Cooling, heating and power system with an integrated part-load, active, redundant chiller

Abstract

A cooling, heating and power system ( 10 ) includes a prime mover ( 12 ) for producing electricity having a thermal output ( 18 ) and an electrical output ( 20 ) coupled to an absorption chiller ( 24 ). A part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) is thermally coupled to the absorption chiller ( 24 ) for receiving a cooling-heating fluid from the absorption chiller ( 24 ). The part-load chiller ( 26 ) operates at maximum efficiency at between about forty percent and about sixty percent of a maximum cooling load of the chiller ( 26 ) to thereby generate large volumes of cooling very efficiently. The system ( 10 ) may direct the cooling into a multi-zone cooling-heating circuit ( 40 ) including a critical zone ( 42 ) and a utility zone ( 44 ) thermally coupled to the chiller ( 26 ) for selectively delivering the cooling-heating fluid to at least one of the critical zone ( 42 ) and the utility zone ( 44 ) of the circuit ( 40 ).

1 . A cooling, heating and power system ( 10 ), the system ( 10 ) comprising:
 a. a prime mover ( 12 ) for producing electricity having a thermal output ( 18 ) and an electrical output ( 20 );   b. an absorption chiller ( 24 ) thermally coupled to the thermal output ( 18 ) and electrically coupled to the electrical output ( 20 ) of the prime mover ( 12 ) for receiving heat and electricity from the prime mover ( 12 );   c. a part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 24 ) electrically coupled to the prime mover ( 12 ) for receiving electricity from the prime mover ( 12 ), and thermally coupled to the absorption chiller ( 24 ) for receiving a cooling-heating fluid from the absorption chiller ( 24 ); and,   d. wherein the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) operates at maximum efficiency at between about forty percent and about sixty percent of a maximum cooling capacity of the chiller ( 26 ).   
     
     
         2 . The system ( 10 ) of  claim 1 , further comprising a system controller ( 74 ) for controlling the absorption chiller ( 24 ) to utilize a maximum amount of thermal energy generated by the prime mover ( 12 ) while simultaneously controlling the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) to operate at maximum efficiency at between about forty percent and about sixty percent of the maximum cooling capacity of the chiller ( 26 ). 
     
     
         3 . The system ( 10 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) is secured in electrical communication with the prime mover ( 12 ) and with an exterior source ( 34 ) of electricity not generated by the prime mover ( 12 ). 
     
     
         4 . The system ( 10 ) of  claim 1 , further comprising a multi-zone cooling-heating circuit ( 40 ) including a critical zone ( 42 ) and a utility zone ( 44 ) thermally coupled to the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) through a circuit feed line ( 46 ) for directing the cooling-heating fluid into the circuit ( 40 ) and by way of a circuit pump ( 49 ) through a circuit return line ( 48 ) for returning the fluid to the absorption chiller ( 24 ), and wherein the multi-zone cooling-heating circuit ( 40 ) is configured for selectively delivering the cooling-heating fluid from the active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) to at least one of the critical zone ( 42 ) and the utility zone ( 44 ) of the circuit ( 40 ). 
     
     
         5 . The system ( 10 ) of  claim 4 , further comprising a circuit control valve ( 54 ) for selectively delivering the cooling-heating fluid from the active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) to at least one of the critical zone ( 42 ) and the utility zone ( 44 ) of the circuit ( 40 ). 
     
     
         6 . The system ( 10 ) of  claim 4 , wherein the circuit ( 40 ) is configured for directing flow of the cooling-heating fluid from the at least one of the critical zone ( 42 ) and the utility zone ( 44 ) back through the circuit return line ( 48 ) to at least one of the absorption chiller ( 24 ) and the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ). 
     
     
         7 . The system ( 10 ) of  claim 4 , further comprising an absorption chiller by-pass line ( 52 ) secured in fluid communication between a by-pass valve ( 50 ) upstream of the absorption chiller ( 24 ) and the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ), for selectively directing the cooling-heating fluid returning from the cooling-heating circuit ( 40 ) around the absorption chiller ( 24 ). 
     
     
         8 . The system ( 10 ) of  claim 4 , further comprising a part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) by-pass line ( 70 ) in fluid communication with a part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) by-pass valve ( 72 ) secured in fluid communication between the absorption chiller ( 24 ), and the circuit feed line ( 46 ) for selectively directing the cooling-heating fluid to by-pass the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ). 
     
