PROCESS AND POWER SYSTEM UTILIZING POTENTIAL OF OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
First Claim
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1. A system for generating electrical and/or mechanical energy comprising:
- a vessel or a floating platform,a warm seawater supply subsystem comprising a collector, piping and a warm seawater pump (P4), where the warm seawater supply subsystem collects warm seawater from an ocean or a sea and pressurized it to form a higher pressure warm seawater stream,a warm seawater discharge subsystem for discharging spent warm seawater back into the ocean or sea,a cold seawater supply subsystem comprising a collector, piping and a cold seawater pump (P3), where the cold seawater supply subsystem collects cold seawater from a depth up to two miles below a surface of the ocean or sea,a cold seawater discharge subsystem for discharging spent cold seawater back into the ocean or sea, anda thermal energy conversion subsystem including;
a turbine or energy converting subsystem for converting a portion of thermal energy in a first rich vapor stream into a useable form of energy to from a spent stream,a condensing subsystem including;
a first condenser for condensing an intermediate solution stream comprising the spent stream and a cooled second lean liquid stream utilizing a higher pressure, cold seawater stream to form a fully condensed, intermediate solution stream,a first pump for pressurizing the fully condensed intermediate solution stream to a higher pressure,a first dividing valve for dividing the higher pressure, fully condensed, intermediate solution stream into a first higher pressure, fully condensed, intermediate solution substream and a higher pressure, fully condensed, intermediate solution second substream,a second condenser for condensing a rich solution stream comprising the first fully condensed, higher pressure intermediate solution substream and a second rich vapor stream anda second pump for pressurizing the fully condensed, rich solution stream to a higher pressure,a preheating subsystem including;
a first pre-heater or pre-heating heat exchange unit for preheating the second fully condensed, higher pressure, intermediate solution substream with thermal energy from a second lean liquid stream anda second pre-heater or pre-heating heat exchange unit for preheating the higher pressure, fully condensed, rich solution stream with thermal energy from a first cooled warm seawater substream,a partial vaporizing subsystem including;
a first partial vaporizing heat exchange unit for partially vaporizing the preheated, higher pressure, intermediate solution stream with thermal energy from a second cooled warm seawater substream and for partially vaporizing the preheated, higher pressure, rich solution stream with thermal energy from a higher pressure warm seawater stream, anda separating subsystem including;
a first separator for separating the partially vaporized, higher pressure, intermediate solution stream into the first rich vapor stream and a first lean liquid stream anda second separator for separating a lean stream comprising the first lean liquid stream and the partially vaporized, higher pressure, intermediate solution stream into the second rich vapor stream and a second lean liquid stream,where all of the streams are derived from a multi-component working fluid and the thermal energy conversion subsystem is closed with respect to the multi-component working fluid.
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Abstract
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) systems and methods utilizing the systems are disclosed for producing a useable form of energy utilizing warm surface seawater and cold seawater from depths up to 2 miles below the surface and utilizing a multi-component working fluid. The systems and methods are designed to maximize energy conversion per unit of cold seawater, the limited resource, achieving relative net outputs compared to a Rankine cycle using a single component fluid by at least 20% and even as high as about 55%.
27 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A system for generating electrical and/or mechanical energy comprising:
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a vessel or a floating platform, a warm seawater supply subsystem comprising a collector, piping and a warm seawater pump (P4), where the warm seawater supply subsystem collects warm seawater from an ocean or a sea and pressurized it to form a higher pressure warm seawater stream, a warm seawater discharge subsystem for discharging spent warm seawater back into the ocean or sea, a cold seawater supply subsystem comprising a collector, piping and a cold seawater pump (P3), where the cold seawater supply subsystem collects cold seawater from a depth up to two miles below a surface of the ocean or sea, a cold seawater discharge subsystem for discharging spent cold seawater back into the ocean or sea, and a thermal energy conversion subsystem including; a turbine or energy converting subsystem for converting a portion of thermal energy in a first rich vapor stream into a useable form of energy to from a spent stream, a condensing subsystem including; a first condenser for condensing an intermediate solution stream comprising the spent stream and a cooled second lean liquid stream utilizing a higher pressure, cold seawater stream to form a fully condensed, intermediate solution stream, a first pump for pressurizing the fully condensed intermediate solution stream to a higher pressure, a first dividing valve for dividing the higher pressure, fully condensed, intermediate solution stream into a first higher pressure, fully condensed, intermediate solution substream and a higher pressure, fully condensed, intermediate solution second substream, a second condenser for condensing a rich solution stream comprising the first fully condensed, higher pressure intermediate solution substream and a second rich vapor stream and a second pump for pressurizing the fully condensed, rich solution stream to a higher pressure, a preheating subsystem including; a first pre-heater or pre-heating heat exchange unit for preheating the second fully condensed, higher pressure, intermediate solution substream with thermal energy from a second lean liquid stream and a second pre-heater or pre-heating heat exchange unit for preheating the higher pressure, fully condensed, rich solution stream with thermal energy from a first cooled warm seawater substream, a partial vaporizing subsystem including; a first partial vaporizing heat exchange unit for partially vaporizing the preheated, higher pressure, intermediate solution stream with thermal energy from a second cooled warm seawater substream and for partially vaporizing the preheated, higher pressure, rich solution stream with thermal energy from a higher pressure warm seawater stream, and a separating subsystem including; a first separator for separating the partially vaporized, higher pressure, intermediate solution stream into the first rich vapor stream and a first lean liquid stream and a second separator for separating a lean stream comprising the first lean liquid stream and the partially vaporized, higher pressure, intermediate solution stream into the second rich vapor stream and a second lean liquid stream, where all of the streams are derived from a multi-component working fluid and the thermal energy conversion subsystem is closed with respect to the multi-component working fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A thermal energy conversion system comprising:
