Uncoupled, thermal-compressor, gas-turbine engine

• US 20110000182A1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: George Lasker
• Original Assignee: George Lasker
• Inventors: Lasker, George
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/39.24
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/04 the working fluid being heated indirectly in a fluidised-bed combustor F02C3/205
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/05 characterised by the type or source of heat, e.g. using nuclear or solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/00 Plural gas-turbine plants; Combinations of gas-turbine plants with other apparatus; Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for special use
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/04 of closed-cycle type
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/064 having a gas turbine cycle, i.e. compressor and gas turbine combination
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/068 having other power cycles, e.g. Stirling or transcritical, supercritical cycles; combined with other power sources, e.g. wind, gas or nuclear
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/20 Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/04 of ceramic; of concrete; of natural stone
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/086 having one or more openings therein forming tubular heat-exchange passages
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

The invention is for a continuous-combustion, closed-cycle, gas turbine engine with a regenerator and a displacer. It has embodiments that remove heater and cooler interior volumes during gas compression, which enable it to scale well to very large sizes. Low combustion temperatures insure very low emissions. The displacer levitated by an integral gas bearing and small clearance seal and given oscillatory translational motion by electromagnetic forces operates without surface wear. The turbine blades, subjected only to warm gases, are durable and inexpensive. Thus, this engine has a very long, continuous, maintenance-free service life. This gas turbine engine also operates without back work allowing high efficiency for both low and rated output. Pressurized encapsulation permits use of low-cost ceramics for high temperature components. The invention includes a unique monolithic ceramic heater, a compact high-capacity regenerator and a constant-power gas turbine.

Claims

1. A constant-power, variable-speed gas turbine assembly comprising:

(a) a gas nozzle for receiving low-velocity, high-pressure gas and discharging high-velocity, low-pressure gas;

(b) a first turbine blade mounted on a shaft downstream of the nozzle for receiving gas from the nozzle and discharging the gas at a lower velocity thereby generating a first impulse which imparts torque to the shaft;

(c) a stator mounted in the gas turbine assembly downstream from the first turbine blade for changing the direction of gas flow;

(d) a second turbine blade mounted on the shaft for receiving the gas flow from the stator when the gas velocity is greater than the velocity of the second turbine blade and reducing the gas velocity thereof generating a second torque producing impulse and thereby maintaining near constant torque on the shaft;

(e) an internal discharge which receives and discharges gas from the stator when the velocity of the gas is less than the velocity of the second turbine blade; and

(f) a high pressure turbine housing enclosing the gas turbine assembly;

wherein the assembly converts a portion of the energy of the high pressure gas into mechanical spinning shaft power and maintains near constant power output over a specified turbine rotational speed range and eliminates the need for a separate transmission.

3. A gas turbine assembly according to claim 1 or 2, having a second turbine in the turbine assembly with a forward and reverse capability and a second capability to retard forward motion.

4. A gas turbine pair according to claim 3 having means for minimizing a retarding torque of the second turbine when it is spinning in reverse and further comprising a mask that covers the stator.

5. A gas turbine assembly according to claim 4 comprising means for magnetically transferring the torque of the turbine contained in the high pressure turbine housing to a region with a different pressure and further comprising:

(a) a nonmagnetic and dielectric window in the high pressure turbine housing;

(b) means attached to the spinning elements of the turbine for inducing a magnetic field positioned in close proximity to the nonmagnetic and dielectric window; and

(c) means for coupling the magnet field attached to the turbine spinning magnet to a shaft which is external to the high-pressure containment, turbine structure.

6. A gas turbine according to claim 5, including means to maintain a near uniform torque output while the intake pressure at the turbine nozzle is fluctuating and further comprising:

(a) means to vary the gas flow rate at the turbine nozzle;

(b) a pressure gauge that measures the pressure upstream of the nozzle; and

(c) a nozzle controller that modulates the nozzle flow.

7. A gas turbine assembly according to claim 6, further comprising:

(a) a planetary reduction gear attached to the turbine output; and

(b) a disk brake system attached to the turbine output thereby enabling the turbine assembly to be utilized in a vehicle-wheel-mountable device.

8. A gas turbine assembly according to claim 3, with elements that can convert mechanical energy into compressed gas energy by operating in reverse comprising:

(a) a computer that receives turbine velocity and storage tank pressure data and uses this data to determine the number of turbine blade passes required to achieve a desired high gas velocity;

(b) a storage tank for receiving compressed gas;

(c) a single-pass, discharge nozzle for receiving compressed gas when a single turbine blade can induce the desired velocity increase as determined by the computer and delivers a low-pressure, low-velocity gas to a first turbine blade;

(d) a compression nozzle for receiving and compressing low-pressure, high-velocity gas from the first turbine blade delivering low-velocity, high-pressure gas to the storage tank; and

(e) a double pass discharge nozzle for receiving compressed gas when two-turbine blades operating in series can induce the desired velocity as determined by the computer and delivers low-pressure, low-velocity gas to a second turbine blade which in turn delivers high-velocity, low-pressure gas to a stator which in turn delivers the high-velocity, low-pressure gas to a first turbine blade which in turn delivers an even higher-velocity, low-pressure gas to the compression nozzle and thereafter to the storage tank.

2. A heat engine to power a gas turbine, where gas compression is mechanically uncoupled from the output drive and where a quasi-constant-pressure process is used and comprising:

(a) a thermal compressor which receives gas at engine ambient pressure and discharges it at a higher pressure,

(b) constant-power, variable-speed gas turbine assembly for receiving compressed gas from the thermal compressor comprising;

(1) a gas nozzle for receiving low-velocity, high-pressure gas and discharging high-velocity, low-pressure gas;

(2) a first turbine blade mounted on a shaft downstream of the nozzle for receiving gas from the nozzle and discharging the gas at a lower velocity thereby generating a first impulse which imparts torque to the shaft;

(3) a stator mounted in the gas turbine assembly downstream from the first turbine for changing the direction of gas flow;

(4) a second turbine blade mounted on the shaft for receiving the gas flow from the stator when the gas velocity is greater than the velocity of the second turbine blade and reducing the velocity thereof generating a second torque producing impulse and thereby maintaining near constant torque on the shaft;

(5) an internal discharge which receives and discharges gas from the stator when the velocity of the gas is less than the velocity of this second turbine blade; and

(6) a high pressure turbine housing enclosing the gas turbine assembly.