Gaseous fuel compression and control system and method

Claim 2

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of claim 1 wherein said operational data received by said helical flow compressor/turbine motor inverter from said helical flow compressor/turbine motor includes motor phase data and/or motor speed data.

Claim 3

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of claim 1 or 2 wherein said control signal received by said helical flow compressor/turbine motor inverter drive from said turbogenerator power controller includes a torque control signal and/or a speed control signal, eg. a maximum speed control signal.

Claim 4

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of any preceding claim wherein said turbogenerator parameter signal received by said turbogenerator power controller includes turbogenerator speed and/or turbogenerator turbine exhaust gas temperature.

Claim 5

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of any preceding claim wherein said helical flow compressor/turbine inlet includes a pressure sensor to provide an inlet pressure signal to said turbogenerator power control and/or said helical flow compressor/turbine outlet includes a pressure sensor to provide an outlet pressure signal to said turbogenerator power controller.

Claim 6

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of any preceding claim wherein said motor for said helical flow compressor/turbine is a permanent magnet motor/generator.

Claim 7

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of claim 6 wherein said helical flow compressor/turbine and said permanent magnet motor/generator share a common shaft.

Claim 8

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of claim 7 wherein said helical flow compressor/turbine and permanent magnet motor/generator on a common shaft comprise: a housing including a permanent magnet stator positioned at one end thereof; a shaft rotatably supported within said housing; a permanent magnet rotor mounted on said shaft at said one end thereof and operably associated with said permanent magnet stator; and an impeller mounted at the other end of said shaft, said impeller having at least one row of a plurality of blades; said housing including a generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channel operably associated with each row of the plurality of impeller blades, a fluid inlet at one end of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channel, and a fluid outlet at the other end of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channel, the fluid in said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channel proceeding from said fluid inlet to said fluid outlet while following a generally helical flow path with multiple passes through said impeller blades.

Claim 9

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of claim 8 wherein: said impeller has two rows each of a plurality of blades, with one row of said plurality of blades disposed on either side of the outer periphery of said impeller; and said housing includes two generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels with one of said two generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with one of said two rows of impeller blades and the other of said two generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with the other of said two rows of impeller blades, said housing also including a stripper plate disposed radially outward from said impeller, a fluid inlet at one end of each of said two generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels, and a fluid outlet at the other end of each of said two generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels, the fluid in each of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels proceeding from its fluid inlet to its fluid outlet while following a generally helical flow path with multiple passes through said impeller blades operably associated with said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channel.

Claim 10

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of claim 8 wherein: a low pressure impeller is mounted at the other end of said shaft, said low pressure impeller having two rows each of a plurality of blades, with one row of said plurality of blades disposed on either side of the outer periphery of said low pressure impeller; and a high pressure impeller is mounted at the other end of said shaft, said high pressure impeller having two rows each of a plurality of blades, with one row of said plurality of blades disposed on either side of the radially outward edge of said high pressure impeller; said housing including a mid stator channel plate disposed between said low pressure impeller and said high pressure impeller, a first pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels with one of said first pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with one of said two rows of low pressure impeller blades and the other of said first pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with the other of said two rows of low pressure impeller blades, and a second pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels with one of said second pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with one of said two rows of high pressure impeller blades and the other of said second pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with the other of said two rows of high pressure impeller blades; said housing also including a low pressure stripper plate disposed radially outward of said low pressure impeller, a high pressure stripper plate disposed radially outward of said high pressure impeller, a fluid inlet at one end of each of said first pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels, and a fluid outlet at the other end of said first pair of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels and a fluid inlet at one end of each of said second pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels and a fluid outlet at the other end of said second pair of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels, said inlet of said second pair of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels communicating with the outlet of said first pair of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels; and the fluid in each of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels making multiple generally helical passes between said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channel and said impeller blades as the fluid proceeds from said inlet to said outlet of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channel.

