Dual fuel generator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016290247-A1
Application number	US-201514679570-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 6, 2015
Priority date	Apr 6, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A movable electrical generation system includes a generator operable to produce a supply of electrical energy, a prime mover operable to drive the generator, and a first fuel supply selectively deliverable to the movable electrical generation system in a first pressure range. A second fuel, different from the first fuel is selectively deliverable to the prime mover in a second pressure range. A controller is operable to automatically deliver the second fuel to the prime mover in response to the first fuel having a pressure outside of the first pressure range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A movable electrical generation system comprising:
a generator operable to produce a supply of electrical energy; a prime mover operable to drive the generator; a first fuel supply selectively deliverable to the movable electrical generation system in a first pressure range; a second fuel different from the first fuel and selectively deliverable to the prime mover in a second pressure range; and a controller operable to automatically deliver the second fuel to the prime mover in response to the first fuel having a pressure outside of the first pressure range.

2 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 1 , wherein the prime mover includes a plurality of pistons that each reciprocate within one of a plurality of cylinders.

3 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 1 , wherein the first fuel is raw wellhead natural gas.

4 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 3 , further comprising a scrubbing system operable to receive the raw wellhead natural gas and output a flow of combustible natural gas.

5 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 4 , wherein the scrubbing system includes a primary pressure regulator operable to regulate the pressure of the raw wellhead natural gas to a third pressure range.

6 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 5 , wherein the scrubbing system includes a coalescer and a dryer positioned to receive the raw wellhead natural gas from the primary regulator.

7 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 6 , wherein the scrubbing system includes a secondary pressure regulator operable to regulate the pressure of the raw wellhead natural gas leaving the coalescer and a dryer to the first pressure range to produce the flow of combustible natural gas.

8 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 3 , wherein the second fuel is propane.

9 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 1 , wherein the first pressure range and the second pressure range do not overlap one another.

10 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 1 , further comprising a gauge operable to measure a pressure of the fuel being delivered to the engine and non-numerically display which of the first fuel and the second fuel is being delivered to the engine based solely on the measured pressure.

11 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 1 , further comprising a manual fuel selector operable to override the controller and force delivery of a selected one of the first fuel supply and the second fuel supply regardless of the pressure of the first fuel supply.

12 . A movable electrical generation system comprising:
a generator operable to produce a supply of electrical energy; a prime mover operable to drive the generator; a first fuel supply selectively deliverable to the prime mover in a first pressure range; a second fuel different from the first fuel and selectively deliverable to the prime mover in a second pressure range; a controller operable to automatically deliver the second fuel to the prime mover in response to the first fuel having a pressure outside of the first pressure range; a manual fuel selector operable to override the controller and force delivery of a selected one of the first fuel supply and the second fuel supply regardless of the pressure of the first fuel supply; and an indicator operable to measure a delivered fuel pressure and non-numerically indicate which of the first fuel and the second fuel is being delivered to the prime mover.

13 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 12 , wherein the prime mover includes a plurality of pistons that each reciprocate within one of a plurality of cylinders.

14 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 12 , wherein the first fuel is natural gas and the second fuel is propane.

15 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 12 , wherein the first pressure range and the second pressure range do not overlap one another.

16 . A movable electrical generation system comprising:
a generator operable to produce a supply of electrical energy; a prime mover operable to drive the generator; a raw wellhead natural gas fuel supply selectively deliverable to the movable electrical generation system in a first pressure range; a scrubbing system receiving the raw wellhead natural gas fuel supply and conditioning the raw wellhead natural gas fuel supply to deliver a combustible natural gas fuel supply to the prime mover in a second pressure range; a second, non-natural gas fuel selectively deliverable to the prime mover in a third pressure range; and a controller operable to automatically deliver the second fuel to the prime mover in response to the combustible natural gas fuel supply having a pressure outside of the second pressure range.

17 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 16 , wherein the prime mover includes a plurality of pistons that each reciprocate within one of a plurality of cylinders.

18 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 16 , wherein the scrubbing system includes a primary pressure regulator operable to regulate the pressure of the raw wellhead natural gas to a third pressure range.

19 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 18 , wherein the scrubbing system includes a coalescer and a dryer positioned to receive the raw wellhead natural gas from the primary regulator.

20 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 19 wherein the scrubbing system includes a secondary pressure regulator operable to regulate the pressure of the raw wellhead natural gas leaving the coalescer and a dryer to the first pressure range to produce the flow of combustible natural gas.

21 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 16 , wherein the second pressure range and the third pressure range do not overlap one another.

22 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 16 , further comprising a gauge operable to measure a pressure of the fuel being delivered to the engine and non-numerically display which of the first fuel and the second fuel is being delivered to the engine based solely on the measured pressure.

23 . The movable electrical generation system of claim 16 , further comprising a manual fuel selector operable to override the controller and force delivery of a selected one of the first fuel supply and the second fuel supply regardless of the pressure of the first fuel supply.

Assignees

• Clark Equipment Co

Inventors

• Bhatt Chinmay
• Harknett Nicholas
• Herbstritt Dale

Classifications

• F02D19/0668

  Treating or cleaning means; Fuel filters · CPC title

• F02B63/047

  Movable engine-generator combinations on wheels · CPC title

• F02D19/0647

  the gaseous fuel being liquefied petroleum gas [LPG], liquefied natural gas [LNG], compressed natural gas [CNG] or dimethyl ether [DME] · CPC title

• F02D19/0615 Primary

  being initiated by automatic means, e.g. based on engine or vehicle operating conditions · CPC title

• F02B43/00

  Engines characterised by operating on gaseous fuels; Plants including such engines (engines characterised by the gas-air charge being ignited by compression ignition of an additional fuel F02B7/06; engines convertible from gas to other fuel consumption F02B69/04) · CPC title