Power tower for heat capture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11309571-B2
Application number	US-202016824833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2020
Priority date	Mar 21, 2019
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

A power generating system includes power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels, exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules, and an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power generating system comprising:
power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels;
exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules;
an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums; and
thermoelectric devices that are each thermally integrated with one of the exhaust plenums or the exhaust conduit,
wherein the thermoelectric devices are arranged into series-wired circuits electrically connected to DC/DC converters, and the DC/DC converters are electrically connected to a same DC bus as the power modules.

2. A power generating system comprising:
power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels;
exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules; and
an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums,
wherein each level of power modules is disposed on a different floor of a building.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the exhaust conduit and each level of power modules is disposed on a different floor of a building.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the power modules comprise fuel cell power modules.

5. A power generating tower comprising a plurality of power generating systems that are stacked vertically above one another, wherein:
each of the power generating systems comprises:
power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels;
exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules; and
an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums; and

the exhaust conduit is located above a first level of power modules in a first power generating system and below a second level of power modules in a second power generating system.

6. The tower of claim 5 , further comprising a vertically extending chimney that is fluidly connected to the exhaust conduits of the power generating systems.

7. The tower of claim 6 , further comprising turbulators disposed in the chimney.

8. The tower of claim 5 , further comprising air inlet plenums configured to provide air to each level of power modules, wherein:
the air inlet plenums comprise inlets disposed on a first side of the tower; and
the exhaust conduits comprise outlets disposed on an opposing second side of the tower.

9. The tower of claim 5 , further comprising a top power generating system stacked on top of the stacked power generating systems, the top power generating system comprising:
power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels; and
exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules, are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules, and are not fluidly connected to the chimney.

10. The tower of claim 9 , further comprising a recirculation barrier disposed on top of the top power generating system and configured to block exhaust output from the exhaust plenums of the top power generating system from entering air inlet plenums configured to provide air to the power modules of the top power generating system.

11. The tower of claim 5 , further comprising fans configured to control exhaust flow through the exhaust conduits.

12. The tower of claim 5 , further comprising an information technology load which is configured to receive power from the power modules.

13. A power generating system comprising:
power modules;
a common exhaust plenum configured to receive exhaust from the power modules; and
thermoelectric devices that are thermally integrated with the common exhaust plenum,
wherein:
the power modules comprise fuel cell power modules; and
the thermoelectric devices are arranged into series-wired circuits electrically connected to DC/DC converters, and the DC/DC converters are electrically connected to a same DC bus as the power modules.

14. A power generating system comprising:
power modules;
a common exhaust plenum configured to receive exhaust from the power modules; and
thermoelectric devices that are thermally integrated with the common exhaust plenum,
wherein the thermoelectric devices are mounted on the exhaust plenum, such that first sides of the thermoelectric devices are exposed to exhaust in the common exhaust plenums and opposing second sides of the thermoelectric devices are exposed to air exhausted from cabinets of the power modules, and wherein the air is cooler than the exhaust.

Assignees

• Bloom Energy Corp

Inventors

• Ballantine Arne
• Mahler Jessica
• Cottuli Carl
• Baynes Daniel
• Perry Martin

Classifications

• H01M50/271

  Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings · CPC title

• H01M50/367

  Internal gas exhaust passages forming part of the battery cover or case; Double cover vent systems · CPC title

• Y02B90/10

  Applications of fuel cells in buildings · CPC title

• H01M8/2475

  Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/04014

  Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants · CPC title