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a turbine or energy converting subsystem for converting a portion of thermal energy in a first rich vapor stream into a useable form of energy to from a spent stream, a condensing subsystem including; a first condenser for condensing an intermediate solution stream comprising the spent stream and a cooled second lean liquid stream utilizing a higher pressure, cold seawater stream to form a fully condensed, intermediate solution stream, a first pump for pressurizing the fully condensed intermediate solution stream to a higher pressure, a first dividing valve for dividing the higher pressure, fully condensed, intermediate solution stream into a first higher pressure, fully condensed, intermediate solution substream and a higher pressure, fully condensed, intermediate solution second substream, a second condenser for condensing a rich solution stream comprising the first fully condensed, higher pressure intermediate solution substream and a second rich vapor stream and a second pump for pressurizing the fully condensed, rich solution stream to a higher pressure, a preheating subsystem including; a first pre-heater or pre-heating heat exchange unit for preheating the second fully condensed, higher pressure, intermediate solution substream with thermal energy from a second lean liquid stream and a second pre-heater or pre-heating heat exchange unit for preheating the higher pressure, fully condensed, rich solution stream with thermal energy from a first cooled warm seawater substream, a partial vaporizing subsystem including; a first partial vaporizing heat exchange unit for partially vaporizing the preheated, higher pressure, intermediate solution stream with thermal energy from a second cooled warm seawater substream and for partially vaporizing the preheated, higher pressure, rich solution stream with thermal energy from a higher pressure warm seawater stream, and a separating subsystem including; a first separator for separating the partially vaporized, higher pressure, intermediate solution stream into the first rich vapor stream and a first lean liquid stream and a second separator for separating a lean stream comprising the first lean liquid stream and the partially vaporized, higher pressure, intermediate solution stream into the second rich vapor stream and a second lean liquid stream, where all of the streams are derived from a multi-component working fluid and the system is closed with respect to the multi-component working fluid. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for producing electrical and/or mechanical energy from a temperature different between warm surface seawater and cold seawater collected at depths up to 2 miles below the surface of an ocean or sea, where the method comprises:
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passing a first rich vapor stream, which may be pressure adjusted in a third throttle control valve if needed, through a turbine unit, where a portion of thermal energy in the first rich vapor stream is converted to a useable form of energy to produce a spent rich solution stream, combining the spent rich solution stream with a cooled second lean liquid stream, which may be pressure adjusted in a third throttle control valve if needed, to form an intermediate solution stream, where the intermediate solution stream is leaner than the rich solution stream, condensing the intermediate solution stream in a first condenser utilizing a cold seawater stream to form a fully condensed, intermediate solution stream to form a warmed cold seawater stream, pressurizing the fully condensed intermediate solution stream in a first pump to a higher pressure to form a higher pressure, fully condensed intermediate stream, dividing the higher pressure, fully condensed intermediate stream into a first higher pressure, fully condensed intermediate substream and a second higher pressure, fully condensed intermediate substream, combining the first higher pressure, fully condensed intermediate substream with a second rich vapor stream to form a rich solution stream, condensing the rich solution stream in a second condenser utilizing the warmed cold seawater stream to form a fully condensed rich solution stream, pressurizing the fully condensed rich solution stream in a second pump to a higher pressure to form a higher pressure, fully condensed rich solution stream, preheating the higher pressure, fully condensed rich solution stream in a first preheater utilizing a first cooled warm seawater substream to form a preheated, higher pressure, rich solution stream, partially vaporizing the preheated higher pressure, rich solution stream in a first partial vaporizer unit to from a partially vaporized, rich solution stream and a cooled warm seawater stream, dividing the cooled warm seawater stream into the first cooled warm seawater substream and a second cooled warm seawater substream, separating the partially vaporized, rich solution stream in a first separator to form the first rich vapor stream and a first lean liquid stream, meanwhile, preheating the second higher pressure, fully condensed, intermediate substream in a second preheater utilizing the second lean liquid stream to form a preheated, second higher pressure, intermediate substream and the cooled second lean liquid stream, partially vaporizing the preheated, second higher pressure, intermediate substream in a second partial vaporizer unit utilizing the second cooled warm seawater substream to form a partially vaporized, second higher pressure, intermediate substream, combining the partially vaporized, second higher pressure, intermediate substream with the first lean liquid stream, which may be pressure adjusted by a first throttle control valve if needed, to form a lean solution stream, and separating the lean solution stream in a second separator to form the second rich vapor stream and the second lean liquid stream, where the system is closed with respect to the multi-component working fluid.
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Specification