ORC for transporting waste heat from a heat source into mechanical energy and cooling system making use of such an ORC
First Claim
1. An Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) installation for transforming heat from a heat source into mechanical energy, the ORC installation comprising:
- a closed circuit containing a two-phase working fluid, the closed circuit comprising a liquid pump for circulating the two-phase working fluid in the closed circuit consecutively through an evaporator which is configured to be placed in thermal contact with said heat source;
through an expander for transforming thermal energy of the two-phase working fluid into mechanical energy; and
through a condenser which is in thermal contact with a cooling element,wherein the expander is physically located above the evaporator and a fluid outlet of the evaporator is connected to a fluid inlet of the expander by a raiser column which is filled with a mixture of liquid working fluid and of gaseous bubbles of the working fluid in a way such that the liquid working fluid flows into the evaporator to replace the gaseous bubbles of the working fluid produced in the evaporator, said mixture being supplied to the expander, and in that the raiser column extends with at least a part at a same level or above a level of the fluid inlet of the expander in such a way that a gravitational flow of the liquid working fluid is used to supply at least some of the working fluid from the raiser column to the expander,wherein the condenser is primarily located at a lower level than the expander in such a way that a gravitational flow of the liquid working fluid is used to supply the working fluid from the expander to the condenser,wherein the evaporator is primarily located at a lower level than the condenser in such a way that a gravitational flow of the liquid working fluid is used to supply the working fluid from the condenser to the evaporator, andwherein the ORC installation is designed such that, in case the expander and/or the liquid pump are not operational, the ORC installation operates as a self circulating circuit, driven by thermal gravitational effects on the fluid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) device and method for transforming heat from a heat source into mechanical energy. The ORC includes a closed circuit containing a two phase working fluid. The circuit comprises a liquid pump for circulating the working fluid consecutively through an evaporator which is configured to be placed in thermal contact with the heat source; through an expander for transforming the thermal energy of the working fluid into mechanical energy; and through a condenser which is in thermal contact with a cooling element. The expander is situated above the evaporator. The fluid outlet of the evaporator is connected to the fluid inlet of the expander by a raiser column which is filled with a mixture of liquid working fluid and of gaseous bubbles of the working fluid, which mixture is supplied to the expander.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) installation for transforming heat from a heat source into mechanical energy, the ORC installation comprising:
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a closed circuit containing a two-phase working fluid, the closed circuit comprising a liquid pump for circulating the two-phase working fluid in the closed circuit consecutively through an evaporator which is configured to be placed in thermal contact with said heat source;
through an expander for transforming thermal energy of the two-phase working fluid into mechanical energy; and
through a condenser which is in thermal contact with a cooling element,wherein the expander is physically located above the evaporator and a fluid outlet of the evaporator is connected to a fluid inlet of the expander by a raiser column which is filled with a mixture of liquid working fluid and of gaseous bubbles of the working fluid in a way such that the liquid working fluid flows into the evaporator to replace the gaseous bubbles of the working fluid produced in the evaporator, said mixture being supplied to the expander, and in that the raiser column extends with at least a part at a same level or above a level of the fluid inlet of the expander in such a way that a gravitational flow of the liquid working fluid is used to supply at least some of the working fluid from the raiser column to the expander, wherein the condenser is primarily located at a lower level than the expander in such a way that a gravitational flow of the liquid working fluid is used to supply the working fluid from the expander to the condenser, wherein the evaporator is primarily located at a lower level than the condenser in such a way that a gravitational flow of the liquid working fluid is used to supply the working fluid from the condenser to the evaporator, and wherein the ORC installation is designed such that, in case the expander and/or the liquid pump are not operational, the ORC installation operates as a self circulating circuit, driven by thermal gravitational effects on the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) installation for transforming heat from a heat source into mechanical energy, the ORC installation comprising:
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a closed circuit containing a two-phase working fluid, the closed circuit comprising a liquid pump for circulating the two-phase working fluid in the closed circuit consecutively through an evaporator which is configured to be placed in thermal contact with said heat source;
through an expander for transforming thermal energy of the two-phase working fluid into mechanical energy; and
through a condenser which is in thermal contact with a cooling element,wherein a fluid outlet of the evaporator is connected to a fluid inlet of the expander by a raiser column which is filled with a mixture of liquid working fluid and of gaseous bubbles of the working fluid, and where in the installation is configured so that the liquid working fluid flows into the evaporator to replace the gaseous bubbles of the working fluid produced in the evaporator, said mixture being supplied to the expander, and in that the raiser column extends with at least a part at a same level or above a level of the fluid inlet of the expander in such a way that a gravitational flow of the liquid working fluid is used to supply at least some of the working fluid from the raiser column to the expander, wherein the condenser is primarily located at a lower level than the expander in such a way that a gravitational flow of the liquid working fluid is used to supply the working fluid from the expander to the condenser, wherein the evaporator is primarily located at a lower level than the condenser in such a way that a gravitational flow of the liquid working fluid is used to supply the working fluid from the condenser to the evaporator, and wherein the ORC installation is designed such that, in case the expander and/or the liquid pump are not operational, the ORC installation operates as a self circulating circuit, driven by thermal gravitational effects on the fluid.
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Specification