Cogeneration system

Abstract

A cogeneration system has an advantage that a cogeneration section is divided into a main unit and a sub unit, and an engine and a generator are included in the main unit, to thus enable the main unit and the sub unit to be installed at different locations, so that the main unit can be installed on the ground floor or basement of a building to thus minimize building vibrations or noises generated by a load, and the sub unit can be installed near to an air conditioner to thus minimize the length of a refrigerant passage, thereby reducing the installation cost and the flow passage resistance.

1 . A cogeneration system, comprising: 
 an air conditioner having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit;    a main unit including a driving source for generating heat and a waste heat recovery device for recovering waste heat of the driving source; and    a sub unit installed between the air conditioner and the main unit, and including a waste heat supplying heat exchanger for supplying the heat recovered by the waste heat recovery device to the air conditioner.    
   
   
       2 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , wherein the main unit and the sub unit are connected by a heat medium passage through which a heat medium transferring heat to the waste heat supplying heat exchanger from the waste heat recovery device can circulate.  
   
   
       3 . The cogeneration system of  claim 2 , wherein the heat medium passage includes a main unit heat medium passage installed so as to pass through the waste heat recovery device within the main unit, a sub unit heat medium passage installed so as to pass through the waste heat supplying heat exchanger within the sub unit, and a unit connecting passage connecting the main unit heat medium passage and the sub unit heat medium passage.  
   
   
       4 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , wherein the sub unit and the air conditioner are connected by a refrigerant passage through which a refrigerant transferring heat to the outdoor unit from the waste heat supplying heat exchanger can circulate.  
   
   
       5 . The cogeneration system of  claim 4 , wherein the refrigerant passage includes a sub unit refrigerant passage installed so as to pass through the waste heat supplying heat exchanger within the sub unit, an air conditioner refrigerant passage installed so that the refrigerant can circulate through the air conditioner, and an air conditioner connecting passage connecting the sub unit refrigerant passage and the air conditioner refrigerant passage.  
   
   
       6 . The cogeneration system of  claim 5 , wherein the sub unit refrigerant passage has a bypass passage for allowing the refrigerant to bypass the waste heat supplying heat exchanger during the cooling operation of the air conditioner.  
   
   
       7 . The cogeneration system of  claim 6 , wherein the bypass passage has a first check valve for preventing reverse flow of the refrigerant.  
   
   
       8 . The cogeneration system of  claim 5 , wherein the sub unit refrigerant passage has a second check valve for preventing reverse flow of the refrigerant that has passed through the waste heat supplying heat exchanger.  
   
   
       9 . The cogeneration system of  claim 5 , wherein the sub unit refrigerant passage has an on-off valve for preventing the refrigerant from being introduced into the waste heat supplying heat exchanger during the cooling operation of the air conditioner.  
   
   
       10 . The cogeneration system of  claim 5 , wherein the air conditioner connecting passage is connected between the sub unit and the outdoor unit of the air conditioner.  
   
   
       11 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , wherein the sub unit has a radiator for radiating the heat recovered by the waste heat recovery device.  
   
   
       12 . The cogeneration system of  claim 11 , wherein the heat radiator is a radiation heat exchanger connected to the inlet side of the waste heat supplying heat exchanger by a radiation passage.  
   
   
       13 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , wherein the main unit further includes a main unit controller for controlling the engine.  
   
   
       14 . The cogeneration system of  claim 13 , wherein the main unit further comprises a main unit temperature sensor which senses a temperature of the heat medium circulating through the waste heat recovery device and transmits a sensing signal to the main unit controller.  
   
   
       15 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , wherein the sub unit further includes a sub unit controller for controlling the passages of the heat medium and the refrigerant circulating in the sub unit.  
   
   
       16 . The cogeneration system of  claim 15 , wherein the sub unit further comprises a main unit temperature sensor which senses a temperature of the refrigerant circulating through the waste heat recovery device and transmits a sensing signal to the sub unit controller.  
   
   
       17 . A cogeneration system, comprising: 
 an air conditioner having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit;    a main unit including a driving source for generating heat and a waste heat recovery device for recovering waste heat of the driving source; and    a sub unit installed between the air conditioner and the main unit, and including a waste heat supplying heat exchanger for supplying the heat recovered by the waste heat recovery device to the air conditioner and a radiator for radiating the heat recovered by the waste heat recovery device.    
   
   
       18 . The cogeneration system of  claim 17 , wherein the main unit and the sub unit are connected by a heat medium passage through which a heat medium transferring heat to the waste heat supplying heat exchanger from the waste heat recovery device can circulate.  
   
   
       19 . The cogeneration system of  claim 18 , wherein the sub unit and the air conditioner are connected by a refrigerant passage through which a refrigerant transferring heat to the outdoor unit from the waste heat supplying heat exchanger can circulate.  
   
   
       20 . The cogeneration system of  claim 19 , wherein the main unit further includes a main unit controller for controlling the engine, and 
 the sub unit further includes a sub unit controller for controlling the passages of the heat medium and the refrigerant circulating in the sub unit.