Auxiliary power unit

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6536207
  • Patent Number
    6,536,207
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, March 2, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 25, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
An auxiliary power system for providing electrical power and heat to an indoor area includes an external combustion engine, such as a Stirling cycle engine, for generating mechanical energy and thermal energy. The external combustion engine burns a fuel with substantially complete combustion such that exhaust emissions from the external combustion engine are below a predetermined exhaust level. A generator is coupled to the external combustion engine and converts the mechanical energy produced by the external combustion engine to electrical power. A first power output is used to provide the electrical power produced by the generator. The external combustion engine and generator are disposed within a housing such that the external combustion engine, generator and housing combination is a portable size. The thermal energy generated by the external combustion engine may be used to heat the atmosphere surrounding the housing.
Description




TECHNICAL FIELD




The present invention pertains to auxiliary power units for the co-generation of heat and power for indoor use wherein the auxiliary power unit includes an external combustion engine and in particular, a Stirling cycle engine.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




An auxiliary power unit (“APU”) consists of an engine and an electric generator. Thermal energy of a burning fuel is converted to mechanical energy in the engine of the APU and mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy in the generator of the APU. One advantage of an APU is that it is a portable size such that it can be easily transported and used in a remote location, such as a construction site, cell tower or cabin, that is not connected to the local power grid. APU's are also important for providing emergency backup power for businesses and homes during a power outage.




Small and portable APU's using an internal combustion engine are widely available. For example, a 350 W APU weighs as little as 20 lbs while a 1 kW APU weighs around 70 lbs. However, APU's which use an internal combustion engine cannot be used in a closed environment because of the toxic emissions generated by the internal combustion engine. Even if the exhaust fumes were vented to the outside air, the noise generated by the internal combustion engine makes it very unappealing to a user. The venting of the exhaust fumes also reduces the overall efficiency of the system by about 35% due to the loss of the thermal energy carried away by the exhaust gases. Internal combustion engines are further disadvantaged by their high maintenance costs and short lifetimes of the order of 100 operating hours.




Also known in the prior art are co-generation units and heat pumps which use external combustion engines, such as Stirling cycle engines. However, these co-generation units are typically quite large (and therefore not portable) as dictated by the size of the external combustion engine. In addition, the exhaust fumes must still be vented to the outside air. As discussed above, venting of the exhaust fumes reduces the overall efficiency of the system due to the loss of the thermal energy carried away by the exhaust gases and requires additional hardware.




One type of external combustion engine which may be used to power an APU is a Stirling cycle engine. A Stirling cycle engine produces both mechanical energy and heat energy. The history of Stirling cycle engines is described in detail in Walker,


Stirling Engines


, Oxford University Press (1980), herein incorporated by reference. The principle of operation of a Stirling engine is well known in the art.




One disadvantage of a Stirling cycle engine in comparison to an internal combustion engine is the longer response time of a Stirling cycle engine to sudden changes in the load placed on the engine. The response time of a Stirling cycle engine is limited by the heat transfer rates between the external combustion gases and the internal working fluid of the engine and may be on the order of 30 seconds. The response time of an internal combustion engine, on the other hand, is very short because the combustion gas is the working fluid and can be directly controlled by the fuel flow rate. Prior attempts to increase the responsiveness of a Stirling cycle engine provided a variable dead space for the working fluid as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,933 to Nystrom and U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,841 to Meijer or controlled the pressure of the working fluid as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,100 to Lamos. The foregoing references are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. However, both these approaches tend to increase the complexity, size, and weight of the engine design.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In accordance with one aspect of the invention, in one of its embodiments, a method for providing auxiliary electrical power and heat to an indoor area of a house includes generating mechanical energy and thermal energy using an external combustion engine, the external combustion engine burning a fuel and having substantially complete combustion and converting the mechanical energy generated by the external combustion engine into electrical power using a generator coupled to the external combustion engine. The external combustion engine and generator are placed in the indoor area such that the thermal energy generated by the external combustion engine heats an area surrounding the external combustion engine. The external combustion engine and generator may be contained within a portable housing. In a preferred embodiment, the external combustion engine is a Stirling cycle engine. In other embodiments, the fuel burned by the external combustion engine may be propane or natural gas. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the electrical power may direct current power or alternating current power.




In accordance with another aspect of the invention, in one of its embodiments, an auxiliary power system for providing electrical power and heat to an indoor area of a house includes an external combustion engine for generating mechanical energy and thermal energy, the external combustion engine burning a fuel and having substantially complete combustion and a generator, coupled to the external combustion engine, the generator for converting the mechanical energy of the external combustion engine to electrical power. The system further includes a first power output for providing electrical power and a portable housing containing the external combustion engine and the generator. The thermal energy generated by the external combustion engine heats the an area surrounding the portable housing. In a preferred embodiment, the external combustion engine is a Stirling cycle engine. The housing may also be mounted in a window or on a wall of the indoor area.




The auxiliary power system may further include a battery for providing starting power to the external combustion engine and for providing power to the first power output. A sensor is coupled to the battery to produce an output signal. The charge level of the battery may be determined based in part on the output signal of the sensor. In one embodiment, the output signal represents the battery voltage and current. In another embodiment, the auxiliary power system further includes an inverter coupled to the first power output for converting direct current power to alternating current power and a second power output for providing alternating current power. In yet another embodiment, the auxiliary power system further includes an air conditioning module for cooling the atmosphere surrounding the housing.




In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a system for controlling the power output of a thermal engine having a heater head, includes a burner for delivering heat to the heater head of the engine and having an exhaust gas product, a fuel supply regulator for delivering fuel to a burner at a specified rate of fuel delivery and a blower for delivering air to the burner. In one embodiment, the system further includes an input for receiving a signal related to a specified temperature of operation of the burner, a sensor for monitoring an oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas product of the burner and a controller for governing the rate of fuel and air delivery based at least on the input related to the specified temperature of operation and the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas product. The input for receiving a signal may include a slew rate limiter.




In another embodiment, the system for controlling the power output of a thermal engine further includes a head temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the heater head and a controller for governing the rate of fuel and air delivery based at least on the temperature of the heater head. The system may further include a sensor for monitoring an oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas where the controller includes a controller based at least on the temperature of the heater had and the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas product.




In a further embodiment, the head temperature sensor is disposed in a region of and exterior surface of the heater head shadowed from flow of the exhaust gas. The system may also include an air mass flow sensor for measuring the mass of air delivered to the burner where the controller for governing the rate of fuel and air delivery includes a controller based at least on the temperature of the heater head and the mass of air delivered to the burner.




In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a system for controlling the power output of an external combustion engine having a crankshaft includes a generator for regulating the speed of the external combustion engine, an amplifier for transforming power form the generator to a power output and providing a load on the generator and a battery for storing power and providing power to a power output. The speed and temperature of the external combustion engine are controlled in a manner to maintain a set of desired battery conditions.




In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a method for operating the burner of an external combustion engine includes delivering air to the burner through a constant cross-sectional area in transition from a radial flow inward to an axial flow downward, delivering the air to the burner at a speed greater than the flame speed of a fuel-air mixture and stabilizing a flame produced in the burner using a swirler for conveying radially inwardly flowing air.




An auxiliary power system for providing electrical power to a load, in accordance with another aspect of the invention, includes an external combustion engine having an engine temperature and having a rotating crankshaft characterized by a velocity, a generator for regulating the velocity of the crankshaft and producing electrical power, an amplifier for transferring electrical power from the generator to a load, a battery having a charge state and a controller for commanding the engine temperature and velocity based in part on the charge state of the battery.




In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, a system for providing power to a personal transport vehicle having a set of wheels including at least one member and a wheel motor coupled to the set of wheels for causing, when powered, locomotion of the personal transport vehicle includes an external combustion engine for generating mechanical energy and thermal energy, the external combustion engine burning a fuel in a burner and having substantially complete combustion such that the exhaust emissions from the external combustion engine are below a predetermined exhaust level. The system further includes a fuel supply for providing a fuel to the burner at a specified rate of fuel delivery, a generator for converting the mechanical energy produced by the external combustion engine to electrical power and a battery having an input and an output, the battery input coupled to the generator and the battery output coupled to the wheel motor, the battery for storing electrical energy provided from the generator at the battery input and for providing power to the wheel motor at the battery output.




