Geothermal and solar integrated energy transport and conversion system

• US 4,099,381 A
• Filed: 09/09/1977
• Issued: 07/11/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marc D. Rappoport
• Original Assignee: Marc D. Rappoport
• Inventors: Rappoport, Marc D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ontrager, Allen M.
• Application Number:
  US05/831,888
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 165/45, 166/268, 166/272, 166/302, 166/263, 126/270, 126/271, 60/641, 60/676
• US Class Current: 60/641.1
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/067 Binary cycle plants where the fluid from the solar collector heats the working fluid via a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/04 using pressure differences or thermal differences occurring in nature F03G7/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/10 Geothermal energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines

Abstract

An energy transport and conversion system for conducting geothermal energy over extended distances without loss of the geothermal energy so as to permit efficient conversion of geothermal energy at a central thermal power station. The energy transport system includes multiple, geographically dispersed wells for preheating a fluid medium, multiple separate conduits for conducting the fluid medium to a common, central thermal power station separated from the geothermal wells by an extended distance and multiple concentrating solar collectors associated respectively with the separate conduits for heating the fluid medium as it moves through the conduits toward the central thermal power station and thereby preventing loss of geothermal energy during such movement despite the extended distance.

Claims

1. An energy transport and conversion system for conducting geothermal energy from a plurality of geographically dispersed geothermal sources to a common central thermal power station without substantial loss of geothermal energy comprising:

(a) multiple geothermal means spaced from one another, each for transferring geothermal energy at a predetermined geothermal temperature level from a naturally heated material beneath the earth'"'"'s surface to a fluid medium;

(b) a central thermal power station spaced away from each of said multiple geothermal means including means for receiving thermal energy from said fluid medium;

(c) multiple separate elongate conduits, each respectively coupled between one of said multiple geothermal means and said thermal power station for conducting said fluid medium therethrough toward said central thermal power station; and

(d) multiple concentrating solar collector means each being associated with a respective one of said separate elongate conduits and arranged in longitudinally extending relation thereto, for transferring focused solar energy to said fluid medium in said separate elongate conduits at a temperature level higher than said geothermal temperature level as said fluid medium moves through the conduit toward said central thermal power station.

2. A method for efficiently transporting naturally occurring low-temperature geothermal energy from a plurality of geographically dispersed geothermal wells to a common central thermal power station spaced an extended distance from each of said geothermal wells without substantial loss of said geothermal energy, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving geothermal energy at a predetermined geothermal temperature level from naturally heated material situated below the earth'"'"'s surface through multiple geothermal wells spaced from one another;

(b) transferring said geothermal energy from each of said wells to a fluid medium;

(c) conducting said geothermal energy by said fluid medium from each of said multiple geothermal wells through respective separate elongate conduits toward said central thermal power station;

(d) transferring focused solar energy at a temperature level higher than said geothermal temperature level to the fluid medium in each of said separate elongate conduits as the fluid medium moves therethrough toward said central thermal power station; and

(e) after steps (a), (b), (c) and (d), receiving thermal energy from said fluid medium at said central thermal power station.