Closed Cycle Brayton Cycle System and Method
First Claim
1. A Brayton cycle unit, the unit comprising:
- a multistage compressor configured to compress a flowing medium;
a first heat exchanger fluidly connected to the multistage compressor and configured to transfer heat from a working medium passing the first heat exchanger to the compressed flowing medium;
an expander fluidly connected to the first heat exchanger and configured to expand the heated compressed flowing medium for producing a rotation of a shaft of the expander; and
a second heat exchanger fluidly connected between the expander and the compressor and configured to remove heat from the expanded flowing medium,wherein a path of the flowing medium through the multistage compressor, the first heat exchanger, the expander and the second heat exchanger is closed, andwherein there is at least one inter-cooler mechanism between first and second stages of the multistage compressor configured to cool the flowing medium between the first and second stages to a predetermined temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and unit for generating energy with improved efficiency. A Brayton cycle unit includes a multistage compressor configured to compress a flowing medium; a first heat exchanger fluidly connected to the multistage compressor and configured to transfer heat from a working medium passing the first heat exchanger to the compressed flowing medium; an expander fluidly connected to the first heat exchanger and configured to expand the heated compressed flowing medium for producing a rotation of a shaft of the expander; and a second heat exchanger fluidly connected between the expander and the compressor and configured to remove heat from the expanded flowing medium. A path of the flowing medium through the unit is closed. At least one inter-cooler mechanism between first and second stages of the multistage compressor is configured to cool the flowing medium to a predetermined temperature.
52 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A Brayton cycle unit, the unit comprising:
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a multistage compressor configured to compress a flowing medium; a first heat exchanger fluidly connected to the multistage compressor and configured to transfer heat from a working medium passing the first heat exchanger to the compressed flowing medium; an expander fluidly connected to the first heat exchanger and configured to expand the heated compressed flowing medium for producing a rotation of a shaft of the expander; and a second heat exchanger fluidly connected between the expander and the compressor and configured to remove heat from the expanded flowing medium, wherein a path of the flowing medium through the multistage compressor, the first heat exchanger, the expander and the second heat exchanger is closed, and wherein there is at least one inter-cooler mechanism between first and second stages of the multistage compressor configured to cool the flowing medium between the first and second stages to a predetermined temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 19)
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11. A Brayton cycle system, the system comprising:
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a closed cycle Brayton unit; an external source circuit configured to provide heat to the closed cycle Brayton unit; and a cooling circuit configured to remove heat from the closed cycle Brayton unit, wherein the closed cycle Brayton unit includes a multistage compressor configured to cool a flowing medium between the stages to a predetermined temperature. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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20. A method for rotating a shaft of an expander that is part of a closed cycle Brayton system, the method comprising:
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compressing a flowing medium with a multistage compressor; cooling the flowing medium with at least one inter-cooler mechanism between first and second stages of the multistage compressor to a predetermined temperature; circulating the compressed flowing medium to a first heat exchanger fluidly connected to the multistage compressor; transferring heat from a working medium passing the first heat exchanger to the compressed flowing medium; circulating the heated flowing medium to an expander that is fluidly connected to the first heat exchanger; expanding the heated flowing medium in the expander for rotating a shaft of the expander; circulating the expanded flowing medium to a second heat exchanger that is fluidly connected between the expander and the multistage compressor; removing heat from the expanded flowing medium in the second heat exchanger; and circulating the cooled flowing medium back to the multistage compressor.
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Specification