Environmentally friendly, reliable, scalable, and efficient micro-turbine electric generator system

• Main Authors: Schauer, David L, Grasty, Jr., James Stuart, Bean, Christopher, Alderks, Blaine E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.03.2022
• Subjects: BLASTING; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; ELECTRICITY; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; GENERATION; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MINING; NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAMTURBINES; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; STEAM ENGINES; WEAPONS

A power generation system includes one or more micro-turbine electric generators ("MTEGs"). The MTEGs include a housing having an inlet for receiving pressurized gas and an outlet for releasing expanded gas. The MTEGs also include a rotor, a user-replaceable nozzle for directing pressurized gas over blades of the rotor, and a stator for generating alternating current ("AC") responsive to rotation of the rotor. The power generation system also includes a programmable logic controller ("PLC") coupled to the MTEGs that operates flow control valves ("FCVs") coupled to the MTEGs to modulate the flow of gas to the MTEGs to generate output power suitable to support an electrical load. The system also includes power conversion circuitry configured to convert AC generated by the MTEGs to direct current ("DC") and to provide the DC to an electrical load. The system also includes a skid for mounting multiple and MTEGs and FCVs.