Electro-Pneumatic Starter for Natural Gas Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current starters for natural gas powered, reciprocating internal combustion engines in oil and gas industries are inefficient, leading to significant methane emissions and require costly blow-down procedures to remove parasitic load, resulting in environmental impact and high energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
An electro-pneumatic starter motor system combining a brushless digital electric motor with a pneumatically actuated transmission, using pressurized gas to engage and disengage the starter ring gear, eliminating methane emissions and reducing system parasitic load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If turbine motor driven starters are used, then sufficient starting power is provided, but significant methane emissions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the turbine motor driven starter system with an electric motor driven starter system. This substitution eliminates the combustion process that generates methane emissions while maintaining the required starting power through electric motor technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a pneumatic transmission system coupled with the electric motor. This pneumatic system efficiently transmits the motor's power to the engine while reducing parasitic losses and improving overall system efficiency, thereby reducing the need for blow-down procedures.
2Ease of manufacture
If starters are sized for cost effectiveness, then minimum power is provided, but parasitic load requires blow-down procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the starter system parameters including motor size, gear ratios, and pneumatic transmission characteristics to achieve the minimum necessary power output while minimizing parasitic losses. This allows cost-effective sizing without requiring blow-down procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The pneumatic transmission system reduces parasitic load by efficiently coupling the electric motor to the engine, minimizing energy losses that would otherwise require blow-down procedures to remove parasitic load before starting.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If electric starters are used, then methane emissions are reduced, but power output is low and size is large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pneumatic transmission system as an intermediary between the electric motor and the engine. This intermediary efficiently transmits power while allowing the use of a more compact, higher-power-density electric motor design that wouldn't otherwise achieve the required power output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses gear reduction mechanisms to transform the motor's high-speed, low-torque output into low-speed, high-torque output suitable for engine starting. This dimensional transformation in the power delivery characteristics enables compact motor design while maintaining required starting power.
4Loss of energy
If blow-down procedures are used, then parasitic load is removed, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pneumatic transmission system eliminates the need for blow-down procedures by efficiently managing the coupling between motor and engine. This prevents parasitic load accumulation and eliminates the energy-consuming blow-down process entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the blow-down procedure from the starting system by using a pneumatic transmission that manages parasitic load internally, preventing the need for this separate energy-consuming energy consumption step.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a high-power, eco-friendly, lightweight, and cost-efficient starter that effectively starts natural gas fueled engines under load, minimizing methane emissions and eliminating the need for blow-down procedures, thereby reducing environmental impact and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
A pneumatic solenoid valve is provided which forces the piston to move, translating a transmission output shaft and an affixed output gear thereon into mating engagement with the engine ring gear
Implementation Method 2
A spring is provided which forces the piston to return to its original position when pressurized gas is not supplied to the transmission housing, thereby disengaging the transmission output shaft and the output gear from the engine ring gear
Implementation Method 3
A pressure sensor is provided which senses pressurized gas and sends a signal to an electric motor controller to start an electric motor
Implementation Method 4
an electric motor and a pneumatically engaged transmission, wherein the motor has a shaft which generates rotational power
Data Source
AI summary
An electro-pneumatic starter for use with a natural gas powered, reciprocating internal combustion engine in oil and gas industrial applications, and a method of starting an internal combustion engine, are provided. A novel combination of an electric motor and a pneumatically actuated transmission are provided for the innovation as claimed, wherein power is translated from an output shaft and motor gear, through a transmission gear and transmission shaft, and to an output gear mated with a ring gear of a host engine, the transmission shaft being extendable by means of a pneumatically controlled piston. When the transmission shaft is extended it is in the engaged position, capable of providing torque to the ring gear of the host engine; when retracted, the same is disengaged from the host engine.