On-demand cogeneration system

Abstract

To provide an on-demand cogeneration system.SOLUTION: An on-demand cogeneration system 100 of the present invention includes dehumidifying means 107 in a facility or a plant, heating means 110 for heating a space which requires air-conditioning in the facility or the plant, and circulation means P, 109 turning cold / hot water after being supplied to the dehumidifying means 107 or the heating means 110 so as to dehumidify humid air in the facility or the plant into hot water with the usage of waste heat of a generator system 108 and circulating the hot water in the facility or the plant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cogeneration system that is installed at the location of electricity demand on demand. [Background technology]

[0002] In places where there are no commercial power supply facilities nearby, engine-driven generators are used to meet the supply and demand for electricity. Examples of places without power supply facilities include islands, remote islands, mountainous areas, and coastal areas at the tips of peninsulas. In such places, generators with internal combustion engines that use gasoline, diesel, kerosene, etc. are often used to supply electricity.

[0003] Generators generate electricity through the operation of an internal combustion engine, which generates heat by burning fuel. Traditionally, the heat generated by generators has been released into the atmosphere and discarded. However, due to the recent problem of global warming, simply releasing the exhaust heat generated by generators into the atmosphere is not desirable from the standpoint of thermal efficiency.

[0004] Systems for recovering heat generated by generators have been known for some time. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2023-39597 (Patent Document 1) describes a waste heat utilization system that aims to provide a waste heat utilization system that can suppress frequent starting and stopping of combustion in a waste heat input absorption chiller / heater, and that includes a waste heat input absorption chiller / heater that can switch between waste hot water only operation using waste hot water as a heat source and fuel combined operation using waste hot water and fuel as heat sources, a temperature sensor that detects the chilled / hot water outlet temperature of the waste heat input absorption chiller / heater, heating means that can heat the waste hot water before it is input into the waste heat input absorption chiller / heater, and a control device that heats the waste hot water with the heating means when the chilled / hot water outlet temperature becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature during waste hot water only operation.

[0005] Although JP 2023-39597 A describes detecting the outlet temperature of chilled or hot water, it does not address the issue of using hot air for circulating humidity control. In facilities or plants that use power supplied from a generator to perform air conditioning or drying processes, if the exhaust heat from the generator could be effectively utilized, the overall operational efficiency of the facility performing the air conditioning or drying processes could be improved, preventing global warming and improving energy consumption efficiency in places without commercial power supply facilities. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-39597 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional technology, and an object of the present invention is to provide an on-demand cogeneration system that improves the overall heat utilization efficiency of facilities or plants that perform air conditioning, drying processes, etc. by utilizing the exhaust heat of a generator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to the present invention, a dehumidifying means in a facility or plant is provided, a heating means for heating a space in the facility or plant that requires air conditioning; a circulation means for circulating the cold or hot water supplied to the dehumidifying means or the heating means in order to dehumidify the humid air in the facility or the plant as hot water by utilizing exhaust heat from a generator system; and An on-demand cogeneration system is provided, comprising:

[0009] The dehumidifying means can dehumidify by heat exchange with cold and hot water generated by a first heat pump driven by electricity supplied from the generator system, or a hot water-fired cold and hot water generator that utilizes the exhaust heat of the generator system.

[0010] The heating means can heat the dry air with the cold / hot water discharged from the hot water-fired cold / hot water generator.

[0011] The heating means can heat air heated by exhaust heat from the generator system using a second heat pump and supply the heated air into the space.

[0012] The circulation means can circulate the cold / hot water that has been supplied to the dehumidifying means or the heating means and subjected to heat exchange to the hot water-fired cold / hot water generator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the overall heat utilization efficiency of facilities or plants that use exhaust heat from a generator to perform air conditioning, drying processes, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a system according to a first exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 illustrates a system according to a second exemplary embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 illustrates a system according to a third exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a generator system in an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention will be described below with reference to exemplary embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The on-demand cogeneration systems described in Figures 1 to 3 can be selected appropriately depending on the power supply and demand situation at the location where the facility or plant is installed.

[0016] 1 shows an on-demand cogeneration system 100 according to a first embodiment. The on-demand cogeneration system 100 of the present invention is installed in an environment where existing commercial power supply facilities are not readily available, such as an island, remote island, mountainous area, or coastal area, and includes a drying room 101, an ancillary room 102, and a dehumidifier 107.

