Co-Generation System and Associated Method

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for operating a combined heat and power (CHP) plant comprising a heating boiler, a vaporizer, an expansion machine, and a condenser, achieved according to claim 1. The method comprises steps a), when a first condition is met: supplying a working medium to the vaporizer to obtain an at least partially evaporated working medium, feeding the (total) evaporated working medium to the expansion machine, and operating the expansion machine such that the working medium is expanded, supplying the working medium expanded by the expansion machine to the condenser, and transferring heat of the expanded working medium supplied to the condenser to a medium of a heating circuit designed to heat an object; and b) when a second condition is met which is different from the first condition: i) supplying at least a portion of the working medium to the condenser of the CHP plant without the portion of the working medium having been supplied to the expansion machine, and transferring heat of the working medium supplied to the condenser to a medium of a heating circuit designed to heat an object, and/or supplying a medium supplied from the heating boiler to the vaporizer to a heat transfer device in which heat is transferred from this medium to a medium of a heating circuit designed to heat an object.

Claims

1. Method for operating a combined heat and power plant, CHP, comprising a heating boiler, a vaporizer, an expansion machine, and a condenser, comprising the steps of a) when a first condition is met: supplying a working medium to the vaporizer to obtain an at least partially evaporated working medium, feeding the (total) evaporated working medium to the expansion machine, and operating the expansion machine such that the working medium is expanded, supplying the working medium expanded by the expansion machine to the condenser, and transferring heat of the working medium supplied to the condenser to a medium of a heating circuit designed to heat an object; and b) when a second condition is met which is different from the first condition: (i) supplying at least a portion of a working medium to the condenser of the CHP plant without the portion of the working medium having been supplied to the expansion machine, and transferring heat of the working medium supplied to the condenser to a medium of a heating circuit designed to heat an object, and/or ii) supplying a medium supplied from the heating boiler to the vaporizer to a heat transfer device in which heat is transferred from this medium to a medium of a heating circuit designed to heat an object.

2. Method according to claim 1, furthermore comprising c) when a third condition is met which is different from the first and the second conditions: supplying a working medium to the expansion machine and operating the expansion machine such that the working medium is compressed, supplying the working medium compressed by the expansion machine to the condenser, and transferring heat of the compressed working medium supplied to the condenser to a medium of a heating circuit which is designed to heat an object.

3. Method according to claim 1, in which the CHP plant is an Organic Rankine Cycle plant, and the working medium is an organic working medium.

4. Method according to claim 1, in which the medium heated in the condenser and/or in the heat transfer device is a medium of a low-temperature circuit, in particular having a maximum temperature of below 50° C.

5. Method according to claim 1, in which a medium is supplied from a heating boiler to the vaporizer to at least partially evaporate the working medium, and the medium is subsequently guided through a preheater through which the working medium is guided before being supplied to the vaporizer, so that the medium is cooled in the preheater and the working medium is heated in the preheater.

6. Method according to claim 1, in which a medium is supplied from a heating boiler to the vaporizer to at least partially evaporate the working medium, and the medium is subsequently guided through an economizer in which heat of a fuel used for heating the heating boiler is transferred to the medium.

7. Method according to claim 1, in which in step a), heat is also transferred to the medium of the heating circuit by a reheating device through which a medium flows which was previously guided from a heating boiler through the vaporizer to at least partially evaporate the working medium.

8. Method according to claim 1, in which in step c), the working medium is not guided through the vaporizer.

9. Method according to claim 1, in which the first condition comprises exceeding a first outside temperature threshold of the object to be heated, and/or the second condition comprises failing below a second outside temperature threshold of the object to be heated, wherein in particular the second outside temperature threshold may be identical to the first outside temperature threshold, and/or the third condition comprises falling below a third outside temperature threshold of the object to be heated, wherein the third outside temperature threshold is lower than the second outside temperature threshold.

10. Combined heat and power, CHP, plant, comprising a vaporizer designed to evaporate a working medium; an expansion machine designed to expand or compress the evaporated working medium; a condenser designed to condense the expanded or compressed working medium; a first bypass line with a first valve designed to supply, via the first valve, at least a portion of the evaporated working medium supplied by the vaporizer past the expansion machine to the condenser.

11. CHP plant according to claim 10, furthermore comprising a second bypass line which is designed to guide the working medium past the vaporizer to the expansion machine.

12. CHP plant according to claim 10, comprising an Organic Rankine Cycle for the organic working medium.

13. CHP plant according to claim 10, furthermore comprising a number of valves and a control device, designed to a) when a first condition is met, control the number of valves such that the working medium is supplied to the vaporizer to obtain an at least partially evaporated working medium, supply the total evaporated working medium to the expansion machine such that the working medium is expanded, and supply the evaporated working medium expanded through the expansion machine to the condenser, so that heat of the expanded working medium supplied to the condenser is transferred to a medium of a heating circuit which is designed to heat an object; and b) when a second condition is met which is different from the first condition, control the number of valves such that at least a portion of a working medium is supplied to the condenser of the CHP plant without the portion of the working medium having been supplied to the expansion machine, and heat of the working medium supplied to the condenser is transferred to a medium of a heating circuit which is designed to heat an object, and/or ii) a medium supplied from the heating boiler to the vaporizer is supplied to a heat transfer device, so that heat is transferred from this medium to a medium of a heating circuit (heating medium) which is designed to heat an object.