A mobile auxiliary power unit, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, includes an external combustion engine having a crankshaft characterized by a velocity and a heater head characterize by a head temperature, the external combustion engine for generating mechanical energy and thermal energy, the external combustion engine burning a fuel and having substantially complete combustion such that exhaust emissions from the external combustion engine are below a predetermined exhaust level. A generator having an output, is coupled to the crankshaft of the external combustion engine and converts the mechanical energy produced by the external combustion engine into electrical power, the electrical power provided to the output of the generator. A battery having a battery output is coupled to the output of the generator. The battery characterized by a state of charge and provides starting power to the external combustion as well as power to the battery output. The mobile auxiliary power unit further includes a controller in signal communication with the external combustion engine, the generator and the battery. The controller governs the velocity of the crankshaft and the temperature of the heater head based at least on the state of charge of the battery. A wheel motor is coupled to the battery output and to a set of wheels, including at least one member such that the wheel motor when powered by the battery, drives the set of wheels causing the locomotion of the mobile auxiliary power unit. In accordance with another embodiment, the mobile auxiliary power unit may include a platform coupled to the set of wheels, the platform for supporting a user.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

is a schematic block diagram of an auxiliary power unit in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 2

is a schematic block diagram of an auxiliary power unit in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 3

is a cross section view of a Stirling cycle engine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 4A

is a schematic block diagram of the power control system for the engine of the APU of

FIG. 1

in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 4B

is a schematic block diagram of a method of control for the power control system of

FIG. 4A

in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 5

illustrates the circuitry for the power control system in

FIG. 4A

in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 6

is a schematic block diagram of the power control system of the APU of

FIG. 1

including the burner controller in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 7

is a schematic block diagram of the power control system of the APU of

FIG. 1

including the burner controller in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 8



a


is a side view in cross section of the burner and exhaust heat recovery assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 8



b


shows a perspective top view of a heater head including heat transfer pin arrays in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 9



a


shows a cross-sectional view from the side of a fuel intake manifold for a Stirling cycle engine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 9



b


shows a cross-sectional view from the top of the fuel intake manifold of

FIG. 9



a


taken through cut BB.





FIG. 9



c


is a cross-sectional view from the top of the fuel intake manifold of

FIG. 9



a


taken through cut AA, showing the fuel jet nozzles.





FIG. 10

is a cross section of the burner and heater head assembly showing the placement of a flame detection thermocouple in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 11

is a cross section of the burner and heater head assembly showing the placement of a flame detection thermocouple in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 12

is a front view of an APU where the front panel of the enclosure has been removed for interior viewing in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 13

is a back view of the embodiment of

FIG. 12

in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 14

is a schematic block diagram of an auxiliary power unit and air conditioning system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 15

is a schematic diagram of a scooter utilizing the auxiliary power unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS





FIG. 1

is a schematic block diagram of an auxiliary power unit (“APU”)


100


in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. APU


100


includes an external combustion engine


101


coupled to a generator


102


. In a preferred embodiment, the external combustion engine


101


is a Stirling cycle engine. The outputs of the Stirling cycle engine


101


during operation include both mechanical energy and residual heat energy. Heat produced in the combustion of a fuel in a burner


104


is applied as an input to the Stirling cycle engine


101


, and partially converted to mechanical energy. The unconverted heat or thermal energy accounts for 65 to 85% of the energy released in the burner


104


. This heat is available to provide heating to the local environment around the APU in two forms: a smaller flow of exhaust gas from the burner


104


and a much larger flow of heat rejected at the cooler


103


of the Stirling engine. The exhaust gases are relatively hot, typically 100 to 300° C., and represent 10 to 20% of the thermal energy produced by the Stirling engine


101


. The cooler rejects 80 to 90% of the thermal energy at 10 to 20° C. above the ambient temperature. The heat is rejected to either a flow of water or, more typically, to the air via a radiator


107


. Stirling cycle engine


101


is of a size such that the APU


100


is portable. A portable APU that provides both electric power and heat to indoor areas is typically less than 5 kW. Larger units would reject too much energy to be used in an indoor area. For additional information relating to preferred embodiments of a Stirling cycle engine, see pending U.S. patent application No. 09/115,383, filed Jul. 14, 1998; pending U.S. patent application No. 09/115,381, filed Jul. 14, 1998; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/116,483, filed Jan. 20, 1999; and pending U.S. patent application No. 09/335,392, filed Jun. 17, 1999, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.




As shown in

FIG. 1

, Stirling engine


101


is powered directly by a heat source such as burner


104


. Burner


104


combusts a fuel to produce hot exhaust gases which are used to drive the Stirling engine


101


. A burner control unit


109


is coupled to the burner


104


and a fuel canister


110


. Burner control unit


109


delivers a fuel from the fuel canister


110


to the burner


104


. The burner controller


109


also delivers a measured amount of air to the burner


104


to advantageously ensure substantially complete combustion. The fuel combusted by burner


104


is preferably a clean burning and commercially available fuel such as propane. A clean burning fuel is a fuel that does not contain large amounts of contaminants, the most important being sulfur. Natural gas, ethane, propane, butane, ethanol, methanol and liquefied petroleum gas (“LPG”) are all clean burning fuels when the contaminants are limited to a few percent. One example of a commercially available propane fuel is HD-5, an industry grade defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers and available from Bernzomatic. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, and as discussed in more detail below, the Stirling engine


101


and burner


104


provide substantially complete combustion in order to provide high thermal efficiency as well as low emissions. The characteristics of high efficiency and low emissions are key to using the APU


100


indoors.




Generator


102


is coupled to a crankshaft (not shown) of Stirling engine


101


. It should be understood to one of ordinary skill in the art that the term generator encompasses the class of electric machines such as generators wherein mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy or motors wherein electrical energy is converted to mechanical energy. The generator


102


is preferably a permanent magnet brushless motor. A rechargeable battery


113


provides starting power for APU


100


as well as direct current (“DC”) power to a DC power output


112


. In a further embodiment, APU


100


also advantageously provides alternating current (“AC”) power to an AC power output


114


. An inverter


116


is coupled to the battery


113


in order to convert the DC power produced by battery


113


to AC power. In the embodiment shown in

FIG. 1

, the battery


113


, inverter


116


and AC power output


114


are disposed within an APU enclosure


120


. In an alternative embodiment, as shown in

FIG. 2

, the battery


113


, inverter


116


and the APU power output


114


may be separate from the APU enclosure


120


.




In the course of operation, Stirling engine


101


also produces heat


117


from, for example, the exhaust gases of the burner


104


as well as the supply and extraction of heat from a working fluid. Accordingly, when used inside of a building, the excess heat produced by the Stirling engine


101


may be used to advantageously heat the atmosphere surrounding the APU


100


. In this manner, the APU


100


may be used to provide both electrical power and heat to an indoor area such as a building or a residence.




The operation of Stirling cycle engine


101


will now be described in more detail with respect to

FIG. 3

which is a cross-sectional view of a Stirling engine in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The configuration of Stirling engine


101


shown in

FIG. 3

is referred to as an alpha configuration, characterized in that a compression piston


300


and an expansion piston


302


undergo linear motion within respective and distinct cylinders: compression piston


300


in a compression cylinder


304


and expansion piston


302


in an expansion cylinder


306


. The principle of operation of a Stirling engine configured in an “alpha”configuration and employing a first “compression” piston and a second “expansion” piston is described at length in pending U.S. application No. 09/115,383, filed Jul. 14, 1998 and pending U.S. patent application No. 09/115,381, filed Jul. 14, 1998, which have been incorporated herein by reference above. The alpha configuration is discussed by way of example only, and without limitation of the scope of any appended claims.




In addition to compression piston


300


and expansion piston


302


, the main components of Stirling engine


101


include a burner (not shown), a heater heat exchanger


322


, a regenerator


324


, and a cooler heat exchanger


328


. Compression piston


300


and expansion piston


302


, referred to collectively as pistons, are constrained to move in reciprocating linear motion within respective volumes


308


and


310


defined laterally by compression cylinder


304


and expansion cylinder liner


312


. The volumes of the cylinder interior proximate to the burner heat exchanger


322


and cooler heat exchanger


328


will be referred to, herein, as hot and cold sections, respectively of engine


101


. The relative phase (the “phase angle”) of the reciprocating linear motion of compression piston


300


and expansion piston


302


is governed by their respective coupling to drive mechanism


314


housed in crankcase


316


. Drive mechanism


314


may be one of various mechanisms known in the art of engine design which may be employed to govern the relative timing of pistons and to interconvert linear and rotary motion. For additional information relating to a preferred drive mechanism


314


, see pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/335,392, filed Jun. 17, 1999, entitled “Folded Guide Link Stirling Engine”, which is incorporated herein by reference.




