Machine system for co-production of electrical power and water and method of operating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11118490-B2
Application number	US-202016752555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2020
Priority date	Jan 24, 2020
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

Operating a machine system for co-production of electrical power and filtered potable water includes operating an electrical generator by way of rotation of an engine output shaft to produce electrical power, and collecting water condensed from cooled treated exhaust from the engine for delivery to an outgoing water conduit. Operating the machine system further includes supplying electrical power produced by the electrical generator to an in situ electrical load, and to at least one ex situ electrical load such as a power grid. The in situ electrical load is produced by at least one of an exhaust conveyance device, an air conveyance device, or a water conveyance device in a water subsystem.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of operating a machine system for co-production of electrical power and water comprising:
combusting fuel and air in an engine to rotate an engine output shaft;
feeding exhaust from the engine through an exhaust aftertreatment subsystem;
feeding treated exhaust from the exhaust aftertreatment subsystem through a water subsystem;
cooling the treated exhaust in the water subsystem;
collecting water condensed from the cooled treated exhaust for delivery to an outgoing water conduit;
operating an electrical generator by way of the rotation of the engine output shaft to produce electrical power;
supplying electrical power produced by the operation of the electrical generator to an in situ electrical load in the water subsystem;
supplying a net of electrical power produced by the operation of the electrical generator to at least one ex situ electrical load; and
wherein the cooling of the treated exhaust includes cooling the treated exhaust in a heat exchanger and in a condenser, and further comprising boosting a flow of the treated exhaust to the condenser.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the supplying of electrical power to an in situ electrical load includes supplying electrical power to an electric motor in at least one of an exhaust conveyance device, an air conveyance device, or a water conveyance device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the combusting of fuel and air further includes combusting a liquid fuel and air in a stationary engine-generator set including the engine, the electrical generator, and a common support frame for the engine and the electrical generator.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the supplying of electrical power to an electric motor further includes supplying electrical power to an exhaust boost blower.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the supplying of electrical power to an electric motor further includes supplying electrical power to a collected water boost pump, and further comprising filtering the water collected from the cooled treated exhaust.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the supplying of a net of electrical power to at least one ex situ electrical load further includes supplying the net of electrical power to an electric utility grid.

7. A method for co-production of electrical power and water in a machine system comprising:
coupling a water subsystem to an exhaust aftertreatment subsystem for an engine in a machine system;
coupling an electrical generator in the machine system to an in situ electrical load in the water subsystem, and to at least one ex situ electrical load;
operating the electrical generator with the engine;
treating exhaust from the engine in the exhaust aftertreatment subsystem;
boosting a flow of the treated exhaust to the water subsystem;
cooling the treated exhaust in the water subsystem to condense water from the treated exhaust;
supplying water condensed from the treated exhaust to an outgoing water conduit; and
supplying electrical power produced by the operation of the electrical generator to the in situ electrical load, and to at least one ex situ electrical load.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the coupling of a water subsystem to an exhaust aftertreatment subsystem further includes coupling a water subsystem package to an engine-generator set package at an electrical power and water production location.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the supplying of electrical power to the in situ electrical load includes supplying electrical power to electric motors of each of an exhaust conveyance device, an air conveyance device, and a water conveyance device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:
the supplying of water condensed from the exhaust to an outgoing water conduit includes supplying water to an outgoing water conduit connected to a water distribution network; and
the supplying of electrical power to at least one ex situ electrical load includes supplying a net of electrical power produced by the electrical generator to an electric utility grid.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the cooling of the treated exhaust further includes cooling the treated exhaust in a heat exchanger and in a condenser.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the supplying of electrical power to the in situ electrical load includes supplying electrical power to an electric motor of an air fan of the heat exchanger.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising boosting a flow of the treated exhaust to the condenser, and wherein the supplying of the electrical power to the in situ electrical load includes supplying electrical power to an electric motor of an exhaust boost blower.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising boosting at least one of a pressure or a flow of water to the outgoing water conduit, and wherein the supplying of electrical power to the in situ electrical load includes supplying electrical power to an electric motor of a condensed water boost pump.

15. A machine system for co-production of electric power and water comprising:
an internal combustion engine having an engine output shaft; an electrical generator coupled with the engine output shaft; an exhaust aftertreatment subsystem including an exhaust filter and a catalytic exhaust treatment device;
a water subsystem coupled with the exhaust aftertreatment system and including a heat exchanger, a condenser, a condensed water collector, a water filter, and an outgoing water conduit, and at least one of the heat exchanger, the condenser, or the condensed water collector including an electric motor;
electrical cabling including a first node for supplying electrical power from the electrical generator to an in situ electrical load produced by the electric motor, and a second node for supplying a net of electrical power from the electrical generator to at least one ex situ electrical load; and
a machine system package including the engine and the electrical generator, wherein the machine system package further includes the exhaust aftertreatment subsystem, the water subsystem, and a common support frame.

16. The machine system of claim 15
wherein the engine includes a compression-ignition internal combustion liquid-fuel engine.

17. The machine system of claim 15 wherein the water subsystem further includes an exhaust conveyance device, an air conveyance device, at least one water filter structured to filter the water to a potable state, and a water conveyance device.

18. The machine system of claim 17 further comprising:
an exhaust conduit extending between the engine and an exhaust stack, and wherein each of the exhaust aftertreatment subsystem and the water subsystem forms a segment of the exhaust conduit;
the exhaust conveyance device includes an exhaust boost blower and the electric motor includes a blower electric motor of the exhaust boost blower;
the air conveyance device includes an air fan of the heat exchanger, having a fan electric motor;
the water conveyance device includes a condensed water boost pump, having a pump electric motor; and
the electrical cabling further includes a third node and a fourth node for supplying, respectively, electrical power to the fan electric motor and the pump electric motor.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Coldren Dana Ray

Classifications

• B01D2258/01

  Engine exhaust gases · CPC title

• B01D53/265

  by refrigeration (condensation) · CPC title

• Y02W10/30

  Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies · CPC title

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F01N2240/22

  a condensation chamber · CPC title