Compressor waste heat driven cooling system
View Patent ↗Provided in some embodiments is a system that includes a gas compressor including an engine, a compressor driven by the engine, and a vapor absorption cycle (VAC) system driven by waste heat from the compressor, wherein the VAC system is configured to cool at least one medium. In other embodiments is provided a method that includes generating waste heat while compressing a gas, driving a vapor absorption cycle (VAC) system with the waste heat, and cooling at least one medium via the VAC system.
1. A system, comprising:
an engine;
a compressor driven by the engine; and
a vapor absorption cycle (VAC) system configured to vaporize a coolant from an absorbent using waste heat from the compressor, wherein the VAC system is configured to cool at least one medium.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compressor comprises a plurality of compression stages, and the VAC system is driven by waste heat from at least one of the plurality of compression stages.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the VAC system comprises a first VAC system driven by waste heat from a first compression stage, and a second VAC system driven by waste heat from a second compression stage.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the VAC system comprises a third VAC system driven by waste heat from a third compression stage.
5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the VAC system is driven by waste heat from the plurality of compression stages.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the VAC system is configured to cool a gas intake of the compressor.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the VAC system is configured to cool a controller.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the VAC system is configured to cool water.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the VAC system is configured to cool the engine.
10. A system, comprising:
a compressor comprising a plurality of compression stages configured to progressively compress a gas; and
a vapor absorption cycle (VAC) system configured to vaporize a coolant from an absorbent using heat generated during compression of the gas by at least one of the plurality of compression stages, wherein the VAC system is configured to cool at least one medium.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the VAC system comprises a first VAC system driven by heat generated during compression of the gas by a first compression stage, and a second VAC system driven by heat generated during compression of the gas by a second compression stage.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the VAC system comprises a third VAC system driven by heat generated during compression of the gas by a third compression stage.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the VAC system is driven by heat generated during compression of the gas by the plurality of compression stages.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the VAC system is configured to cool a gas intake of the compressor.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the VAC system is configured to cool electronics.
16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the VAC system is configured to cool at least one fluid.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the VAC system is configured to vaporize the coolant from the absorbent in a mixture circulating through an absorber to produce a first vaporized coolant, the VAC system is configured to route the first vaporized coolant to a condenser to produce a condensed coolant, the VAC system is configured to route the condensed coolant to an evaporator to produce a second vaporized coolant, and the VAC system is configured to route the second vaporized coolant to the absorber to be absorbed by the absorbent.
18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the VAC system is configured to vaporize the coolant from the absorbent in a mixture circulating through an absorber to produce a first vaporized coolant, the VAC system is configured to route the first vaporized coolant to a condenser to produce a condensed coolant, the VAC system is configured to route the condensed coolant to an evaporator to produce a second vaporized coolant, and the VAC system is configured to route the second vaporized coolant to the absorber to be absorbed by the absorbent.
19. A method, comprising:
generating waste heat from a compressor while compressing a gas;
vaporizing a coolant from an absorbent in a vapor absorption cycle (VAC) system with the waste heat; and
cooling at least one medium via the VAC system.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein generating waste heat comprises generating waste heat from a plurality of compression stages of the compressor.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein vaporizing the coolant from the absorbent in the VAC system with the waste heat comprises driving a first VAC system with waste heat from a first compression stage, and driving a second VAC system by waste heat from a second compression stage.
22. The method of claim 19 , wherein cooling the at least one medium comprises cooling a plurality of different media.
23. A system, comprising:
a compressor comprising first and second compression stages configured to progressively compress a gas; and
a vapor absorption cycle (VAC) system comprising a first VAC system driven by heat generated during compression of the gas by the first compression stage and a second VAC system driven by heat generated during compression of the gas by the second compression stage.
24. A method, comprising:
generating waste heat while compressing a gas in first and second compression stages;
driving a first vapor absorption cycle (VAC) system with the waste heat from the first compression stage;
driving a second vapor absorption cycle (VAC) system with the waste heat from the second compression stage; and
cooling at least one medium via the first or second VAC system.