Compression piston


300


and expansion piston


302


are coupled, respectively, to drive mechanism


33


via a first connecting rod


208


and a second connecting rod


320


. The volume of compression cylinder


308


is coupled to cooler heat exchanger


328


via duct


205


to allow cooling of compressed working fluid during the compression phase. Duct


205


, more particularly, couples compression volume


308


to the annular heat exchangers comprising cooler heat exchanger


328


, regenerator


203


, and heater heat exchanger


322


. The burner (not shown) combusts a fuel in order to provide heat to the heater heat exchanger


322


of a heater head


330


of the Stirling engine. The expansion cylinder and piston are disposed within a heater head


330


such that the working fluid in the expansion cylinder may be heated via the heater heat exchanger


322


. For additional information relating to a preferred configuration of a burner, regenerator


203


and heater head


330


, see co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/517,123, attorney docket number 2229/105, entitled “Stirling Engine Thermal System Improvements”.




Returning to

FIG. 1

, the Stirling cycle engine


101


and generator


102


are disposed within a pressure vessel


118


. The pressure vessel


118


contains a high pressure working fluid, preferably helium or nitrogen at 20 to 30 atmospheres pressure. The expansion cylinder and piston (shown in

FIG. 3

) of the Stirling engine


101


extend through the pressure vessel


118


and a cold collar (or cooler)


103


. The end of the expansion cylinder (including heater head


330


) is contained within the burner


104


. The cold collar


103


circulates a cooling fluid through cooling lines


106


and through radiator


107


. The cooling fluid is pumped through the cold collar


103


by a cooling pump


105


. A fan


108


forces air past the radiator


107


thereby heating the air and cooling the cooling fluid. The heated air


117


may then be forced through openings in the APU enclosure


120


to heat the surrounding area such as the room of a building. In alternative embodiments, the excess heat


117


created by the combustion within burner


104


may be directly provided to the surrounding ambient air.




The pressure vessel


118


has a pass-through port for an electrical connection


119


between the generator


102


contained within the pressure vessel


118


and an APU controller


111


. The APU controller


111


supplies power to the cooling pump


105


, fan


108


, and the burner controller


109


through power supply lines


115


. The APU controller


111


also controls the power output of the APU as well as the charge level of the battery


113


by varying the speed and temperature of the Stirling engine. APU controller


111


provides command signals to the burner control unit


109


in order to control the temperature of the Stirling engine


101


. APU controller


111


also provides command signals to generator


102


in order to control the speed of the Stirling engine


101


.




The power output of generator


102


and Stirling engine


101


are controlled using APU controller


111


so as to maintain the optimal charge and voltage levels in the battery


113


. Electrical loads will reduce the charge and voltage of the battery


113


causing the APU controller


111


to command additional power from the engine.

FIG. 4A

is a schematic block diagram of the power control system of the APU included in the APU controller


111


(shown in

FIG. 1

) in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The power control system controls the speed and temperature of the Stirling engine in order to provide the necessary power to meet the demand (or load) placed on the APU and maintain the charge level of the battery. The power control system as shown in

FIG. 4A

includes a motor/generator


402


, a motor-amplifier


405


, a battery


413


and an inverter


416


.




As discussed above with respect to

FIG. 1

, the generator


402


is coupled to the crankshaft of a Stirling engine (not shown). The Stirling engine provides mechanical power (P


mech


) to the generator


402


which in turn converts the mechanical power to three-phase electrical power. Generator


402


also, as discussed in more detail below, acts as an adjustable load on the engine in order to control the speed of the engine. Generator


402


delivers the three-phase electrical power to motor-amplifier


405


. Motor-amplifier


405


transfers electrical power produced by the motor generator


402


to a high voltage DC bus (P


amp


). The power provided to the high voltage DC bus (P


amp


) is delivered to a DC to DC converter


406


(P


dcdch


) which steps down the power to a low voltage DC bus for delivery to the battery


413


(P


bat


). The DC to DC converter


406


may also be used to step up the power to the high voltage DC bus used for power control and AC power conversion. Alternate embodiments may omit the DC to DC converter and connect the high voltage DC bus directly to the battery


413


. Battery


413


is used to start the Stirling engine and to provide power to auxiliary circuitry


408


of the APU such as fans, pumps, etc., as well as to provide output power when the load on the APU exceeds the power produced by the motor/generator


402


. As described further below, battery


413


acts as an energy reservoir during the operation of the APU.




An emergency shunt


407


may be used to remove excess power from the high voltage DC bus in the case of an overvoltage condition in either DC bus. In one embodiment, the emergency shunt resistors are located in the water of the radiator


107


(shown in FIG.


1


). In this manner, the excess heat produced by the shunt resistors when they are utilized to remove excess power, is advantageously absorbed by the same system used to dissipate the excess heat of the APU (i.e., radiator


107


). An inverter


416


is used to deliver AC power (P


out


) to an external appliance or load


410


. The inverter


416


draws power (P


inv


) from the DC bus.




The charge level of the battery


413


reflects changes in the output load


410


. In order to provide the required power output, the power control system of

FIG. 4A

attempts to keep the battery


413


at its optimum charge, without overcharging, in response to changes in the output load


410


. The optimum charge is not necessarily a full charge and may be 80-100% of the full charge. The optimum charge is a tradeoff between keeping the battery ready for extended periods of discharge and increasing the battery cycle life. Charging the battery to nearly 100% of full charge maximizes the availability of the battery for extended periods of discharge but also stresses the battery, resulting in a shorter battery cycle life. Charging the battery to less than full charge reduces the stresses placed on the battery and thereby extends the battery cycle life but also reduces the energy available in the battery for sudden load changes. The selection of the optimum charge will depend on the expected load variations placed on the APU and the battery capacity and is well within the scope of one of ordinary skill in the power management art. In a preferred embodiment, the optimum charge is set at 90% of full charge. Another goal of the power control system is to reduce the fuel consumption of the engine by maximizing the efficiency from fuel input to power output. The power control system of

FIG. 4A

adjusts the engine temperature and the engine speed in order to produce the desired battery charge and thus, the required power output.




The charge of the battery


413


may be roughly estimated by the battery voltage. As described above, differences between the load power (P


out


) and the power generated by the Stirling engine (P


mech


or P


amp


) will result in power flow to or from the battery


413


. For example, if the engine does not produce enough power to meet the demand of the load


410


, the battery


413


will provide the remaining power necessary to support the load


410


. If the engine produces more power than required to meet the demand of the load


410


, the excess power may be used to charge the battery


413


. The power control system determines whether it is necessary to command the engine to produce more or less power in response to changes in the load. The engine speed and engine temperature are then adjusted accordingly to produce the required power. When the battery


413


is being discharged (i.e. The demand from the load


410


is greater than the power produced by the engine for extended periods of time), the engine temperature and speed are adjusted so that the engine produces more power. Typically, the engine temperature and speed are increased in order to produce more power. Preferably, when more power is needed, raising engine temperature is given preference over raising engine speed. Conversely, when the battery


413


is being charged for extended periods of time (i.e., the engine is producing more power than the load


410


demands), the engine temperature and speed are decreased to decrease the amount of power produced by the engine. Typically, the engine temperature and speed are adjusted to decrease the amount of power produced by the engine. Preferably, when less power is needed, reducing engine speed is given preference over reducing engine temperature.




Once the power control system determines the desired engine temperature and speed based on the desired battery power, the power control system sends a temperature command to the burner control unit


109


(shown in

FIG. 1

) indicating the desired engine temperature and a speed command to the generator


402


indicating the desired engine speed. As mentioned above, the speed of the engine may be controlled by modulating the torque applied to the crankshaft of the engine by the motor/generator


402


using the motor amplifier


405


. As such, the generator


402


acts as an adjustable load on the engine. When the generator


402


increases demand on the engine, the load on the crankshaft increases and thereby slows down the speed of the engine. The motor amplifier


405


adjusts the motor current in order to obtain the necessary torque in the motor and accordingly the necessary engine speed.




A Stirling cycle engine (or other external combustion engine) typically has a long response time to sudden changes in the load (i.e., there is a time lag between the engine's receipt of a increase or decrease temperature command and the engine reaching the desired temperature). The power control system, therefore, is designed to account for the lengthy response time of a Stirling cycle engine. For a sudden increase in the load


410


, the torque load applied by the generator


402


on the crankshaft of the engine is reduced, thereby allowing the crankshaft to speed up and temporarily maintain an increased power output of the generator


402


until an increased temperature command sent to the burner control unit


109


(shown in

FIG. 1

) takes effect. For a sudden load decrease, the torque applied by the generator


402


on the crankshaft of the engine may be increased in order to slow down the crankshaft and decrease the power output until a decreased temperature command sent to the burner control unit takes effect. The excess charge or power produced by the generator


402


may be used to charge the battery


413


. As discussed above, any further excess electrical energy may also be directed to the emergency shunt


407


. The process of controlling the temperature of the engine using the burner control unit


109


is described in more detail below with respect to

FIGS. 6-11

.