     
         9 . A method for providing cooling, heating and power, the method comprising:
 a. directing recoverable waste heat from a prime mover ( 12 ) into an absorption chiller ( 12 );   b. utilizing the waste heat within the absorption chiller ( 24 ) to support operation of the absorption chiller ( 24 );   c. directing flow of a cooling-heating fluid through the absorption chiller ( 24 ) to cool the cooling-heating fluid;   d. controlling operation of the absorption chiller ( 24 ) at about maximum cooling capacity of the absorption chiller ( 24 ) while the cooling-heating fluid flows through the absorption chiller ( 24 );   e. then, directing flow of the cooling-heating fluid through a part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) to further cool the, cooling-heating fluid; and,   f. operating the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) at between about forty percent and about sixty percent of a maximum cooling load of the chiller ( 26 ).   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising controlling the absorption chiller ( 24 ) to utilize a maximum amount of thermal energy generated by the prime mover ( 12 ) while simultaneously controlling the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) to operate at maximum efficiency at between about forty percent and about sixty percent of the maximum cooling capacity of the chiller ( 26 ). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising selectively directing flow of the cooling-heating fluid leaving the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) into at least one of a critical zone ( 42 ) and a utility zone ( 44 ) of a multi-zone cooling-heating circuit ( 40 ) secured in fluid communication with the chiller ( 26 ). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising selectively directing flow of the cooling-heating fluid from a circuit return line ( 48 ) to by-pass the absorption chiller ( 24 ) by directing flow of the cooling-heating fluid through an absorption chiller by-pass line ( 52 ) secured in fluid communication between a by-pass valve ( 50 ) upstream of the absorption chiller ( 24 ) and the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ). 
     
     
         13 . A method of delivering cooling to a multi-zone cooling-heating circuit ( 40 ) having a critical zone ( 42 ) and a utility zone ( 44 ), the method comprising:
 a. generating electricity and recoverable waste heat within a prime mover ( 12 );   b. directing flow of the generated waste heat into an absorption chiller ( 24 );   c. cooling a cooling-heating fluid circulating through the multi-zone cooling-heating circuit ( 40 ) by flowing the cooling-heating fluid through the absorption chiller ( 24 );   d. further cooling the cooling-heating fluid by then directing flow of the fluid through a part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ); and,   e. selectively directing flow of the cooled, circulating cooling-heating fluid into at least one of the critical zone ( 42 ) and the utility zone ( 44 ).   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising controlling the absorption chiller ( 24 ) to utilize a maximum amount of waste heat generated by the prime mover ( 12 ) while simultaneously controlling the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) to operate at maximum efficiency at between about forty percent and about sixty percent of a maximum cooling capacity of the chiller ( 26 ). 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising operating at peak cooling by controlling the absorption chiller ( 24 ) to utilize a maximum amount of waste heat generated by the prime mover ( 12 ) while simultaneously controlling the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) to operate at between about ninety percent and about one-hundred percent of a maximum cooling capacity of the chiller ( 26 ), and directing flow of as much cooling from the chiller ( 26 ) into the critical zone ( 42 ) as is necessary to satisfy cooling requirements of the critical zone ( 42 ). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising operating at offnormal cooling whenever operation of the absorption chiller ( 24 ) is interrupted by controlling the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) to operate at between about ninety percent and about one-hundred percent of a maximum cooling capacity of the chiller ( 26 ), and by directing flow of as much cooling from the chiller ( 26 ) into the critical zone ( 42 ) as is necessary to satisfy cooling requirements of the critical zone ( 42 ). 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising operating at offnormal cooling whenever operation of the prime mover ( 12 ) is interrupted by directing flow of electricity into the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) from an exterior source ( 34 ) of electricity; by controlling the part-load, active, redundant chiller ( 26 ) to operate at between about ninety percent and about one-hundred percent of a maximum cooling capacity of the chiller ( 26 ); and, by directing flow of as much cooling from the chiller ( 26 ) into the critical zone ( 42 ) as is necessary to satisfy cooling requirements of the critical zone ( 42 ).