U.S. patent application number 12/702251 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-11 for compressed gaseous oxidizer energy storage system.
Invention is credited to Alfred Little.
Application Number | 20110195368 12/702251 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44354001 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110195368 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Little; Alfred |
August 11, 2011 |
COMPRESSED GASEOUS OXIDIZER ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM
Abstract
A compressed gaseous oxidizer energy storage (COES) system
includes a catalyst system in communication with a compressed
gaseous oxidizer storage system and a compressed gas fuel storage
system.
Inventors: |
Little; Alfred; (Canoga
Park, CA) |
Family ID: |
44354001 |
Appl. No.: |
12/702251 |
Filed: |
February 8, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
431/268 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02C 6/16 20130101; Y02E
70/30 20130101; F03D 9/17 20160501; Y02E 10/72 20130101; Y02E 60/16
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
431/268 |
International
Class: |
F23Q 11/00 20060101
F23Q011/00 |
Claims
1. A compressed gaseous oxidizer energy storage (COES) system
comprising: a compressed gaseous oxidizer storage system; a
compressed gas fuel storage system; and a catalyst system in
communication with said compressed gaseous oxidizer storage system
and said compressed gas fuel storage system.
2. The COES system as recited in claim 1, wherein said compressed
gaseous oxidizer storage system is in communication with said
compressed gas fuel storage system upstream of said catalyst
system.
3. The COES system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a
metering valve associated with each of said compressed gaseous
oxidizer storage system and said compressed gas fuel storage
system.
4. The COES system as recited in claim 1, wherein a compressed
gaseous oxidizer from said compressed gaseous oxidizer storage
system and a compressed gas fuel from said compressed gas fuel
storage system is communicated to said catalyst system below a
predetermined combustible limit.
5. The COES system as recited in claim 1, wherein said catalyst
system causes a catalytic reaction to generate a hot compressed
gaseous oxidizer.
6. The COES system as recited in claim 1, wherein said compressed
gaseous oxidizer storage system is a tank.
7. A method generating a hot compressed gaseous oxidizer
comprising: mixing a compressed gaseous oxidizer from a compressed
gaseous oxidizer storage system with a compressed gas fuel from a
compressed gas fuel storage system; and communicating the mixture
to a catalyst system below a predetermined combustible limit.
8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising not
generating a combustion reaction.
9. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising increasing
an available energy of the compressed gaseous oxidizer by a factor
of at least two (2) without a combustion step.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present disclosure relates to compressed gaseous
oxidizer energy storage.
[0002] A Compressed Oxidizer Energy Storage (COES) system refers to
the compression of a gaseous oxidizer for later use as an energy
source. At a utility scale, compressed gaseous oxidizer from a wind
generation or other system may be stored during periods of low
energy demand then used to accommodate periods of higher demand.
The COES may also be scaled for use in other systems.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] Various features will become apparent to those skilled in
the art from the following detailed description of the disclosed
non-limiting embodiment. The drawing that accompanies the detailed
description can be briefly described as follows:
[0004] FIG. 1 is a general schematic view of a Compressed Gaseous
Oxidizer Energy Storage (COES) system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0005] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a compressed gaseous
oxidizer energy storage (COES) system 20. The system 20 generally
includes a compressed gaseous oxidizer storage system 22 with an
associated metering valve 24, a compressed gas fuel storage system
26 with an associated metering valve 28 and a catalyst system
30.
[0006] It should be understood that the system 20 may be of various
scales from, for example, a power utility scale in which the
compressed gaseous oxidizer storage system 22 (e.g., compressed
air) may be an underground cavern to a relatively small scale such
as a tank which may be contained within a Un-interruptible Power
Supply (UPS) or other portable device or vehicle. The compressed
gas fuel storage system 26 may be of a capacity associated with the
compressed gaseous oxidizer storage system 22. The catalyst system
30 may also be of a capacity associated with the compressed gaseous
oxidizer storage system 22 and may be manufactured of, for example,
noble metals similar to a catalytic converter.
[0007] The compressed gaseous oxidizer storage system 22 and the
compressed gas fuel storage system 26 are in communication with the
catalyst system 30 through control devices 24, 26 (e.g., valves and
regulators). The compressed gaseous oxidizer from the compressed
gaseous oxidizer storage system 22 and the compressed gas fuel such
as hydrogen, methane, propane, or other gas fuels from the
compressed gas fuel storage system 26 are mixed through the valves
24, 26 at a desired ratio prior to communication with the catalyst
system 30.
[0008] The mixture is communicated to the catalyst system 30 below
combustible limits to form a catalytic reaction. The catalytic
reaction, rather than a combustion reaction, generates hot gas
which increases the amount of the stored energy beyond the energy
of the separately stored gases. Whereas the compressed gaseous
oxidizer and fuel gas react catalytically in an oxygen rich
environment, no unburned hydrocarbons result. Also, as no
combustion flame or ignition system is required, low to no nitrous
oxide emissions are generated which may result in an essentially
breathable product. The system 20 provides an essentially
infinitely variable range of discharge temperatures from, for
example, ambient to over 1,700 F and may generally increases
available energy by a factor of at least 2 to 4 times compressed
gaseous oxidizer alone.
[0009] The hot gaseous oxidizer from the catalytic reaction may
thereby be communicated for later use in an expansion system 32
such as an expansion engine, Brayton cycle gas turbine or other
power generation device tool, vehicle, or system. In another non-
limiting embodiment, the system 20 may be utilized within an
un-interruptible power supplies (UPS) or other system to replace a
battery. In another non-limiting embodiment, the system 20 may be
utilized in a back pack for a first responder to provide a portable
power supply.
[0010] It should be understood that like reference numerals
identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several
drawings. It should also be understood that although a particular
component arrangement is disclosed in the illustrated embodiment,
other arrangements will benefit herefrom.
[0011] Although particular step sequences are shown, described, and
claimed, it should be understood that steps may be performed in any
order, separated or combined unless otherwise indicated and will
still benefit from the present disclosure.
[0012] The foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined
by the limitations within. Various non-limiting embodiments are
disclosed herein, however, one of ordinary skill in the art would
recognize that various modifications and variations in light of the
above teachings will fall within the scope of the appended claims.
It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the
appended claims, the disclosure may be practiced other than as
specifically described. For that reason the appended claims should
be studied to determine true scope and content.
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