FIG. 4B

is a schematic block diagram of a method for determining the desired engine temperature and speed in order to provide the required electrical power to maintain the optimal charge for the battery and meet the applied load. First, at block


420


, the power control system estimates the state of charge of the battery. The estimated battery state of charge (Q


est


) is determined using the measured battery current (I


B


) as well as, when necessary, an adjustment current (I


adj


) as shown in the following equation:








Q




est


(


t


)=


Q




est


(


t−dt


)+


I




B


(


t


)


dt+I




adj


(


t


)


dt,


  (Eqn. 1)






in block


420


. When the engine is first started, the initial estimated state of charge (Q


est


) is set to a preselected value. In a preferred embodiment, the initial state of charge value is 10% of full charge. The adjustment current is then used to correct the battery current such that Q


est


approaches a value near the actual state of charge. By selecting a low initial value for Q


est


at startup, faster correction is achieved because a lower value for Q


est


allows for a higher charging current.




The adjustment current may be selected based on the known V-I characteristics of the battery. In a preferred embodiment, the battery is a lead-acid battery. The determination of the V-I plane for a particular battery is well within the scope of one of ordinary skill in the art. The V-I plane for the battery


413


(shown in

FIG. 4A

) may be divided into operating regions where the state of the charge of the battery is reasonably known. The measured battery voltage, V


B


, and battery current, I


B


, are used to identify the current state of the battery in the V-I plane. The estimated charge Q


est


is then compared to the identified state of charge corresponding to the region of the V-I plane in which the measured battery voltage and current fall. The adjustment current, I


adj


, is estimated by taking the product of a constant, which is a function of the measured voltage and current of the battery, and the difference between the estimated state of charge Q


est


and the state of charge estimated using the V-I plane and the measured battery voltage and current.




At block


422


, a power error P


err


is determined by comparing the desired battery power P


batdes


and the actual battery power P


B


. The power error P


err


is indicative of whether the APU must produce more or less power output. The actual battery power P


B


is the measured battery power flowing into the battery (I


B


V


B


). The desired battery power may be estimated using two methods. The first method is based on the charging voltage of the battery V


chg


and the second method is based on the estimated state of charge Q


est


of the battery. In the following discussion, the desired battery power estimated using the first method will be referred to as P


v


and the desired battery power estimated using the second method will be referred to as P


Q


.




The first method estimates a desired battery power, P


v.


using the charging voltage of the battery (V


chg


). In a preferred embodiment, P


v


is estimated using the following equation:








P




V




=V




chg


*MAX[


I




min




,I




B




]−I




oc


,  (Eqn. 2).






The charging voltage V


chg


is the optimum battery voltage to keep the battery charged and is typically specified by the manufacturer of a particular battery. For example, in a preferred embodiment, the lead-acid battery has a charging voltage of 2.45V/cell. V


chg


is multiplied by the larger of either the measured battery current (I


B


) or a predetermined minimum current value (I


min


) I


min


may be selected based on the known characteristics of the V-I plane of the battery. For example, in one embodiment, when the measured battery voltage V


B


is much less than V


chg


, I


min


may be set to a high value in order to quickly increase the voltage of the battery, V


B


, up to V


chg


. If V


B


is near V


chg


, I


min


may be set to a low value as it will not require as much additional energy to bring the battery voltage V


B


up to V


chg


. If V


B


is greater than V


chg


, however, an overcharge current I


oc


may be subtracted from the greater of I


B


and I


min


in order to avoid an overvoltage condition.




The second method estimates a desired battery power P


Q


based on the estimated state of charge (Q


est


) of the battery (as determined in block


420


). In a preferred embodiment, P


Q


is estimated using the following equation:








P




Q




=K




Q


(


Q




G




−Q




est


)−(η


I




bus




V




bus




−I




B




V




B


),  (Eqn. 3)






where:




K


Q


is a gain constant that may be configured, either in design of the system or in real-time, on the basis of current operating mode and operating conditions as well as the preference of the user;




Q


G


is the desired state of charge of the battery;




I


bus


is the measured bus current exiting the motor amplifier;




V


bus


is the measured bus voltage; and




η is an estimated efficiency factor for the DC/DC converter (shown in

FIG. 4A

) between the motor amplifier and the battery.




The desired power P


Q


is based on the difference between the desired charged state Q


G


of the battery and the estimated charge state Q


est


of the battery. Q


G


is a predetermined value between 0 (fully discharged) and 1 (fully charged) and represents the state of charge the controller is trying to maintain in the battery. In a preferred embodiment, the desired state of charge of the battery is 90% of full charge. The farther away the estimated battery charge Q


est


is from the desired charge state Q


G


, the more power which can safely be requested to charge the battery. The closer Q


est


is to Q


G


, the less power that is needed to bring the battery voltage, V


B


, up to V


chg


.




The estimation of the desired battery power P


Q


is also adjusted to account for possible load changes. If the load on the APU were suddenly decreased, the excess power produced by the engine must be directed elsewhere until the amount of power generated by the engine may be reduced (i.e., the system has time to react to the sudden change in load). The excess power represents the worst case additional power that could flow into the battery if the load were suddenly removed from the system. Accordingly, it is desirable to select a desired battery power which leaves room in the battery to absorb the excess power produced by a change in the load. The excess power is subtracted from P


Q


in order to leave additional room in the battery to absorb the excess power. The excess power may be determined by comparing the power generated by the engine to the power entering the battery and is represented by the term ηI


bus


V


bus


−I


B


V


B


in Eqn. 3 above. The power generated by the engine is estimated using the bus voltage V


bus


measured at the motor amplifier and the bus current I


bus


measured exiting the motor amplifier. The power entering the battery is the product of the measured battery voltage and current (I


B


V


B


).




At block


422


, the minimum of the two estimated desired battery powers P


V


and P


Q


is used to determine the power error P


err


. The power error P


err


is the difference between the selected desired battery power and the measured power flowing into the battery as shown by the following equation:








P




err


=MIN[


P




v




,P




Q




]−I




B




V




B


, (Eqn. 4)






The measured power P


B


flowing into the battery is the product of the measured battery current I


B


and the measured battery voltage V


B


. As mentioned above, the power error P


err


is indicative of whether the APU must produce more or less power output. In other words, if the actual battery power is less than the desired battery power, the APU will need to produce more power (i.e., increase speed and temperature). If the actual battery voltage is greater than the desired battery voltage, the APU will need to produce less power (i.e., decrease speed and temperature).




In response to the power error signal P


err


, the power control system produces an engine temperature command signal output (T) and an engine speed command signal output (ω) at block


424


which indicate the engine temperature and speed required to produce the desired power. In a preferred embodiment, the engine temperature T is proportional to the engine speed and the integral of a function of P


err


. In this embodiment, T is governed by the control law












T
=



f



t




,

where:















f
=


K
it



P
err








when






ω
mot


<

ω
motidle


;






f
=



K
it



P
err


+

K
drift








when






P
err




0





and






ω
mot




ω
motidle


;

and







f
=

K
drift






when






P
err


<

0





and






ω
mot


>


ω
motidle

.














(

Eqn





5

)













In the above control law, ω


mot


is the measured engine speed, ω


motidle


is a predetermined nominal engine speed, and K


it


is a gain constant. When the speed of the engine is greater than a nominal motor speed, an additional drift term (K


drift


) is added which has the effect of slowly increasing the engine temperature as well as indirectly decreasing the engine speed to the nominal speed of the engine. Operation of the engine at the nominal engine speed maximizes the efficiency of the engine.




In a preferred embodiment, the speed of the engine (ω) is proportional to the power error P


err


and the integral of P


err


and is governed by the following control law:






ω=ω


min




+K




pw




P




err




+K




iw




∫P




err




dt


  (Eqn. 6)






where:




ω


min


represents the minimum allowable engine speed; and




K


pw


and K


iw


are gain constants.




The motor speed, ω, is limited to be at least some minimum speed ω


min


. The engine speed is also limited to a maximum speed ω


max


to reduce the engine cooling effect when the speed increases.





FIG. 5

shows the structural details of the power electronics circuitry of FIG.


4


A. The generator


502


is coupled to a battery


513


, an inverter


516


, an amplifier


505


and an emergency shunt


507


. The behavior of these elements is similar to that described above with respect to

FIGS. 4A and 4B

.




