US-20260126015-A1 - INTERCHANGING DRIVE TRAIN SYSTEM

US20260126015A1US 20260126015 A1US20260126015 A1US 20260126015A1US-20260126015-A1

Abstract

In one instance, disclosed herein is an interchanging drive train system for driving a compressor comprising: an interchanging gearbox coupled to the compressor; a gas turbine selectively coupled to the interchanging gearbox via a first coupling mechanism; and an electric motor selectively coupled to the interchanging gearbox via a second coupling mechanism, wherein the interchanging gearbox is configured to allow the compressor to be interchangeably driven by the gas turbine and the electric motor.

Inventors

Richard A. TAM
Miguel Angel

Assignees

SOLAR TURBINES INCORPORATED

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241018

Claims (20)

1 . An interchanging drive train system for driving a compressor, comprising: an interchanging gearbox coupled to the compressor; a gas turbine engine selectively coupled to the interchanging gearbox via a first coupling mechanism; and an electric motor selectively coupled to the interchanging gearbox via a second coupling mechanism, wherein the interchanging gearbox is configured to allow the compressor to be interchangeably driven by the gas turbine engine and the electric motor.
2 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second coupling mechanisms are housed within the interchanging gearbox.
3 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 2 , wherein: the first and second coupling mechanisms are mechanically operated; the first coupling mechanism is configured to automatically decouple the gas turbine engine from the interchanging gearbox in response to an output speed of the electric motor exceeding an output speed of the gas turbine engine; and the second coupling mechanism is configured to automatically decouple the electric motor from the interchanging gearbox in response to the output speed of the gas turbine engine exceeding the output speed of the electric motor.
4 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 1 , wherein: the compressor is coupled to a first side of the interchanging gearbox; and the gas turbine engine and the electric motor are arranged in parallel and selectively coupled to a second side of the interchanging gearbox opposite the first side.
5 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 1 , further comprising a shared lubrication system coupled to the interchanging gearbox, the compressor, the gas turbine engine, and the electric motor.
6 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 1 , further comprising a shared air intake system coupled to the compressor and the gas turbine engine.
7 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to manage one or more aspects of an interchange of the gas turbine engine and the electric motor.
8 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 7 , further comprising at least one driver output sensor configured to detect an output speed of the gas turbine engine and an output speed of the electric motor and wherein the controller is further configured to manage one or more aspects of the interchange of the gas turbine engine and the electric motor based at least in part on the output speed of the gas turbine engine and the output speed of the electric motor detected by the at least one driver output sensor.
9 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 8 , wherein, when the gas turbine engine is coupled to the interchanging gearbox via the first coupling mechanism, the controller is further configured to manage one or more aspects of the interchange of the gas turbine engine and the electric motor by: causing the output speed of the electric motor to increase by a first rate until the output speed of the electric motor is within a threshold percentage of the output speed of the gas turbine engine; and when the output speed of the electric motor is within the threshold percentage of the output speed of the gas turbine engine, cause the output speed of the gas turbine to decrease and cause the output speed of the electric motor to increase at a second rate that is greater than the first rate.
10 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the output speed of the gas turbine engine to decrease during the interchange of the gas turbine engine and the electric motor by causing a fuel input or an air input to the gas turbine engine to be decreased.
11 . A controller for an interchanging drive train system, the interchanging drive train system comprising: a gas turbine engine; an electric motor; and an interchanging gearbox coupled to a compressor, selectively coupled to the gas turbine engine, and selectively coupled to the electric motor, wherein the interchanging drive train system is configured to allow the compressor to be interchangeably driven by the gas turbine engine and the electric motor, and wherein the controller comprises a processor configured to: receive an output speed of the gas turbine engine and an output speed of the electric motor from at least one driver output sensor coupled to the gas turbine engine and the electric motor; and manage one or more aspects of an interchange of the gas turbine engine and the electric motor based at least in part on the output speed of the gas turbine engine and the output speed of the electric motor.
12 . The controller of claim 11 , wherein, when the gas turbine engine is coupled to the interchanging gearbox, the processor is further configured to: cause the output speed of the electric motor to increase by a first rate until the output speed of the electric motor is within a threshold percentage of the output speed of the gas turbine engine; and when the output speed of the electric motor is within the threshold percentage of the output speed of the gas turbine engine, cause the output speed of the gas turbine engine to decrease and cause the output speed of the electric motor to increase at a second rate that is greater than the first rate.
13 . The controller of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the output speed of the gas turbine engine to decrease during the interchange of the gas turbine engine and the electric motor by causing a fuel input to the gas turbine engine to be decreased.
14 . The controller of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the output speed of the gas turbine engine to be decreased during the interchange of the gas turbine engine and the electric motor by causing an air input to the gas turbine engine to be decreased.
15 . The controller of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the air input to the gas turbine engine to be decreased by closing a bleed valve coupled to the gas turbine engine.
