturing a process gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10858992-B2
Application number	US-201916276177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2019
Priority date	Feb 14, 2019
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a turbocharger system for use with a process gas capture system. In one example, the turbocharger system comprises: a heat exchanger positioned to receive inlet gas from a gas generating system via a first inlet; a low pressure compressor driven by a low pressure turbine and coupled to a first outlet of the heat exchanger; a mid-pressure compressor driven by a mid-pressure turbine and coupled in series with the low pressure compressor, the mid-pressure compressor configured to receive low pressure compressed gas from the low pressure compressor; and a high pressure compressor driven by a high pressure turbine and coupled in series with the mid-pressure compressor, the high pressure compressor configured to receive mid-pressure compressed gas from the mid-pressure compressor and output high pressure compressed gas to the process gas capture system and a second inlet of the heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A turbocharger system for use with a mining process gas capture system, the turbocharger system comprising:
a heat exchanger positioned to receive hot inlet gas from a gas generating system via a first inlet;
at least one low pressure turbocharger including a low pressure compressor rotationally coupled to a low pressure turbine and fluidly coupled to a first outlet of the heat exchanger, the low pressure compressor configured to receive cooled inlet gas discharged from the first outlet of the heat exchanger;
at least one mid-pressure turbocharger including a mid-pressure compressor rotationally coupled to a mid-pressure turbine and fluidly coupled in series with the low pressure compressor, the mid-pressure compressor configured to receive low pressure compressed gas discharged by the low pressure compressor;
at least one high pressure turbocharger including a high pressure compressor rotationally coupled to a high pressure turbine and fluidly coupled in series with the mid-pressure compressor, the high pressure compressor configured to receive mid-pressure compressed gas discharged by the mid-pressure compressor and output high pressure compressed gas to the mining process gas capture system and a second inlet of the heat exchanger; and
a choke valve coupled between an outlet of the high pressure compressor and the second inlet of the heat exchanger.

2. The turbocharger system of claim 1 , wherein the high pressure turbine is fluidly coupled to a second outlet of the heat exchanger and is configured to receive heated high pressure compressed gas discharged from the second outlet of the heat exchanger, wherein the mid-pressure turbine is fluidly coupled to the high pressure turbine in series and is configured to receive gas flow directly from an outlet of the high pressure turbine, and wherein the low pressure turbine is fluidly coupled to the mid-pressure turbine in series and is configured to receive gas flow directly from an outlet of the mid-pressure turbine.

3. The turbocharger system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first turbine bypass valve coupled across the high pressure turbine and configured to control a first gas flow from an inlet of the high pressure turbine to the outlet of the high pressure turbine, the first gas flow bypassing the high pressure turbine without flowing through the high pressure turbine;
a second turbine bypass valve coupled across the mid-pressure turbine and configured to control a second gas flow from an inlet of the mid-pressure turbine to the outlet of the mid-pressure turbine, the second gas flow bypassing the mid-pressure turbine without flowing through the mid-pressure turbine; and
a third turbine bypass valve coupled across the low pressure turbine and configured to control a third gas flow from an inlet of the low pressure turbine to an outlet of the low pressure turbine, the third gas flow bypassing the low pressure turbine without flowing through the low pressure turbine.

4. The turbocharger system of claim 1 , wherein the high pressure compressed gas flows from the outlet of the high pressure compressor to the second inlet of the heat exchanger via a first flow path and to the mining process gas capture system via a second flow path that branches from the first flow path upstream of the choke valve, the choke valve arranged in the first flow path.

5. The turbocharger system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of a first turbine bypass valve coupled across the high pressure turbine, a second turbine bypass valve coupled across the mid-pressure turbine, and a third turbine bypass valve coupled across the low pressure turbine.

6. The turbocharger system of claim 5 , further comprising a controller including instructions stored on memory, that when executed during operation of the turbocharger system, cause the controller to: adjust a position of each of the choke valve and the one or more of the first turbine bypass valve, the second turbine bypass valve, and the third turbine bypass valve based on a desired mass flow rate of gas through the low pressure compressor, the mid-pressure compressor, and the high pressure compressor and a desired pressure of the high pressure compressed gas.

7. The turbocharger system of claim 6 , wherein adjusting the position of each of the choke valve and the one or more of the first turbine bypass valve, the second turbine bypass valve, and the third turbine bypass valve includes first adjusting the position of the choke valve to achieve the desired mass flow rate and then, after adjusting the position of the choke valve, adjusting the position of the one or more of the first turbine bypass valve, the second turbine bypass valve, and the third turbine bypass valve to achieve the desired pressure.

8. The turbocharger system of claim 1 , wherein a first intercooler is positioned in a first gas flow path between an outlet of the low pressure compressor and an inlet of the mid-pressure compressor, and a second intercooler is positioned in a second gas flow path between an outlet of the mid-pressure compressor and an inlet of the high pressure compressor.

9. A method for a turbocharger system for use with a mining process gas capture system, the method comprising:
adjusting, via electronic signals received from a controller, one or more turbine bypass valves and a choke valve of the turbocharger system based on electronic feedback signals received by the controller from pressure and mass flow sensors and further based on each of a desired mass flow rate and a desired pressure of a process gas output by the turbocharger system to the mining process gas capture system, the turbocharger system including a low pressure turbocharger including a low pressure turbine configured to drive a low pressure compressor, a mid-pressure turbocharger including a mid-pressure turbine configured to drive a mid-pressure compressor, the mid-pressure compressor fluidly coupled downstream of the low pressure compressor, and a high pressure turbocharger including a high pressure turbine configured to drive a high pressure compressor, the high pressure compressor fluidly coupled downstream of the mid-pressure compressor, the one or more turbine bypass valves coupled across one or more of the low pressure turbine, the mid-pressure turbine, and the high pressure turbine, and the choke valve positioned downstream of an outlet of the high pressure compressor and upstream of a first inlet of a heat exchanger that is positioned to receive hot inlet gases from a gas generating system via a second inlet and discharge cooler inlet gases to the low pressure compressor, where the desired mass flow rate is a desired mass flow rate of gas entering and flowing through the low pressure compressor.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein adjusting the one or more turbine bypass valves and the choke valve includes simultaneously adjusting a position of each of the one or more turbine bypass valves and the choke valve to obtain the desired mass flow rate and the desired pressure.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the simultaneously adjusting includes adjusting the position of each of the one or more turbine bypass valves and the choke valve to positions between and including each of a fully open and fully closed position according to a look-up table, where the positions are outputs and where inputs are boundary conditions of the gas generating system providing gases to the heat exchanger, the boundary conditions including one or more of an ambient temperature, a temperature of the hot inlet gases from the gas generating system, a pressure of the hot inlet gases from the gas generating system, and a flow rate of the hot inlet gases from the gas

Assignees

• Transp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Homison Christopher Joseph
• Loringer Daniel Edward

Classifications

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F02G5/02

  Profiting from waste heat of exhaust gases · CPC title

• F02C6/12

  Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure · CPC title

• F02B37/18 Primary

  by bypassing exhaust {from the inlet to the outlet of turbine or to the atmosphere} · CPC title

• F02C1/08

  Semi-closed cycles · CPC title