As discussed above with respect to

FIGS. 4A and 4B

, once the power control system determines the desired engine temperature and speed required to maintain the optimal charge level of the battery, a speed command (ω) is sent to the generator


402


(shown in

FIG. 4A

) indicating the desired engine speed and a temperature command (T) is sent to the burner control unit


109


(shown in

FIG. 1

) indicating the desired engine speed. Returning to

FIG. 1

, the burner control unit


109


controls the burner


104


to achieve the desired engine temperature. The burner control unit


109


delivers a clean burning fuel, preferably propane, supplied from a fuel canister


110


to the burner


104


. The burner control unit


109


also delivers a measured amount of air to the burner


104


to ensure substantially complete combustion of the fuel. The burner control unit


109


sets the fuel and air flow rates to provide the required engine temperature and to minimize emissions.




In order to achieve high efficiency and low emissions such that APU


100


may be used inside a residence to advantageously provide both electrical power and heat, Stirling engine


101


and burner


104


provide substantially complete combustion. Preferred methods of improving thermal efficiency and providing low emissions of Stirling engine


101


will now be discussed in more detail in reference to

FIGS. 6-11

. Components of such thermal efficiency include efficient pumping of an oxidant (typically air, and, referred to herein as “air”) through the burner


104


to provide combustion, and the recovery of hot exhaust leaving the heater head


330


(shown in

FIG. 3

) of the Stirling engine. In many applications, air (or other oxidant) is pre-heated, prior to combustion, nearly to the temperature of the heater head


330


, so as to achieve thermal efficiency. There is still a considerable amount of energy left in the combustion gases after the heater head of the Stirling engine has been heated, and, as known to persons skilled in the art, a heat exchanger may be used to transfer heat from the exhaust gases to the combustion air prior to introduction into burner


104


. A preheater assembly is discussed in more detail below with respect to FIG.


8


.




In addition, minimizing emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) requires a lean fuel-air mixture which still achieves complete combustion. A lean fuel air mixture has more air than a stoichiometric mixture (i.e., 15.67 grams of air per gram of propane, for example). As more air is added to the fuel, the emissions of CO, HC and NOx decrease until the amount of air is large enough that the flame becomes unstable. At this point, pockets of the fuel-air mixture will pass through the burner without complete combustion. Incomplete combustion of the fuel-air mixture produces large amounts of CO and HC. The CO and HC emissions will continue to increase as more air is added to the fuel-air mixture until the flame extinguishes at a Lean Blow-Out limit (“LBO”). The LBO will increase as the temperature of the incoming air (i.e., the preheated air) increases. As a result, the optimal fuel-air ratio decreases as the temperature of the preheated air increases during the warmup phase of the engine. Once the engine is warmed up, the fuel-air ratio is adjusted to minimize the emissions produced and to maintain a stable flame. As used in this description and the following claims, a fuel-air ratio is the ratio of the mass of the fuel to the mass of the air flowing into the combustion chamber of the burner.




Accordingly, the fuel-air ratio is first controlled by the burner controller (shown in

FIG. 1

) to provide the optimal fuel-air ratio for ignition. Once the flame is proved, the fuel-air ratio is controlled to minimize emissions based upon the temperature of the preheated air and the fuel type. The burner control unit then controls the fuel flow rate to bring the heater head


330


temperature up to the commanded temperature. The air flow rate is adjusted in order to maintain a desired level of oxygen in the exhaust of the engine as the fuel flow rate changes and as the air preheat temperature changes.





FIG. 6

is a schematic block diagram of the power control system including the burner control unit


609


. APU controller


611


calculates the required engine temperature and engine speed at block


606


as discussed above with respect to

FIGS. 4A and 4B

. The desired engine temperature (i.e. The desired temperature of the heater head) is provided as a temperature command input


607


to the burner control unit


609


. A slew rate limiter


601


is advantageously used to limit the increase in engine temperature so that the temperature increase is gradual in order to minimize temperature over- and under-shoot. Upon receiving a temperature command


607


from the APU controller


611


for an engine temperature above a minimum operating temperature, the burner control unit


609


initiates a lighting sequence for the burner


604


. A water pump (not shown) and a radiator fan(not shown) are controlled to maintain the temperature of the coolant.




A given fuel will only ignite over a limited range of fuel-air ratios. At ignition, an ignition fuel-air ratio chosen which is equal to or less than the stoichiometric fuel-air ratio corresponding to the fuel being used. In a preferred embodiment, where the fuel is propane, the ignition fuel-air ratio is set to 0.1 grams propane per grams air. The ignition fuel air ratio is maintained until the flame stabilizes and the temperature of the interior of the combustion chamber of the burner


604


increase to a warmup temperature. In a preferred embodiment, the ignition fuel-air ratio is maintained until the heater head


330


temperature reaches 300° C.




Once the flame is stabilized, and the temperature of the combustion chamber of the burner reaches the desired warmup temperature, the fuel-air ratio is then controlled based on the air preheat temperature and the fuel type. As described above, the optimal fuel-air ratio of the fuel-air mixture decreases as the temperature of the preheated air increases. The optimal fuel-air ratio first decreases linearly from a “start” fuel-air ratio for room temperature air to a “run” fuel-air ratio, for warmed up preheated air temperature. The air is considered fully warmed up when it exceeds its known ignition temperature. For example, the ignition temperature for propane is 490° C. In a preferred embodiment, where the fuel is propane, the “start” fuel-air ratio is 0.052 grams fuel to gram air, which results in approximately 4% oxygen in the exhaust of the engine. The “run” fuel-air ratio in the preferred embodiment is 0.026 grams fuel to gram air, which results in approximately 13% oxygen in the exhaust of the engine. Once the air reaches its warmed up preheated temperature, the air flow rate is adjusted to maintain the optimal fuel-air ratio for the warmed up preheated temperature. The air flow rate may be adjusted, for example, in response to a change in the fuel flow rate or a change in the air preheat temperature.




In the embodiment of

FIG. 6

, the fuel-air ratio may be determined by measuring the air and fuel mass flow rates. The air flow rate may be measured with a pressure sensor and a venturi tube at the blower


605


. The fuel flow rate may be determined from the pressure upstream and downstream of a set of fuel control valves and monitoring which valves are currently commanded open. In an alternative embodiment, the fuel-air ratio may be based on the measurement of the oxygen content in the exhaust of the APU as shown in FIG.


7


. An oxygen sensor may be placed in the engine to sample the exhaust gas and measure the percentage of oxygen in the exhaust.




Returning to

FIG. 6

, the engine temperature (T


head


) is measured and compared to the desired engine temperature


607


using a feed back loop. The engine temperature will continue to be increased (by increasing the fuel and air flow rates) until the engine temperature reaches the desired engine temperature. As discussed previously, the slew rate limiter


601


provides a gradual increase in the temperature to minimize temperature over- and under-shoot. When the APU controller


611


commands a heater head temperature below a minimum heater head temperature, the burner controller


609


turns off the fuel and air and controls the water pump and radiator fan to avoid coolant boil-over.




In addition to providing the optimal fuel-air ratio, the fuel and air combusted in burner


604


must be well-mixed with sufficient amounts of oxygen to limit the emission of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) and, additionally, must be burned at low enough flame temperatures to limit the formation of oxides of nitrogen (NO


x


). The high temperature of pre-heated air, which as described above is desirable for achieving high thermal efficiency, complicates achieving low emission goals by making it difficult to premix the fuel and air and requiring large amounts of excess air in order to limit the flame temperature. As used herein, the term “auto-ignition temperature” is defined as the temperature at which a fuel will ignite without a temperature-decreasing catalyst under existing conditions of air and fuel pressure. The typical preheated air temperature exceeds the auto-ignition temperature of most fuels, potentially causing the fuel air mixture to ignite before entering the combustion chamber of the burner. One solution to this problem is to use a non-pre-mixed diffusion flame. However, since such diffusion flames are not well mixed, higher than desirable emissions of CO and NOx result. A detailed discussion of flame dynamics is provided by Turns,


An Introduction to Combustion: Concepts and Applications


, (McGraw-Hill, 1996), which is incorporated herein by reference. An increased air flow provided to limit flame temperature typically increases the power consumed by an air pump or blower, thereby degrading overall engine efficiency.




In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, low emissions and high efficiency may be provided by producing a pre-mixed flame even in the presence of air heated above the auto-ignition temperature of the fuel, and additionally, by minimizing the pressure drop between the air inlet and the flame region thereby minimizing blower power consumption.




