Thermoelectric driven gas well heat pump

Abstract

A system for providing heat to natural gas well pipes and equipment uses a thermoelectric generator to supply electricity to a motor and gear pump. The thermoelectric generator drives a DC brushless motor and gear pump in order to circulate heated glycol from a dehydrator through a heating tube to thereby heat the pipes and equipment. Batteries may be used to buffer the power supply to prevent overloading the thermoelectric generator.

1 . A system for heating natural gas well pipes and equipment comprising:
 a thermoelectric generator having a burner and a plurality of thermocouples and configured for producing an electrical current;   a motor operating from electrical current produced by the thermoelectric generator;   a pump driven by the motor;   a tube connected to the pump and having a heated fluid therein, the tube being disposed along pipe and equipment to thereby heat the equipment.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a battery disposed between the generator and the motor. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the motor is a brushless DC motor, and wherein the system further comprises a motor controller for receiving power from the thermoelectric generator and for driving the motor. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric generator uses natural gas as a fuel source. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the heated fluid is glycol. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a natural gas dehydrator which uses glycol to remove water from natural gas, and wherein heated glycol from the dehydrator is circulated through the tube. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising insulation disposed around the tube and the equipment which is heated by the tube. 
     
     
         8 . A system for heating natural gas or oil well pipes and equipment comprising:
 a thermoelectric generator having a burner and a thermocouple array; the generator receiving a fuel supply from the well and for burning the fuel source to heat the thermocouple array and thereby produce electricity;   a motor connected to the generator for receiving electricity therefrom to drive the motor;   a pump connected to the motor such that the motor drives the pump; and   a tube filled with a heated liquid and connected to the pump such that the pump circulates the liquid through the tube, the tube being disposed along well pipes or equipment to thereby heat the pipes or equipment.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the thermoelectric generator receives natural gas from a natural gas well as a fuel source, and wherein the system is used to heat pipes and equipment associated with said natural gas well. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the system further comprises a motor controller for receiving electricity from the generator and for operating the motor. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the motor is a DC brushless motor. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the pump is a gear pump. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the heated liquid is a glycol. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the heated glycol is from a natural gas dehydrator. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising insulation disposed to enclose the tube and pipes or equipment.