Dual fuel generator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9988990-B2
Application number	US-201514679570-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2015
Priority date	Apr 6, 2015
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

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 at a first pressure;
a second fuel different from the first fuel at a second pressure different from the first pressure;
a fuel selector valve arranged to receive the first fuel at the first pressure and the second fuel at the second pressure and to deliver one of the first fuel and the second fuel to the prime mover; and
a controller operable to automatically configure the fuel selector valve to deliver one of the first fuel or the second fuel to the prime mover based on the first pressure and the second pressure.

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.

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 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 is less than the second pressure.

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 and the second fuel regardless of the pressure of the first fuel.

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 at a first pressure;
a second fuel different from the first fuel and at a second pressure different from the first pressure;
a fuel selector valve arranged to receive the first fuel and the second fuel and to deliver one of the first fuel or the second fuel to the prime mover;
a controller operable to move the fuel selector valve to deliver the second fuel to the prime mover in response to the first pressure being outside an acceptable pressure range;
a manual fuel selector operable to override the controller and force delivery of a selected one of the first fuel and the second fuel regardless of the pressure of the first fuel; 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 acceptable pressure range does not include the second pressure.

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 delivered to the movable electrical generation system at a first pressure;
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 at a second pressure different than the first pressure;
a second, non-natural gas fuel delivered to the prime mover at a third pressure;
a fuel selector valve arranged to receive the first fuel supply at the second pressure and the second fuel supply at the third pressure and to deliver one of the first fuel and the second fuel to the engine; and
a controller operable to automatically adjust the fuel selector valve to deliver the second fuel to the prime mover in response to the second pressure being outside an acceptable 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.

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 to produce the flow of combustible natural gas.

21. The movable electrical generation system of claim 16 , wherein the second pressure is less than the third pressure.

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

• F02D29/06

  peculiar to engines driving electric generators · CPC title

• F02M21/0215

  Mixtures of gaseous fuels; Natural gas; Biogas; Mine gas; Landfill gas · CPC title

• F02D19/0615 Primary

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

• Y02T10/32

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02D19/0668

  Treating or cleaning means; Fuel filters · CPC title