The term “flame speed” is defined as the speed at which a flame front will propagate through a particular fuel-air mixture. Within the specification and the following claims, the term “combustion axis” shall refer to the direction of predominant fluid flow upon combustion of the fluid.




Typical components of the burner and preheater assemblies, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, are described with reference to

FIG. 8



a


. The target range for combustion gases is 1700-2300 K, with a preferred range of 1900-1950 K. Operating temperatures are limited by the strength of heater head


330


which must contain working fluid at an operating pressure of typically several atmospheres and by the oxidation resistance of the burner structure. Since the strength and oxidation resistance of metals typically decreases at high temperatures, it is important to shield metal components from the high combustion temperatures. To that end, burner


122


is surrounded by a ceramic combustion chamber


804


, itself encased in a metal combustion chamber liner


806


, thermally sunk to heater head


330


and cooled by incoming air from the preheater path or by exhaust gases


810


. Additionally, heater head


330


is shielded from direct flame heating by head flame cap


802


. The exhaust products of the combustion process follow path


808


past heater head


330


through a channel providing for efficient transfer of heat to the heater head and to the working gas contained within the heater head.




The overall efficiency of a thermal engine is dependent in part on the efficiency of heat transfer between the combustion gases and the working fluid of the engine. In order to increase the efficiency of heat transfer from exhaust products of the combustion process generated by burner


122


, to the working fluid contained within heater head


330


of the engine, a large wetted surface area, on either side of heater head


330


is required. Referring to

FIG. 3

, heater head


330


is substantially a cylinder having one closed end


332


(otherwise referred to as the cylinder head) and an open end


334


. Closed end


332


is disposed in burner


122


as shown in

FIG. 8



a


. Referring to

FIG. 8



b


, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, fins or pins may be used to increase the interfacial area between the hot fluid combustion products and the solid heater head


330


so as to transfer heat, in turn, to the working fluid of the engine. Heater head


330


may have heat transfer pins


152


, disposed on the exterior surface as shown in FIG.


8




b


, so as to provide a large surface area for the transfer of heat by conduction to heater head


330


, and thence to the working fluid, from combustion gases flowing from burner


122


(shown in

FIG. 8



a


) past the heat transfer pins. Heat transfer pins may also be disposed on the interior surface (not shown) of heater head


330


. Interior-facing heat transfer pins serve to provide a large surface area for the transfer of heat by conduction from heater head


330


to the working fluid.




The use and method of manufacture of heat transfer pins is described in copending U.S. patent application No. 09/517,123, attorney docket number 2229/105, titled “Stirling Engine Thermal System Improvements”, incorporated by reference above.




Depending on the size of heater head


330


, hundreds or thousands of inner transfer pins and outer heat transfer pins may be desirable. In accordance with certain embodiments of the invention, individual arrays of pins


150


, comprise arcuate fractions of the circumferential distance around the heater head


330


. This is apparent in the top view of the heater head assembly shown in perspective in

FIG. 8



b


. Between successive heat transfer pin array segments


150


are trapezoidal dividers


506


which are baffled to block the flow of exhaust gases in a downward direction through any path other than past the heat transfer pins. Since exhaust gases do not flow through dividers


506


, a temperature sensor, such as thermocouple


138


is advantageously disposed in divider


506


in order to monitor the temperature of heater head


330


with which the temperature sensor is in thermal contact.




Temperature sensing device


138


is preferably disposed within divider


506


as depicted in

FIG. 8



b


. More particularly, temperature sensing tip


139


of temperature sensor


138


is preferably located in the slot corresponding to divider


506


as nearly as possible to cylinder head


332


in that this area is typically the hottest part of the heater head. Alternatively, temperature sensor


138


might be mounted directly to cylinder head


332


, however location of the sensor in the slot, as described, is preferred. Engine performance, in terms of both power and efficiency, is highest at the highest possible temperature, yet the maximum temperature is typically limited by metallurgical properties. Therefore, sensor


138


should be placed to measure the temperature of the hottest, and therefore the limiting, part of the heater head. Additionally, temperature sensor


138


should be insulated from combustion gases and walls of divider


506


by ceramic insulation (not shown). The ceramic can also form an adhesive bond with the walls of the divider to retain the temperature sensor in place. Electrical leads


144


of temperature sensor


138


should also be electrically insulated.




Returning to

FIG. 8



a


, exhaust gases follow path


808


past heater head


330


and are then channeled up along path


810


, between chamber liner


806


and inner insulation


812


, thereby absorbing additional heat from chamber liner


806


, with the additional advantage of preventing overheating of the chamber liner. The exhaust gases are then returned downward through preheater


814


and exhausted around the circumference of heater head


330


as shown by arrows designated


816


. Preheater


814


allows for exchange of heat from the exhaust gases to air taken in from the ambient environment, typically by an air pump or blower. Preheater


814


may be fabricated from corrugated folder fins, typically, Inconel, however, any means for exchange of heat from the exhaust to the input air is within the scope of the present invention.




Referring now to

FIGS. 9



a


-


9




c


, an intake manifold


899


is shown for application to a Stirling cycle engine or other combustion application in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, fuel is pre-mixed with air that may be heated above the fuels auto-ignition temperature and a flame is prevented from forming until the fuel and air are well mixed.

FIG. 9



a


shows a preferred embodiment of the apparatus including an intake manifold


899


and a combustion chamber


910


. The intake manifold


899


has an axisymmetrical conduit


901


with an inlet


903


for receiving air


900


. Air


900


is pre-heated to a temperature, typically above 900 K, which may be above the auto-ignition temperature of the fuel. Conduit


901


conveys air


900


flowing inward radially with respect to combustion axis


920


to a swirler


902


disposed within the conduit


901


.





FIG. 9



b


shows a cross sectional view of the conduit


901


including swirler


902


in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment of

FIG. 9



b


, swirler


902


has several spiral-shaped vanes


926


for directing the flow of air


900


radially inward and imparting a rotational component on the air. The diameter of the swirler section of the conduit decreases from the inlet


924


to the outlet


922


of swirler


902


as defined by the length of the swirler section conduit


901


. The decrease in diameter of swirler vanes


926


increases the flow rate of air


900


in substantially inverse proportion to the diameter. The flow rate is increased so that it is above the flame speed of the fuel. At outlet


922


of swirler


902


, fuel


906


, which in a preferred embodiment is propane, is injected into the inwardly flowing air.




In a preferred embodiment, fuel


906


is injected by fuel injector


904


through a series of nozzles


928


as shown in

FIG. 9



c


. More particularly,

FIG. 9



c


shows a cross sectional view of conduit


901


and includes the fuel jet nozzles


928


. Each of the nozzles


928


is positioned at the exit of the swirler vanes


926


and is centralized between two adjacent vanes. Nozzles


928


are positioned in this way for increasing the efficiency of mixing the air and fuel. Nozzles


928


simultaneously inject the fuel


906


across the air flow


900


. Since the air flow is faster than the flame speed, a flame will not form at that point even though the temperature of the air and fuel mixture is above the fuel's auto-ignition temperature. In a preferred embodiment, where propane is used, the preheat temperature, as governed by the temperature of the heater head, is approximately 900 K.




Referring again to

FIG. 9



a


, the air and fuel, now mixed, referred to hereafter as “air-fuel mixture”


909


, is transitioned in direction through a throat


908


which has a contoured fairing


930


and is attached to the outlet


907


of the conduit


901


. Fuel


906


is supplied via fuel regulator


932


. Throat


908


has an inner radius


914


and an outer dimension


916


. The transition of the air-fuel mixture is from a direction which is substantially transverse and radially inward with respect to combustion axis


920


to a direction which is substantially parallel to the combustion axis. The contour of the fairing


930


of throat


908


has the shape of an inverted bell such that the cross sectional area of throat


908


with respect to the combustion axis remains constant from the inlet


911


of the throat to outlet


912


of the throat. The contour is smooth without steps and maintains the flow speed from the outlet of the swirler to the outlet of the throat


908


to avoid separation and the resulting recirculation along any of the surfaces. The constant cross sectional area allows the air and fuel to continue to mix without decreasing the flow speed and causing a pressure drop. A smooth and constant cross section produces an efficient swirler, where swirler efficiency refers to the fraction of static pressure drop across the swirler that is converted to swirling flow dynamic pressure. Swirl efficiencies of better than 80% may typically be achieved by practice of the invention. Thus, the parasitic power drain of the combustion air fan may be minimized.




Outlet


912


of the throat flares outward allowing the air-fuel mixture


909


to disperse into the chamber


910


slowing the air-fuel mixture


909


thereby localizing and containing the flame and causing a toroidal flame to form. The rotational momentum generated by the swirler


902


produces a flame stabilizing ring vortex as well known in the art. The operation of the fuel intake valve as shown in

FIGS. 9



a


-


9




c


is further described in pending U.S. patent application No. 09/116,383, filed Jul. 14, 1998, which is herein incorporated by reference.




