System and method for managing a volatile organic compound emission stream

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9784192-B2
Application number	US-201615352674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2016
Priority date	Apr 1, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) mitigation system employs a combination of technologies coupling VOC laden exhaust with a reciprocating engine and generator system (Combined Heat & Power (CHP) System) with heat recovery to destroy the VOC emissions and generate electric power and useful thermal energy.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for mitigating volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions generated as a by-product of a production process while producing energy therefrom, the system comprising:
an exhaust system for expelling an exhaust stream as part of a production process, wherein the exhaust stream includes VOCs;
a first VOC concentration detector located in a path of the expelled exhaust stream for determining a concentration of a VOC laden expelled exhaust stream and generating a first VOC concentration signal indicative thereof and performing at least one additional action in accordance with the VOC signal;
a VOC concentrator, located in a path of the VOC laden expelled exhaust stream and prior to the combustion engine, for producing a concentrated VOC expelled exhaust stream;
a combustion engine for receiving the concentrated VOC expelled exhaust stream and reducing the VOCs therein through combustion thereof;
a fuel source for providing fuel to the combustion engine to be combined therein with the concentrated VOC expelled exhaust stream for combustion; and
at least one generator coupled to the combustion engine for receiving a combusted product from the combustion engine and producing electric power therefrom.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional action is to pass the VOC laden expelled exhaust stream to the VOC concentrator when a determined concentration thereof is below a threshold level.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional action is to pass the VOC laden expelled exhaust stream directly to the combustion engine, by-passing the VOC concentrator, when a determined concentration thereof is above a threshold level.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional action is to pass the VOC laden expelled exhaust stream, along with a determined VOC concentration signal.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the VOC concentrator is switchable between a pass-thru state and a concentration state responsive to a value of the received VOC concentration signal and further wherein
(i) the VOC concentrator passes the concentrated VOC expelled exhaust stream through to the combustion engine without further concentration when the concentration of the received VOC concentration signal indicates a VOC concentration above a threshold level,
(ii) the VOC concentrator further concentrates the concentrated VOC expelled exhaust stream prior to passing the expelled exhaust stream through to the combustion engine when the concentration of the received VOC concentration signal indicates a VOC concentration below a threshold level.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second VOC concentration detector for receiving the concentrated VOC expelled exhaust stream and generating a second VOC concentration signal indicative thereof and passing the concentrated VOC expelled exhaust stream to the combustion engine;
a fuel source for receiving the second VOC concentration signal from the second VOC concentration detector and adjusting one of an amount, type and flow rate of fuel provided to the combustion chamber in accordance with a concentration of the concentrated VOC expelled exhaust stream.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the VOC concentration detector is selected from the group consisting of a Flame Ionization Detectors (FIDs) and a Photo Ionization Detectors (PIDs).

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel source is a natural gas fuel source.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the combustion engine provides waste heat produced therein for re-use as part of a combined heat and power (CHP) system.

10. A combined heat and power (CHP) system for mitigating volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions generated as a by-product of a production process while producing energy therefrom, the system comprising:
an exhaust system for expelling an exhaust stream as part of a production process, wherein the exhaust stream includes VOCs;
a VOC concentration detector located in a path of the expelled VOC laden exhaust stream and prior to a combustion engine, wherein the combustion engine receives the VOC laden expelled exhaust stream after it passes through the VOC concentration detector and reduces the VOCs therein through combustion thereof and outputs mechanical energy and heat energy;
a fuel source for providing fuel to the combustion engine to be combined therein with the VOC laden expelled exhaust stream for combustion into the mechanical energy and the heat energy, the fuel source being in communication with the VOC concentration detector;
at least one generator coupled to the combustion engine for receiving the mechanical energy from the combustion engine and producing electric power therefrom; and
wherein the VOC concentration detector provides a VOC concentration signal to the fuel source and the fuel source is capable of controlling one or more attributes of the fuel provided to the combustion engine responsive to the received VOC concentration signal.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a processor in communication with one or more of the fuel source, the VOC concentration detector, the combustion engine and the at least one generator, wherein the processor calculates an adjustment to an amount of fuel to be provided to the combustion engine responsive to at least one of VOC concentration, mechanical energy output, heat energy output and electric power output and provides a fuel amount adjustment signal to the fuel source.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a processor in communication with one or more of the fuel source, the VOC concentration detector, the combustion engine and the at least one generator, wherein the processor calculates an adjustment to a type of fuel provided to the combustion engine responsive to at least one of VOC concentration, mechanical energy output, heat energy output and electric power output and provides a fuel type signal to the fuel source.

13. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a processor in communication with one or more of the fuel source, the VOC concentration detector, the combustion engine and the at least one generator, wherein the processor calculates an adjustment to a flow rate of fuel provided to the combustion engine responsive to at least one of VOC concentration, mechanical energy output, heat energy output and electric power output, and provides a flow rate signal to the fuel source.

14. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a thermal load receiver coupled to the combustion engine for receiving the heat energy therefrom and utilizing as part of the production process.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the type of fuel provided to the combustion engine is selected from the group consisting of a natural gas, propane, and a land fill gas.

16. A process for mitigating volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions generated as a by-product of a production process while producing energy therefrom, the process comprising:
receiving at a combustion engine, an exhaust stream generated during a production process, wherein the exhaust stream includes VOCs, and further receiving at the combustion engine, fuel from a fuel source;
determining by a VOC concentration detector located in a path of the exhaust stream a concentration of VOC therein and generating a VOC concentration signal indicative thereof;
receiving at the fuel source the VOC concentration signal from the VOC concentration detector and adjusting one of an amount, type and flow rate of fuel provided to the combustion chamber in accordance with a concentration of the VOC exhaust stream;
combusting,

Assignees

• Leidos Inc

Inventors

• Steen William Ronald
• Coon Scott Francis

Classifications

• F02D41/0027

  the fuel being gaseous (non-electrical control F02D19/02) · CPC title

• B01D53/72

  Organic compounds not provided for in groups B01D53/48 - B01D53/70, e.g. hydrocarbons · CPC title

• H02K7/1807

  Rotary generators (H02K7/006 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02M25/00

  Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture (adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00) · CPC title

• H02K7/1815

  structurally associated with reciprocating piston engines (general aspects of generating sets, e.g. housing, F02B63/04) · CPC title