14. CHP plant according to claim 13, wherein the control device, when a third condition is met which is different from the first and from the second conditions, is furthermore designed to control the number of valves such that a working medium is supplied to the expansion machine, operate the expansion machine such that the working medium is compressed, and supply the working medium compressed by the expansion machine to the condenser, so that heat of the compressed working medium supplied to the condenser is transferred to a medium of a heating circuit which is designed to heat an object.

15. CHP plant according to claim 10, in which the expansion machine is designed to operate in a first sense of rotation for the expansion of the working medium, and in a se d sense of rotation for the compression of the working medium.

Description

[0034] Further features and exemplary embodiments as well as advantages of the present invention will be illustrated more in detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings. It will be understood that the embodiments do not exhaust the field of the present invention. It will be furthermore understood that some or all features described below may also be combined with each other in a different way.

[0035] FIG. 1 represents an example of a CHP plant according to the invention in which a bypass line is provided to supply at least a portion of a working medium steam supplied by a vaporizer past an expansion machine directly to a condenser for transferring heat to a heating medium.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows another example of a CHP plant according to the invention in which an additional bypass line for bypassing the expansion machine is provided. In the shown example, the operation of the plant in the CHP operating mode is illustrated.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows another example of a CHP plant according to the invention in which a bypass line for bypassing the expansion machine is provided. In the shown example, the operation of the plant in the CHP operating mode is illustrated.

[0038] FIG. 4 shows another example of a CHP plant according to the invention in which a bypass line for bypassing the expansion machine is provided. In the shown example, the operation of the plant in the heat pump mode is illustrated.

[0039] FIG. 5 shows another example of a CHP plant according to the invention in which a circuit for a medium which is guided from a heating boiler to a vaporizer to there transfer heat to a working medium is subdivided into two sub-circuits by valves.

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates the thermal output of a CHP plant according to the invention in response to the different operating modes.

[0041] FIG. 7 shows a continuous annual line for a CHP plant according to the invention.

[0042] An example of a CHP plant according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1. In the shown example, a heating boiler 1 with an ORC for producing power and heat for heating purposes is shown. In the heating boiler 1, water is heated. The energy for heating the water is obtained, for example, by burning fuel, for example coal, natural gas, heating oil, wood, pellets, or it is obtained geothermally or solar thermally. The water is heated in the heating boiler 1 to a temperature of, for example, approx. 140° C. The heated water is supplied to a vaporizer 2. In the vaporizer, an organic working medium of the ORC is evaporated. As a working medium, any “dry media”, such as R245fa, “wet media”, such as ethanol, or “isentropic media”, such as R134a, as they are used, in conventional ORC plants, may be used. Synthetic silicone-based working media, such as GL160, may also be employed.

[0043] In the vaporizer 2, heat is supplied to an organic working medium of the ORC 3. For example, the organic working medium is completely evaporated in the vaporizer 2. The working medium steam is supplied to an expansion machine 4 via a pressure line. In the expansion machine 4, the working medium steam is expanded, and the expansion machine 4 drives a generator 5 for obtaining electric energy. The expanded working medium steam is condensed in a condenser 6, and the liquefied working medium is returned to the vaporizer 2 via a feed pump 7. A preheater 12 may also be provided (see below). In this case, heat is supplied to the organic working medium in the preheater 12, and the liquefied working medium is returned via the feed pump 7 first to the preheater 12 and then to the vaporizer 2.

[0044] Apart from power generation, heat is obtained for heating purposes. This is accomplished by dissipating condensation heat arising at the condenser 6 to a heating circuit, for example a low-temperature heating circuit. In this low-temperature heating circuit, water is heated at the condenser 6 and supplied to a heating plant 8, from where it is returned again to the condenser 6 after having cooled down due to the heating of a building. For example, the water is supplied to the condenser 6 at a temperature of approx. 30° C. and heated by the condenser 6 to a temperature of approx. 45° C. If this temperature and the transferred power are sufficient for heating, the water may be supplied through valve a directly to the heating circuit.

[0045] The exemplary CHP plant shown in FIG. 1 has, according to the invention, a bypass valve 9 which controls a bypass line for bypassing the expansion machine 4. If the thermal output demand for heating a building at low outside temperatures is increased compared to the normal operation of the CHP plant, via the condenser 6, heat may be additionally transferred to the low-temperature heating circuit by at least partially opening the bypass valve 9, so that at least a portion of the working medium steam is supplied directly to the condenser 6 for condensation, i.e. without expansion at the expansion machine 4. As in general approx. 10% of the heat produced in the heating boiler 1 may be used for power production, the thermal output of the CHP plant may in principle be increased by completely opening the bypass valve 9 by approx. 10% compared to normal operation.