In order to safely operate a burner, it is important to be able to sense or detect the presence of the flame. If the flame is extinguished, the flame should be relit or the fuel supply to the burner be shut off within a few seconds. Otherwise, the burner and APU may fill up with a flammable mixture, which if ignited would produce a fire or explosion. Several types of flame sensors are used in the art such as thermocouples, flame rectification, infrared (“IR”) and ultraviolet (“UV”) detectors.




In a preferred embodiment, where the fuel is propane, the high temperature of the preheated air and propane fuel mixture prevents the use of several standard flame sensing strategies. A standard single thermocouple flame sensor will not be able to accurately detect a flame because the flame-on temperature varies with the preheated air temperature. In addition, the preheated air temperature is often greater than the flame-on temperature for most thermocouple flame detectors. An IR sensor may not be able to distinguish between the hot ceramic interior of the combustion chamber of the burner and a flame. IR and UV sensors present additional difficulties as they are relatively large in size compared to the burner and require an optical path to the combustion chamber. In the lean burning conditions of a preferred embodiment, flame rectification may not reliably detect a flame-on or flame-out event.





FIGS. 10 and 11

illustrate methods of reliably detecting a flame in a combustion chamber of a burner in accordance with embodiments of the invention. In

FIG. 10

, a flame detector thermocouple


1002


is mounted in the Stirling heater head


1008


so that it extends from the top of the heater head


1008


far enough to measure the temperature of the combustion gases. The flame detector thermocouple


1002


must also be mounted in a position so that it does not exceed its operating temperature. A flame is considered present if the flame thermocouple temperature is significantly greater than the average measured heater head temperature. The average heater head temperature is measured using a head thermocouple


1004


. In the presence of a flame, the flame thermocouple will become much hotter than the sensors used to measure the heater head temperature. If the flame goes out, the flame thermocouple temperature will rapidly approach the heater head temperature. In a preferred embodiment, the flame thermocouple extends 2 mm above the heater head and proves the presence of a flame if the temperature difference between the flame detector thermocouple


1002


and the head thermocouple


1004


is 100° C.




In a alternative embodiment, as shown in

FIG. 11

, a flame thermocouple


1104


is mounted in the Stirling burner extending through the combustion chamber liner


1108


to the edge of the combustion chamber


1106


as shown in FIG.


11


. The flame thermocouple


1104


should not extend so far that it exceeds it operating temperature. A flame is considered present if the flame thermocouple temperature is significantly greater than the measured heater head temperature. The heater head temperature may be measured using a head thermocouple


1004


as shown in FIG.


10


. In a preferred embodiment, the flame thermocouple extends to the edge of the combustion chamber and proves the presence of a flame if the temperature difference between the flame thermocouple


1104


and the head thermocouple


1004


is 100° C.




In an a further embodiment, as shown in

FIG. 11

, the temperature of the flame thermocouple


1104


is compared to the measured swirler temperature. A flame is considered present if the flame thermocouple temperature is significantly greater than the measured swirler temperature. The swirler temperature is measured using a swirler thermocouple


1102


. In a preferred embodiment, the flame thermocouple extends to the edge of the combustion chamber and proves the presence of a flame if the temperature difference between the flame thermocouple


1104


and the swirler thermocouple


1102


is 100° C.




In yet another embodiment, a flame thermocouple is mounted on either the heater head or in the combustion chamber as shown in

FIGS. 10 and 11

. Transitions in the flame are detected by monitoring the time rate of change of the flame thermocouple temperature (dT/dt). Flame ignition will produce a positive change in the flame thermocouple temperature. Extinguishing the flame or having a flame-out condition will produce a negative change in the flame thermocouple temperature. During the ignition procedure, the flame is considered not lit, until the change in the flame thermocouple temperature exceeds a predefined threshold value in ° C./sec. Thereafter, the flame is considered lit until the change in flame thermocouple temperature drops below a negative threshold value in −° C./sec. In a preferred embodiment, the flame-on threshold temperature rate is 3° C./sec and the flame-out threshold temperature rate is −2° C./sec.





FIG. 12

shows a front view of an APU where the front panel of the enclosure


1200


has been removed for interior viewing. The Stirling engine (not shown) and generator (not shown) are enclosed in a pressure vessel


1201


. A handle


1202


is attached to the enclosure for ease of portability. As discussed above with respect to

FIG. 1

, the APU is advantageously of a portable size. In an alternative embodiment, the APU may be placed in a window or mounted on the wall of a room in a building. A fuel canister holder


1203


is attached to the enclosure


1200


and holds the fuel canister. The fuel canister is mounted to the exterior of the enclosure


1200


for ease of replacement. The pressure vessel


1201


is mounted to the enclosure


1200


via vibration mounts in order to reduce vibration and noise.

FIG. 13

shows the back view of the embodiment shown in FIG.


12


and the location of a blower


1300


, the power control circuitry


1301


and the burner control circuitry


1302


.




In an alternative embodiment, the APU may be configured to mount in a window to provide power and air conditioning as shown in FIG.


14


. During colder months the APU draws room air past vent


1413


in the solid line position, through engine radiator


1403


and returns the heated air to the room through an evaporator radiator


1406


, thus, providing forced-air heating to the room


1411


as well as electric power. The amount of heating provided is controlled through a vent


1412


which varies the amount of heated air returned to the room versus exhausted to the outside. During moderately warm months, the APU draws room air through the engine radiator


1403


and exhausts all of the air outside through the vent


1412


, thus, cooling the house by creating a breeze of fresh air. The APU also produces electric power. In the hottest months, a portion of the mechanical power of the Stirling engine/generator


1402


is used to power an air conditioner


1405


, which cools the room air by drawing the room air past vent


1413


in the dashed line position and through evaporator heat exchanger


1406


using a fan


1407


. Vent


1413


rotates about a pin


1414


to move between two positions as shown in

FIG. 14

as solid and dashed lines. The engine radiator fan


1404


reverses direction from the previous description to draw outside air in past vent


1412


, through the engine radiator


1403


and exhausts the air through a flap vent


1415


to the outside. The air conditioner


1405


draws in additional air through a condenser radiator


1416


and vents it back outside. In the air conditioning mode, less electrical power is available to a user.




The air conditioner may be one of three embodiments, all well known to one of ordinary skill in the refrigeration art. In a preferred embodiment, a vapor compression unit is used that is readily available in a suitable size for a one room cooler. In an alternative embodiment, an ammonia/water cooler is used which draws less electrical power thereby providing more electrical power to the users for lights, etc. In another embodiment, a duplex Stirling engine may be used that has an additional set of pistons that provide cooling to a fluid pumped through the evaporator radiator


1406


. The duplex Stirling engine would reject heat to the condenser radiator


1408


.





FIG. 15

illustrates a personal transport vehicle utilizing an APU as described above in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The compact size and electrical output of the APU may provide personal transport by incorporating the APU into a motorized scooter as shown in FIG.


15


. The APU/scooter designated generally by


1500


has a body covering


1501


covering the APU components and a wheel motor (not shown). A Stirling engine


1505


is mounted to the scooter and connected to a fuel supply


1506


and a radiator


1508


. The electrical output of the Stirling engine is stored in a battery stack


1507


. An electrical outlet


1509


is optionally connected to the battery stack


1507


to provide electricity when the scooter is not being used for transportation. The battery stack


1507


is connected to the scooter wheel motor to power the motor when the scooter is being used for transportation.