16 . An interchanging drive train system for driving a compressor, comprising: a gas turbine engine; an electric motor; an interchanging gearbox selectively coupled to the gas turbine engine via a first coupling mechanism, selectively coupled to the electric motor via a second coupling mechanism, coupled to the compressor, and configured to allow the compressor to be interchangeably driven by the gas turbine engine and the electric motor; and a controller configured to manage one or more aspects of an interchange of the gas turbine engine and the electric motor, wherein the compressor is coupled to a first side of the interchanging gearbox, and wherein the gas turbine engine and the electric motor are arranged in parallel and coupled to a second side of the interchanging gearbox opposite the first side.
17 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 16 , further comprising at least one driver output sensor coupled to the gas turbine engine and the electric motor and configured to detect an output speed of the gas turbine engine and an output speed of the electric motor.
18 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 17 , wherein: the first and second coupling mechanisms are housed within the interchanging gearbox and mechanically operated; when the gas turbine engine is coupled to the interchanging gearbox via the first coupling mechanism and when the output speed of the electric motor is within a threshold percentage of the output speed of the gas turbine engine, the controller is further configured to manage one or more aspects of the interchange of the gas turbine engine and the electric motor by decreasing the output speed of the gas turbine engine and increasing the output speed of the electric motor; and in response to the output speed of the electric motor exceeding the output speed of the gas turbine engine, the first coupling mechanism is configured to automatically decouple the gas turbine engine from the interchanging gearbox and the second coupling mechanism is configured to automatically couple the electric motor to the interchanging gearbox.
19 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 16 , further comprising a shared lubrication system coupled to the interchanging gearbox, the compressor, the gas turbine engine, and the electric motor.
20 . The interchanging drive train system of claim 19 , further comprising a shared air intake system coupled to the compressor and the gas turbine engine.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to drive trains for gas compressors, and more particularly, to methods and systems for driving a gas compressor with interchangeable drivers. BACKGROUND Natural gas accounts for approximately 30% of the energy used in the United States. Natural gas in its gaseous form is used in residential and commercial environments for heating, cooking, and to generate electricity, to name only a few applications. To be used as a fuel for vehicles, however, natural gas is typically compressed and/or cooled into compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). CNG may possess a volume that is approximately 1% of the volume of natural gas at standard atmospheric temperature and pressure; LNG may possess a volume that is approximately 1/600th of the volume of natural gas at the same conditions. The reduced volume of CNG and LNG may allow these fuels to be transported or used more easily, more safely, and/or more economically than natural gas in its gaseous form. Gas compressors may be used to produce CNG and/or LNG from gaseous natural gas. For example, a gas compressor may be used to compress gaseous natural gas into CNG. Or for example, gaseous natural gas may be fed from a pipeline into a gas compressor to raise the pressure of the natural gas to a level sufficient for further processing, or to compress refrigerants necessary to cool the gaseous natural gas. Gas compressors are typically driven by a drive train including a gas turbine engine. However, as emissions regulations become more stringent, operators of gas compressors are becoming increasingly interested in drive trains capable of utilizing flexible fuels and alternative operating methods. A hybrid dual-power drive system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. RE48,752 (the '752 patent). The hybrid dual-power drive system described in the '752 patent includes an engine and one or more dynamo-electric units. In a serial transmission mode, the engine may drive a load using rotational kinetic energy, or the engine and the one or more dynamo-electric units may drive the load using rotational kinetic energy. In a parallel power transmission mode, the engine may drive a load using rotational kinetic energy, and the one or more dynamo-electric units may drive a different electrically-powered load using electricity generated by the one or more dynamo-electric units. The '752 patent addresses systems for driving a multi-load system, rather than, for example, a single load system. The methods and systems of the present disclosure may solve one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the art. The scope of the protection provided by the present disclosure, however, is defined by the attached claims, and not by the ability to solve any specific problem. SUMMARY In one aspect, an interchanging drive train system for driving a compressor includes: an interchanging gearbox coupled to the compressor; a gas turbine engine selectively coupled to the interchanging gearbox via a first coupling mechanism; and an electric motor selectively coupled to the interchanging gearbox via a second coupling mechanism, wherein the interchanging gearbox is configured to allow the compressor to be interchangeably driven by the gas turbine engine and the electric motor. In another aspect, a controller for an interchanging drive train system comprising a gas turbine engine, an electric motor, and an interchanging gearbox coupled to a compressor, selectively coupled to the gas turbine engine, selectively coupled to the electric motor and configured to allow the compressor to be interchangeably driven by the gas turbine engine and the electric motor includes a processor configured to: receive an output speed of the gas turbine engine and an output speed of the electric motor from at least one driver output sensor coupled to the gas turbine engine and the electric motor; and manage one or more aspects of an interchange of the gas turbine engine and the electric motor based at least in part on the output speed of the gas turbine engine and the output speed of the electric motor. In another aspect, an interchanging drive train system for driving a compressor includes: a gas turbine engine; an electric motor; an interchanging gearbox selectively coupled to the gas turbine engine via a first coupling mechanism, selectively coupled to the electric motor via a second coupling mechanism, coupled to the compressor, and configured to allow the compressor to be interchangeably driven by the gas turbine engine and the electric motor; and a controller configured to manage one or more aspects of an interchange of the gas turbine engine and the electric motor, wherein the compressor is coupled to a first side of the interchanging gearbox, and wherein the gas turbine engine and the electric motor are arranged in parallel and coupled to a second side of the interchanging gearbox opposite the first side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWIN