Cogeneration system

Abstract

A cogeneration system includes a compression air conditioner including a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger; an absorption air conditioner including a regenerator, an absorber, a third heat exchanger and a fourth heat exchanger; a generator which generates electricity; a drive source which drives the generator to generate the electricity for operating the compression air conditioner and the absorption air conditioner and generates waste heat when driving the generator; and a waste heat recoverer which recovers the waste heat of the drive source and supplies the recovered waste heat to at least one of the compression air conditioner and the absorption air conditioner.

1 . A cogeneration system comprising: 
 a compression air conditioner including a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger;    an absorption air conditioner including a regenerator, an absorber, a third heat exchanger and a fourth heat exchanger;    a generator which generates electricity;    a drive source which drives the generator to generate the electricity for operating the compression air conditioner and the absorption air conditioner and generates waste heat when driving the generator; and    a waste heat recoverer which recovers the waste heat of the drive source and supplies the recovered waste heat to at least one of the compression air conditioner and the absorption air conditioner.    
   
   
       2 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 1 , wherein the waste heat recoverer comprises: 
 an exhaust gas heat exchanger which absorbs the waste heat from exhaust gas discharged from the drive source;    a cooling water heat exchanger which absorbs the waste heat from cooling water used to cool the drive source; and    a heat transfer unit which transfers the waste heat from at least one of the exhaust gas heat exchanger and the cooling water heat exchanger to at least one of the compression air conditioner and the absorption air conditioner.    
   
   
       3 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 2 , wherein the heat transfer unit comprises: 
 a heat medium circulation conduit which guides a heat medium heated by at least one of the exhaust gas heat exchanger and the cooling water heat exchanger, into the regenerator of the absorption air conditioner, thereby transferring the waste heat to the regenerator; and    a heat medium circulation pump which pumps the heat medium for circulation of the heat medium.    
   
   
       4 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a cooling heat exchanger which cools the heat medium heated by at least one of the exhaust gas heat exchanger and the cooling water heat exchanger, when the absorption air conditioner is in an OFF state; and    a cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit connected to the heat medium circulation conduit to guide the heat medium to circulate through the cooling heat exchanger.    
   
   
       5 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 a valve unit which controls the heat medium circulation conduit and the cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit such that the heat medium circulates through the cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit when the absorption air conditioner is in the OFF state, and circulates through the heat medium circulation conduit when the absorption air conditioner is in an ON state.    
   
   
       6 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 5 , wherein the heat medium circulation conduit guides the heat medium heated by the cooling water heat exchanger, such that the heat medium is re-heated in the exhaust gas heat exchanger, and then returns to the cooling water heat exchanger after transferring heat to the regenerator.  
   
   
       7 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a suction-side overheating heat exchanger which supplies the waste heat recovered by the waste heat recoverer to the compression air conditioner.    
   
   
       8 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 7 , wherein the waste heat recoverer comprises: 
 an exhaust gas heat exchanger which absorbs the waste heat from exhaust gas discharged from the drive source;    a cooling water heat exchanger which absorbs the waste heat from cooling water used to cool the drive source; and    a heat transfer unit which transfers the waste heat from at least one of the exhaust gas heat exchanger and the cooling water heat exchanger to at least one of the compression air conditioner and the absorption air conditioner.    
   
   
       9 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 8 , wherein the heat transfer unit comprises: 
 a first heat medium circulation conduit which guides a first heat medium heated by one of the exhaust gas heat exchanger and the cooling water heat exchanger, into the regenerator, thereby transferring the waste heat to the regenerator; and    a second heat medium circulation conduit which guides a second heat medium heated by the other one of the exhaust gas heat exchanger and the cooling water heat exchanger, into the suction-side overheating heat exchanger, thereby transferring the waste heat to the suction-side overheating heat exchanger.    
   
   
       10 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 a cooling heat exchanger which cools the first heat medium and the second heat medium respectively heated by one of the exhaust gas heat exchanger and the cooling water heat exchanger, when the absorption air conditioner is in an OFF state or when the compression air conditioner operates in a cooling mode;    a first cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit connected between the cooling heat exchanger and the first heat medium circulation conduit; and    a second cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit connected between the cooling heat exchanger and the second heat medium circulation conduit.    
   
   
       11 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a first valve unit which guides the second heat medium such that the second heat medium circulates through the second cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit when the compression air conditioner operates in a cooling mode, and circulates through the second heat medium circulation conduit when the compression air conditioner operates in a heating mode.    
   
   
       12 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a refrigerant circulation conduit which guides a refrigerant into the compressor;    a bypass conduit which guides the refrigerant through the suction-side overheating heat exchanger when the compression air conditioner operates in the heating mode; and    a second valve unit which guides the refrigerant to pass through a selected one of the refrigerant circulation conduit and the bypass conduit.    
   
   
       13 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 8 , wherein the heat transfer unit comprises: 
 a first heat medium circulation conduit which guides a heat medium heated by the cooling water heat exchanger, such that the heat medium is re-heated by the exhaust gas heat exchanger, and then returns to the cooling water heat exchanger after transferring heat to the regenerator of the absorption air conditioner; and    a second heat medium circulation conduit connected to the first heat medium circulation conduit to guide the heat medium emerging from the regenerator, to guide through the suction-side overheating heat exchanger when the compression air conditioner operates in a heating mode.    
   
   
       14 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a first valve unit which controls the first heat medium circulation conduit and the second heat medium circulation conduit such that the heat medium circulates through the first heat medium circulation conduit when the absorption air conditioner is in an ON state and the compression air conditioner operates in a cooling mode, and such that the heat medium emerging from the regenerator circulates through the suction-side overheating heat exchanger via the second heat medium circulation conduit when the compression air conditioner operates in the heating mode.    
   
   
       15 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 a third heat medium circulation conduit connected to the first heat medium circulation conduit to guide the heat medium such that the heat medium bypasses the regenerator when the absorption air conditioner is in an OFF state.    
   
   
       16 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a second valve unit which controls the first heat medium circulation conduit and the third heat medium circulation conduit such that the heat medium passes through the third heat medium circulation conduit when the absorption air conditioner is in the OFF state, and passes through the first heat medium circulation conduit when the absorption air conditioner is in the ON state.    
   
   
       17 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 a cooling heat exchanger which cools the heat medium when the compression air conditioner operates in the cooling mode; and    a cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit connected to the second heat medium circulation conduit to guide the heat medium to circulates through the cooling heat exchanger.    
   
   
       18 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 a third valve unit which controls the second heat medium circulation conduit and the cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit such that the heat medium circulates through the cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit when the compression air conditioner operates in the cooling mode and the absorption air conditioner is in the OFF state of, and circulates through the second heat medium circulation conduit when the compression air conditioner operates in the heating mode.    
   
   
       19 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a refrigerant circulation conduit which guides a refrigerant into the compressor;    a bypass conduit which guides the refrigerant through the suction-side overheating heat exchanger when the compression air conditioner operates in the heating mode; and    a fourth valve unit which guides the refrigerant, which is sucked toward the compressor, to pass through a selected one of the refrigerant circulation conduit and the bypass conduit.    
   
   
       20 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a cooling heat exchanger which cools a heat medium emerging from the waste heat recoverer.    
   
   
       21 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 1 , wherein the compression air conditioner further includes a reversing valve and an expansion device.  
   
   
       22 . The cogeneration system according to  claim 1 , wherein the absorption air conditioner further includes a reversing valve and an expansion device.  
   
   
       23 . A method of utilizing waste heat of a drive source, comprising the steps of: 
 generating the waste heat from the drive source when the drive source drives to generate electricity; and    supplying the waste heat to at least one of a compression air conditioner and a absorption air conditioner.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the step of supplying the waste heat includes: 
 absorbing the waste heat from exhaust gas discharged from the drive source;    absorbing the waste heat from cooling water used to cool the drive source; and    transferring the waste heat absorbed from the exhaust gas and the waste heat absorbed from the cooling water to at least one of the compression air conditioner and the absorption air conditioner.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of transferring the waste heat includes transferring the waste heat to a regenerator of the absorption air conditioner by providing a heat medium circulation conduit which guides a heat medium heated by at least one of the exhaust gas and the cooling water into the regenerator of the absorption air conditioner when the absorption air conditioner is in an ON state.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of cooling the heat medium when the absorption air conditioner is in an OFF state by providing a cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit connected to the heat medium circulation conduit to guide the heat medium to circulate through a cooling heat exchanger.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of transferring the waste heat includes: 
 supplying the waste heat absorbed from the exhaust gas to a regenerator of the absorption air conditioner via a first heat medium; and    supplying the waste heat absorbed from cooling water to the compression air conditioner via a second heat medium when the compression air conditioner operates in a heating mode.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the step of cooling the first heat medium when the absorption air conditioner is in an OFF state by providing a first cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit to guide the heat medium to circulate through a cooling heat exchanger.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the step of cooling the second heat medium when the compression air conditioner operates in a cooling mode by providing a second cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit to guide the heat medium to circulate through a cooling heat exchanger.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprise the steps of: 
 circulating the second heat medium through the second cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit to cooling heat exchanger when the compression air conditioner operates in the cooling mode; and    circulating the second heat medium through a second heat medium circulation conduit when the compression air conditioner operates in the heating mode.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprise the steps of: 
 guiding a refrigerant for the compressor to receive the waste heat absorbed from the cooling water when the compression air conditioner operates in the heating mode; and    guiding the refrigerant for the compressor to not receive the waste heat absorbed from the cooling water when the compression air conditioner operates in the cooling mode.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of transferring the waste heat includes transferring the waste heat to a regenerator of the absorption air conditioner by providing a heat medium circulation conduit which guides a heat medium heated by the exhaust gas and the cooling water into the regenerator of the absorption air conditioner.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the step of transferring the waste heat includes: 
 guiding the heat medium heated by the cooling water via a first heat medium circulation conduit to be reheated by the exhaust gas and then into the regenerator of the absorption air conditioner; and    guide the heat medium emerging from the regenerator via a second heat medium circulation conduit to transfer the waste heat to the compression air conditioner when the compression air conditioner operates in a heating mode.    
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the step of guiding the heat medium heated by the cooling water via the first heat medium circulation conduit includes circulating the heat medium through the first heat medium circulation conduit when the absorption air conditioner is in an ON state and the compression air conditioner operates in a cooling mode; and wherein the step of guiding the heat medium emerging from the regenerator via the second heat medium circulation conduit includes circulating the heat medium through the second heat medium circulation conduit when the compression air conditioner operates in the heating mode.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising 
 guiding the heat medium via a third heat medium circulation conduit to bypass the regenerator when the absorption air conditioner is in an OFF state    
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising the step of cooling the heat medium when the absorption air conditioner is in the OFF state by providing a cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit connected to the second heat medium circulation conduit to guide the heat medium to circulate through a cooling heat exchanger.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising the steps of: 
 circulating the heat medium through the cooling heat exchanger circulation conduit when the absorption air conditioner is in the OFF state and the compression air conditioner operates in the cooling mode; and    circulating the heat medium through the second heat medium circulation conduit when the compression air conditioner operates in the heating mode.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprise the steps of: 
 guiding a refrigerant for the compressor to receive the waste heat when the compression air conditioner operates in the heating mode; and    guiding the refrigerant for the compressor to not receive the waste heat when the compression air conditioner operates in a cooling mode.