[0046] In the example shown in FIG. 1, for increasing the overall efficiency of the CHP plant, further elements are provided. For example, a reheater 10 through which medium may flow completely or partially via valve a takes care of a utilization of the heat of the water flowing from the vaporizer 2 of the intermediate hot water circuit within which the heat required for evaporating the working medium of the ORC is provided, for heating a building via the low-temperature circuit. The water of the intermediate hot water circuit that is further cooled down by the reheater 10 is supplied via a pump 11 to a preheater 12 via which the organic working medium delivered by the feed pump 7 is supplied to the vaporizer 2. Thus, in an economizer 13, additional heat may be absorbed by the flue gas which finally escapes from a chimney after having cooled down in the economizer 13.

[0047] As an alternative, the CRC may be switched off and heat may be transferred via the reheater 10 from the intermediate hot water circuit to the heating medium of the heating circuit.

[0048] Another example of a CHP plant according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The CHP plant shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 comprises all features of the CHP plant shown in FIG. 1. in addition, three valves 14, 15 and 16 are provided, and a further valve 17 controls the bypass around the vaporizer 2. The valve 17 furthermore permits the reversal of the direction of flow through the expansion machine and thereby the operation as a compression machine. For the valves, for example solenoid valves may be used, valve 16 may represent a throttle valve.

[0049] In FIG. 2, the valves are controlled according to a certain CHP mode. The valves which are filled with black color are closed valves (see valves 9 and 17), while the valves with the triangular areas that are not filled in the switching symbols represent opened valves (see valves 14, 15 and 16). Both bypass lines are closed by the valves 9 and 17.

[0050] Sufficient heat is generated at the condenser 6 and dissipated to the heating circuit for heating the building.

[0051] If a situation arises in which an increased heating power is required, the CHP plant is, as is shown in FIG. 3, operated in a pure heating operation. The bypass valve 9 will be opened, so that the working medium steam is supplied without expansion through the expansion machine 4 past the latter to the condenser 6 for condensation, it is alternatively also possible to exchange the heat of the medium heated in the heating boiler 1 essentially via the reheater 10 by shutting down the ORC by switching off the feed pump 7. If no throttle valve is used for the valve 16, the valve 16 may in particular be opened to switch off the ORC by passing by the feed pump 7. In these cases, the position of the valve a is such that medium flows completely or partially through the reheater 10. It will be understood that by various combinations of partially or completely opened or closed valves, different degrees of utilization in view of the heating power may be realized.

[0052] FIG. 4 shows the operation of the CHP plant in the operating mode of a heat pump. This operation permits a further increase in heating power. For this, it is necessary that the sense of rotation of the expansion machine 4 may be reversed compared to the CHP mode. This is permitted, for example, by the expansion machine 4 being operated via a frequency converter (for example a four-quadrant frequency converter). In the heat pump mode, the organic working medium is thus compressed instead of being expanded. In this mode, the bypass lines are opened by the valves 9 and 17, and the direct connection from the vaporizer 2 to the expansion machine 4 and the direct connection from the expansion machine 4 to the condenser 6 are closed via the valves 14 and 15. The preheater 12 of the CHP operation now functions as vaporizer. The steam formed there is compressed by the expansion machine 4 which now functions as compression machine. In the economizer 13, a very efficient cooling of the flue gas takes place, so that the water vapor in the flue gas is almost completely condensed and thus an increased utilization of useful heat is permitted.

[0053] According to a variant, the line of the working medium through the vaporizer 2 is bypassed in the heat pump mode. This may be realized, for example, by providing a further bypass line controlled by a corresponding valve which bypasses the vaporizer 2 and supplies the working medium directly to the expansion machine 4 which has a compressing effect in this mode.

[0054] According to a further variant shown in FIG. 5, the intermediate hot water circuit is, in the heat pump mode, subdivided into a circuit A which is directly connected to the heating boiler 1 and a circuit B of a lower temperature which is directly connected with the economizer 13 via corresponding valves 18, 19 and 20. Thus, no mixing of the hot and cooled-down water flows takes place, whereby temperature is lower in circuit B of a lower temperature than would be the case without a separation of circuits A and B. Moreover, a pump 21 may be provided for delivering the medium coming from the preheater 12 to the economizer 13.

[0055] The efficiency of the inventive CHP plant according to the above examples is illustrated in FIG. 6. As is shown, the thermal output is, based on the calorific value of the employed fuel, increased by approx. 10% in the heating operation mode compared to the thermal output in the CHP mode. In the operating mode of the heat pump, an increase in the thermal output or heating power of approx. 30% results.

[0056] FIG. 7 shows the annual continuous line for an example of a CHP plant according to the invention. For a small number of days in the year (very cold winter days), the CHP plant is driven in the heat pump or heating operation mode. During the major part of the year, the CHP plant is driven in the CHP mode. On days where the minimum power is not reached, an intermittent CHP operating mode is employed.

[0057] As was described, the construction of a CHP plant according to the invention, which permits the operation both in the heating operation mode and in the heat pump mode, may guarantee the reliable heating of buildings over the year without any need for a peak load boiler.