[0017] A boiler 103 is installed in the auxiliary room 102, and hot air is generated by the boiler 103. The generated hot air is sent to the drying chamber, which is a space that needs to be dehumidified, and in the embodiment described, dries items to be dried (for example, seafood such as fish and shellfish, kelp, and wakame seaweed, laundry, dyed cloth, leather, etc.) placed in the drying chamber.

[0018] An appropriate number of circulation fans 104 are arranged at the top of the drying chamber 101, which work in conjunction with the intake and exhaust from the outlet duct 105 and inlet duct 106 of the dehumidifier 107 to circulate the hot air from the boiler 103 within the drying chamber 101.

[0019] The dehumidifier 107 functions as a dehumidifying means in this embodiment. The dehumidifier 107 is equipped with a first heat pump, and draws in moist hot air containing moisture after drying the objects to be dried placed in the drying chamber 101 through the inlet duct 106, dehumidifies the air, and generates low-temperature dry air after dehumidification. The generated low-temperature dry air is heated through the outlet duct 105 in which the first heat exchanger 110 is installed, and the dry hot air after heat exchange is supplied into the drying chamber 101.

[0020] The on-demand cogeneration system 100 also includes a generator system 108. The on-demand cogeneration system 100 drives a diesel engine or the like to supply alternating current to the dehumidifier 107, the circulation fan 104, and the like, enabling their operation. Hot water from the generator system 108 is supplied to a hot water-fired chilled water generator 109, which heats the chilled water serving as the heat exchange medium to, for example, about 70 to 85°C. The generator system 108, including the generator, will be described in more detail below.

[0021] The cold / hot water heated by the hot water / hot water generator 109 is used in a first heat exchanger 110 installed in the outlet duct 105 of the dehumidifier 107 to condition (heat) the low-temperature dry air from the dehumidifier 107, thereby generating hot dry air. This first heat exchanger 110 corresponds to the heating means in this embodiment. The generated hot dry air is circulated again into the drying chamber 101, and reduces the humidity inside the drying chamber 101 while maintaining the temperature inside the drying chamber 101. This improves the drying efficiency of the material to be dried.

[0022] Improving drying efficiency directly shortens the drying time of the material to be dried. Therefore, this embodiment reduces the consumption of petroleum-based fuels such as kerosene required to generate hot air, contributing to decarbonization. In addition, because the drying time is shortened, the working hours and working environment of workers are improved, and labor costs can also be reduced.

[0023] The cooled water that has been heat exchanged in the first heat exchanger 110 is introduced into the second heat exchanger 111 that is installed adjacent to the inlet duct of the dehumidifier 107. The second heat exchanger 111 cools the 70 to 80°C moist hot air discharged from the drying chamber 101 to 60°C or less, improving the operating efficiency of the dehumidifier 107 and enabling continuous operation of the dehumidifier 107.

[0024] The high-temperature chilled water after heat exchange in the second heat exchanger 111 is circulated again via pump P to the hot water fired chilled water generator provided in the power generator system 108, in the illustrated embodiment, hot water fired chilled water generator 109, thereby enabling dry hot air to be generated recursively. Pump P and hot water fired chilled water generator 109 (or 408 described later) correspond to the circulation means in this embodiment. Therefore, the first embodiment improves the overall thermal efficiency for drying the materials to be dried, thereby contributing to global warming prevention and the SDGs through low-carbonization and improved working environments.

[0025] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , and is applicable to any system in which a high-temperature heat transfer medium is cooled down and then heated up again for use, and in which the waste heat generated by the system can be fed back to the cyclical operation, such as a heating air conditioning system, a hot water supply system, a drying system, etc., without being limited in configuration or use.

[0026] 2 shows an exemplary second embodiment 200 of an on-demand cogeneration system. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in that low-temperature air is heated using a boiler 203 and introduced into a drying chamber 201. In the on-demand cogeneration system 200 of the second embodiment, the dehumidifier 107 of the first embodiment is configured to perform dehumidification using chilled or hot water generated by a hot water-fired chilled or hot water generator 208. The chilled or hot water generated by the hot water-fired chilled or hot water generator 208 is passed through a heat exchanger tube of a second heat exchanger (not shown) disposed in the dehumidifier 207, and the heat exchanger tube dehumidifies the moist hot air.