Claim 11

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of claim 8 wherein: a low pressure impeller is mounted at the other end of said shaft, said low pressure impeller having two rows each of a plurality of blades, with one row of said plurality of blades disposed on either side of the outer periphery of said low pressure impeller; a medium pressure impeller is mounted at the other end of said shaft adjacent to said low pressure impeller, said medium pressure impeller having two rows each of a plurality of blades, with one row of said plurality of blades disposed on either side of the outer periphery of said medium pressure impeller; a high pressure impeller is mounted at the other end of said shaft adjacent to said medium pressure impeller, said high pressure impeller having two rows each of a plurality of blades, with one row of said plurality of blades disposed on either side of the outer periphery of said high pressure impeller; said housing including a first mid stator channel plate disposed between said low pressure impeller and said medium pressure impeller, a first pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels with one of said first pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with one of said two rows of low pressure impeller blades and the other of said first pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with the other of said two rows of low pressure impeller blades, and a second pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels with one of said second pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with one of said two rows of medium pressure impeller blades and the other of said second pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with the other of said two rows of medium pressure impeller blades; said housing also including a second mid stator channel plate disposed between said medium pressure impeller and said high pressure impeller and a third pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels with one of said third pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with one of said two rows of high pressure impeller blades and the other of said third pair of generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels operably associated with the other of said two rows of high pressure impeller blades; said housing further including a low pressure stripper plate disposed radially outward of said low pressure impeller, a medium pressure stripper plate disposed radially outward of said medium pressure impeller, and a high pressure stripper plate disposed radially outward of said high pressure impeller; said housing further including a fluid inlet at one end of each of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels, and a fluid outlet at the other end of each of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels, said inlets of said high pressure generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels communicating with the outlets of said medium pressure generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels and said inlets of said medium pressure generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels communicating with the outlets of said low pressure generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels; and the fluid in each of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channels making multiple generally helical passes between said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channel and said impeller blades as the fluid proceeds from said inlet to said outlet of said generally horseshoe shaped fluid flow stator channel.

Claim 12

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of claim 9 or 10 or 11 wherein the or each said stripper plate has a thickness slightly greater than the thickness of the respective impeller to provide a running clearance for the impeller.

Claim 13

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of any of claims 8 to 12 wherein said impeller blades are straight radial blades.

Claim 14

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of any of claims 8 to 12 wherein said impeller blades are curved blades having a generally radial blade tip.

Claim 15

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of claim 14 wherein said curved impeller blades have a leading edge with a greater curve than the curve of the blade root.

Claim 16

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of any of claims 8 to 15 and in addition, a bore seal tube disposed between said permanent magnet stator and said permanent magnet rotor to prevent the working fluid from contacting said permanent magnet stator.

Claim 17

The gaseous fuel compression and control system of any preceding claim comprising: a first helical flow compressor/turbine; a first motor operably associated with said first helical flow compressor/turbine to drive said first helical flow compressor/turbine; a first helical flow compressor/turbine motor inverter drive operably associated with first said helical flow compressor/turbine motor to provide electrical power to said first helical flow compressor/turbine motor and receive operational data from said first helical flow compressor/turbine motor; a second helical flow compressor/turbine; a second motor operably associated with said second helical flow compressor/turbine to drive said second helical flow compressor/turbine; and a second helical flow compressor/turbine motor inverter drive operably associated with second said helical flow compressor/turbine motor to provide electrical power to said second helical flow compressor/turbine motor and receive operational data from said second helical flow compressor/turbine motor; said first helical flow compressor/turbine receiving gaseous fuel and supplying intermediately pressurized gaseous fuel to the second helical flow compressor/turbine and said second helical flow compressor/turbine supplying pressurized gaseous fuel to the gaseous fuel nozzles of said turbogenerator combustor, said turbogenerator compressor/turbine supplying compressed combustion air to said air inlets of said turbogenerator combustor; said first and said second helical flow compressor/turbine motor inverter drives also operably associated with said turbogenerator power controller to receive control signals from said turbogenerator power controller, said turbogenerator power controller also receiving operational data from said helical flow compressor/turbine motor inverter and turbogenerator parameter signals from said turbogenerator.

Claim 19

The method of gaseous fuel compression and control of claim 18 wherein the turbogenerator is supplied with gaseous fuel by a pair of helical flow compressor/turbine permanent magnet motor/generators in series and the pair of helical flow compressor/turbine permanent magnet motor/generators in series are commanded to produce the established gaseous fuel pressure by controlling the torque or speed of the individual helical flow compressor/turbine permanent magnet motor/generators.

Claim 20

The method of gaseous fuel compression and control of claim 18 or 19 wherein the or each said helical flow compressor/turbine permanent magnet motor/generators functions as a turbine when the pressure of the gaseous fuel supplied is greater than that needed by the turbogenerator combustor and functions as a compressor when the pressure of the gaseous fuel supplied is less than that needed by the turbogenerator combustor with a smooth transition between said functions.

Claim 21

A gaseous fuel compression and control system comprising a helical flow compressor/turbine integrated with a permanent magnet motor/generator, and a turbogenerator controlled by said integrated compressor/turbine and motor/generator.