The described embodiments of the invention are intended to be merely exemplary and numerous variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. An auxiliary power system for providing electrical power and heat to an indoor area, the system comprising:an external combustion engine for generating mechanical energy and thermal energy, the external combustion engine burning a fuel and having substantially complete combustion such that exhaust emissions from the external combustion engine are below a predetermined exhaust level; a generator, coupled to the external combustion engine, the generator for converting the mechanical energy of the external combustion engine to electrical power; a first power output for providing electrical power; a housing containing the external combustion engine and the generator, such that the external combustion engine, generator and housing combination is a portable size; a battery coupled to the generator and the first power output, the battery for providing starting power for the external combustion engine and for providing power to the first power output; and a sensor coupled to the battery and producing an output signal wherein the charge level of battery is determined based in part on the sensor output signal; wherein the thermal energy generated by the external combustion engine heats the atmosphere in the indoor area surrounding the housing.
  • 2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the output signal is a signal representing the battery voltage and current.
  • 3. An auxiliary power system for providing electrical power and heat to an indoor areas, the system comprising:a Stirling cycle engine having a crankshaft and a combustion chamber, the Stirling cycle engine for generating mechanical energy and thermal energy, the Stirling cycle engine burning a fuel and having substantially complete combustion such that exhaust emissions of the Stirling cycle engine are below a predetermined exhaust level; a first power output for providing electrical energy; a generator coupled to the crankshaft of the Stirling cycle engine and the first power output, the generator for converting the mechanical energy of the Stirling cycle engine to electrical energy; a battery coupled to the generator, the battery for providing starting power for the Stirling cycle engine and for providing power to the first power output; and a housing containing the Stirling cycle engine, the generator, and the battery such that the Stirling cycle engine, generator battery and housing combination is a portable size.
  • 4. An auxiliary power system according to claim 3, wherein the housing may be mounted in a window, the system further including an air conditioning module, coupled to the Stirling cycle engine, the air conditioning module for cooling the atmosphere surrounding the housing.
  • 5. An auxiliary power system according to claim 3, wherein the fuel is propane.
  • 6. An auxiliary power system according to claim 3, wherein the electrical power is direct current power.
  • 7. An auxiliary power system according to claim 3, wherein the housing may be mounted in a window or on a wall in a room of a building.
  • 8. A system for controlling the power output of a thermal engine having a heater head, the system comprising:a. a burner for delivering heat to the heater head of the engine, the burner having an exhaust gas product; b. an input for receiving a signal related to a specified temperature of operation of the burner; c. a fuel supply regulator for delivering fuel to the burner at a specified rate of fuel delivery; d. a blower for delivering air to the burner; e. a sensor for monitoring an oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas product of the burner; and f. a controller for governing the rate of fuel and air delivery based at least on the input related to the specified temperature of operation and the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas product.
  • 9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the input for receiving a signal further includes a slow rate limiter.
  • 10. A system for controlling the power output of an external combustion engine, the external combustion engine having a crankshaft and a speed, the system comprising:a generator, coupled to the crankshaft of the external combustion engine, the generator for regulating the speed of the external combustion engine; an amplifier coupled to the generator, the amplifier for transferring power from the generator to a power output and providing a load on the generator; and a battery coupled to the generator, the battery for storing power and providing power to the power output; wherein the speed and a temperature of the external combustion engine are controlled in a manner to maintain a set of desired battery conditions.
  • 11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the external combustion engine is a Stirling cycle engine.
  • 12. A system according to claim 10, wherein the generator is a permanent magnet brushless motor.
  • 13. A system according to claim 10, wherein the desired battery condition is a constant battery charge.
  • 14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the constant battery charge is 90% of full charge.
  • 15. A system according to claim 13, wherein the constant battery charge is in the range of 80-100% of full charge.
  • 16. A system according to claim 10, further including:a radiator thermally coupled to the external combustion engine, the radiator containing a fluid for the absorption of excess heat; and a set of shunt resistors coupled to the generator and the amplifier, the set of shunt resistors contained within the liquid of the radiator, the set of shunt resistors for dissipating excess power produced by the external combustion engine.
  • 17. A method for controlling the power output of an external combustion engine, the external combustion engine having a crankshaft and a speed, the method comprising:regulating the speed of the external combustion engine using a generator coupled to the crankshaft of the external combustion engine; transferring power from the generator to a power output using an amplifier coupled to the generator; providing a load on the generator using the amplifier; storing power in a battery, the battery providing power to the power output; and controlling the speed and a temperature of the external combustion engine in a manner to maintain a set of desired battery conditions.
  • 18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the external combustion engine is a Stirling cycle engine.
  • 19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the generator is a permanent magnet brushless motor.
  • 20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the desired battery charge is a constant battery charge.
  • 21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the constant battery charge is 90% full charge.
  • 22. A method according to claim 20, wherein the constant battery charge is in the range of 80-100% of full charge.
  • 23. A system for controlling the power output of a thermal engine having a heater head, the system comprising:a. a burner for delivering heat to the heater head of the engine, the burner having an exhaust gas product; b. a fuel supply regulator for delivering fuel to the burner at a specified rate of fuel delivery; c. a blower for delivering air to the burner; d. a head temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the heater head; e. a sensor for monitoring an oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas product of the burner; and f. a controller for governing the rate of fuel and air delivery based at least on the temperature of the heater head and the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas product.
  • 24. A system according to claim 23, wherein the heater head includes a region of an exterior surface shadowed from flow of the exhaust gas.
  • 25. A system according to claim 24, wherein the head temperature sensor is disposed in the region of an exterior surface shadowed from flow of the exhaust gas.
  • 26. A system for controlling the power output of a thermal engine having a heater head, the system comprising:a. a burner for delivering heat to the heater head of the engine, the burner having an exhaust gas product; b. a fuel supply regulator for delivering fuel to the burner at a specified rate of fuel delivery; c. a blower for delivering air to the burner; d. a head temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the heater head; e. an air mass flow sensor for measuring the mass of air delivered to the burner; and e. a controller for governing the rate of fuel and air delivery based at least on the temperature of the heater head and the mass of air delivered to the burner.
  • 27. A system for controlling the power output of a thermal engine having a heater head, the system comprising:a. a burner for delivering heat to the heater head of the engine, the burner having an exhaust gas product and characterized by a combustion axis; b. a fuel supply regulator for delivering fuel to the burner at a specified rate of fuel delivery; c. a blower for delivering air to the burner; d. a swirler having axial symmetry about the combustion axis for conveying radially inwardly flowing air; e. a head temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the heater head; f. a swirler temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of air delivered to the burner; and e. a controller for governing the rate of fuel and air delivery based at least on the temperature of the heater head and the temperature of air delivered to the burner.
  • 28. An auxiliary power system for providing electrical power to a load, the system comprising:(a) an external combustion engine having a rotating crankshaft characterized by a velocity, the engine characterized by an engine temperature; (b) a generator coupled to the rotating crankshaft, the generator regulating the velocity of the crankshaft and producing electrical power; (c) an amplifier coupled to the generator, the amplifier transferring electrical power from the generator to the load; (d) a battery characterized by a charge state, the battery coupled to the amplifier, the battery capable of storing electrical power from the amplifier and capable of transferring electrical power to the load; and (e) a controller in signal communication with the engine, amplifier, and battery, the controller commanding the engine temperature and the velocity based in part on the charge state of the battery.
  • 29. A system for providing power to a personal transport vehicle having a set of wheels including at least one member and a wheel motor coupled to the set of wheels for causing, when powered, locomotion of the personal transport vehicle, the system comprising:an external combustion engine for generating mechanical energy and thermal energy, the external combustion engine burning a fuel in a burner and having substantially complete combustion such that the exhaust emissions from the external combustion engine are below a predetermined exhaust level; a fuel supply, coupled to the burner of the external combustion engine, the fuel supply for providing a fuel to the burner at a specified rate of fuel delivery; a generator coupled to the external combustion engine, the generator for converting the mechanical energy produced by the external combustion engine to electrical power; a battery having an input and an output, the battery input coupled to the generator and the battery output coupled to the wheel motor, the battery for storing electrical energy provided from the generator at the battery input and for providing power to the wheel motor at the battery output; and a radiator thermally coupled to the external combustion engine, the radiator containing a fluid for the absorption of excess thermal energy.
  • 30. A mobile auxiliary power unit comprising:an external combustion engine having a crankshaft characterized by a velocity and a heater head characterized by a head temperature, the external combustion engine for generating mechanical energy and thermal energy, the external combustion engine burning a fuel and having substantially complete combustion such that exhaust emissions from the external combustion engine are below a predetermined exhaust level; a generator having an output, the generator coupled to the crankshaft of the external combustion engine and for converting the mechanical energy produced by the external combustion engine into electrical power provided to the output of the generator; a battery having a battery output and coupled to the output of the generator, the battery characterized by a state of charge and providing starting power to the external combustion and providing power to the battery output; a controller in signal communication with the external combustion engine, the generator and the battery, the controller governing the velocity of the crankshaft and the temperature of the heater head based at least on the state of charge of the battery; and a wheel motor coupled to the battery output and coupled to a set of wheels, including at least on member such that the wheel motor, when powered by the battery, drives the set of wheels causing the locomotion of the mobile auxiliary power unit.
  • 31. A mobile auxiliary power unit according to claim 30, further including a platform coupled to the set of wheels, the platform for supporting a user.
  • 32. A mobile auxiliary power unit according to claim 30, wherein the external combustion engine is a Stirling cycle engine.
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