[0027] The moist hot air discharged from the drying chamber 201 is introduced into the dehumidifier 207 via duct 206. The dehumidifier 207 is supplied with cold / hot water from the hot water fired cold / hot water generator 208, and cools and dehumidifies the moist hot air introduced from the bottom of the dehumidifier 207. The dehumidified air is circulated into the drying chamber 201 as dry air via duct 205. In addition, the hot water supplied to the hot water fired cold / hot water generator 208 is supplied to the third heat exchanger 210 in a bypass manner. The third heat exchanger 210 heats the dry air passing through the duct 205 with the hot water from the hot water fired cold / hot water generator 208, and then circulates the dry air into the drying chamber 201. The third heat exchanger functions as a heating means in another aspect of this embodiment.

[0028] The cold / hot water discharged from the third heat exchanger 210 is circulated to the generator system 108 via a pump (not shown) to be converted into hot water, and then circulated again to the hot water-fired cold / hot water generator 208 to be used for air conditioning the drying chamber. The functional means including the pump P2 and the hot water-fired cold / hot water generator 208 corresponds to the circulating means in this embodiment.

[0029] In this embodiment, the cold water generated by the hot water fired cold water generator 208 is used to reduce the humidity of the humid air in the drying chamber 201, and the hot water is used in parallel to generate warm dry air, thereby further improving the thermal efficiency of the facility or plant.

[0030] 3 shows a third embodiment 300 of the on-demand cogeneration system of the present embodiment. The on-demand cogeneration system 300 of the third embodiment does not use boilers 103, 203, but generates hot air and dries moist air using the electric power and exhaust heat generated by the generator system 108. The embodiment of FIG. 3 is suitable for a system with a large generator capacity.

[0031] Electric power from the generator system 108 (not shown) is sent to the second heat pump 306, and the generated high-temperature medium heats the indoor heat exchanger (third heat exchanger) 305. The dry hot air generated by the indoor heat exchanger 305 is discharged into the drying chamber 301 and mainly heats the drying chamber 201. The second heat pump 306 and the indoor heat exchanger 305 correspond to the heating means of this embodiment.

[0032] Warm air heated by exhaust gas from the generator system 108 is introduced into the drying chamber 301 through the warm air duct 304. The introduced warm air assists in drying inside the drying chamber 301. The warm air from the warm air duct 304 is also sent to the indoor heat exchanger 305, assisting in heating the indoor heat exchanger 305 and efficiently generating high-temperature air.

[0033] In addition, hot water from the generator system (not shown) 108 is supplied to a hot water fired chilled water generator 308 to generate chilled water. The generated chilled water is supplied to a dehumidifier 307 to dehumidify the humid air in the drying chamber 301, and then returned to the hot water fired chilled water generator 308 for circulation. The dehumidifier 307 corresponds to the drying means of this embodiment. The pump P and the hot water fired chilled water generator 308 (or the hot water fired chilled water generator 408 in FIG. 4 in another embodiment) correspond to the circulating means of this embodiment. In order to balance the air supplied into the drying chamber 301 from the generator system, etc., an exhaust duct 302 is installed in the drying chamber 301 to balance the air pressure inside the drying chamber 301.

[0034] In this embodiment, exhaust heat from the generator system is used to assist in heating the drying chamber 301, and electric power from the generator system is used for dehumidification and heating. In the third embodiment, the use of a boiler that uses kerosene or the like for the drying process can be eliminated, which further contributes to reducing global warming.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the generator system 108 used in this embodiment. The generator system 108 includes a power generation module 401, a radiator 405, and a hot water-fired chilled water generator 408. As described above, the hot water-fired chilled water generator 408 can be used in common with the hot water-fired chilled water generators 109, 208, and 308. The power generation module 401 includes a diesel engine 404 and a generator 403, and generates electricity by driving the generator 403 using fossil fuels such as coal. The generated electricity can be used to operate a load system such as the on-demand cogeneration systems of the first to third embodiments.

[0036] Hot water in a radiator 405 for cooling a diesel engine 404 is sent to a hot water fired chilled hot water generator 408 via a pump P1 and a delayed three-way valve 409 for adjusting the hot water supply, and hot water at 75 to 85°C is generated. The generated hot water is supplied to meet the hot water demand in the first to third embodiments. Meanwhile, cooled chilled hot water used on the load side is circulated to the hot water fired chilled hot water generator 408, returned to the radiator to be heated again, and supplied again to meet the hot water demand on the load side.

[0037] Furthermore, exhaust gas from the diesel engine 404 is sent to a fourth heat exchanger 406, where it heats the outside air introduced through a filter 407 by the operation of a fan. The air is then released into the outside air through a muffler 411. The heated air, together with the exhaust heat from the fourth heat exchanger 406, is supplied to the load system in order to meet the demand for hot air in the load system shown in the third embodiment.

[0038] The operation procedure of the generator system in the third embodiment will be described below. 1. Start the generator diesel engine 404. 2. Start the high temperature second heat pump 306. 3. Engine waste heat is not supplied until the diesel engine 404 reaches the optimum temperature for the waste heat. 4. When the engine exhaust heat reaches an appropriate temperature, hot water is supplied to the hot water-fired / cold hot water generator 408 (or 109, 208, 308) via the delayed three-way valve 409. 5 When cold or hot water is supplied to the dehumidifier or heat exchanger in the processing plant (drying room), indoor dehumidification begins. 6 When the room becomes dehumidified and dry, the capacity of the high-temperature second heat pump 306 decreases and the amount of electricity generated also decreases. Therefore, when the exhaust heat decreases, the delayed three-way valve 409 is adjusted to make the hot water from the radiator 405 at an appropriate temperature. 7. In the on-demand cogeneration systems 100 and 200 of the first and second embodiments, the hot water fired cold water generators 109, 208 and 308 can be controlled in the same manner as in the method described in "6" above.

[0039] The on-demand cogeneration system described above makes it possible to efficiently use the waste heat from generators used at locations where electricity is demanded, thereby improving the thermal efficiency of facilities or plants that receive the electricity supply. Furthermore, the on-demand cogeneration system of this embodiment makes it possible to improve the thermal efficiency of facilities or plants that are installed in locations where commercial power supply facilities are not available or are not easily available. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 100: On-demand cogeneration system 101: Drying room 102: Attached room 103: Boiler 104: Circulation fan 105: Outlet duct 106: Inlet duct 107:Dehumidifier 108: Generator system 109:Hot water-fired cold / hot water generator 110: 1st heat exchanger 111:Second heat exchanger 200: Second embodiment 201: Drying room 203: Boiler 205: Duct 206: Duct 207:Dehumidifier 208:Hot water-fired cold / hot water generator 210:Third heat exchanger 300: Third embodiment 301: Drying room 302: Exhaust duct 304: Warm air duct 305: Indoor heat exchanger 306: Second heat pump 307:Dehumidifier 308:Hot water-fired cold / hot water generator 401: Power generation module 403: Generator 404: Diesel engine 405: Radiator 406: 4th heat exchanger 407: Filter 408:Hot water-fired cold / hot water generator 409: Delayed-acting three-way valve 411: Muffler P: Pump P1: Pump P2: Pump

Claims

1. a dehumidification means within the facility or plant; a heating means for heating a space in the facility or plant that requires air conditioning; a circulation means for converting the cold / hot water supplied to the dehumidifying means or the heating means to dehumidify the humid air in the facility or the plant into hot water by utilizing exhaust heat from a generator system, and circulating the hot water within the facility or the plant; An on-demand cogeneration system equipped with:

2. 2. The on-demand cogeneration system according to claim 1, wherein the dehumidifying means dehumidifies by heat exchange with cold or hot water generated by a first heat pump driven by power supplied from the generator system or a hot water-fired cold or hot water generator that utilizes exhaust heat from the generator system.

3. 2. The on-demand cogeneration system according to claim 1, wherein the heating means heats dry air with the cold water discharged from a hot water fired cold water generator.

4. 2. The on-demand cogeneration system according to claim 1, wherein the heating means heats air heated by exhaust heat from the generator system using a second heat pump and supplies the heated air to the space.

5. 2. The on-demand cogeneration system according to claim 1, wherein the circulation means circulates the cold / hot water, which has been supplied to the dehumidification means or the heating means and subjected to heat exchange, to the hot water-fired cold / hot water generator.

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