Transcritical turbine and method of operation
First Claim
1. A process employing a rotary axial turbine having rotor blades, and a nozzle, that includesa) providing a working fluid expansible from a characteristic supercritical region into the wet region, b) expanding said fluid from said supercritical region into said wet region via said nozzle and turbine blades, c) and providing an output shaft driven by the turbine, d) the nozzle operated to produce condensation droplets, e) and collecting a substantial fraction of the said condensation droplets on the axial flow structure of the turbine, said structure including concave blade surfaces and a shroud extending about tips defined by the blades, the bulk of the liquid leaving the turbine rotor with a swirl path extending about and lengthwise of the turbine axis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process employing a rotary axial turbine, and a nozzle, that includes providing a working fluid expansible from a characteristic supercritical region into the wet region, expanding the fluid from said supercritical region into the wet region via the nozzle and turbine blades, and providing an output shaft driven by the turbine.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A process employing a rotary axial turbine having rotor blades, and a nozzle, that includes
a) providing a working fluid expansible from a characteristic supercritical region into the wet region, b) expanding said fluid from said supercritical region into said wet region via said nozzle and turbine blades, c) and providing an output shaft driven by the turbine, d) the nozzle operated to produce condensation droplets, e) and collecting a substantial fraction of the said condensation droplets on the axial flow structure of the turbine, said structure including concave blade surfaces and a shroud extending about tips defined by the blades, the bulk of the liquid leaving the turbine rotor with a swirl path extending about and lengthwise of the turbine axis.
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10. The method of operating an axial flow turbine having rotor blades rotating at high velocity about an axis, and employing a working fluid capable of two-phase flow, that includes
a) vaporizing said fluid b) compressing said vaporized fluid to a supercritical state, in a turbine driven boost compressor stage and in a subsequent main, compressor stage, c) cooling the compressed vaporized fluid while maintaining it in said supercritical state, d) providing and operating a nozzle to receive and expand said compressed vaporized fluid to a pressure and temperature in the wet region of the fluid characterized by formation of liquid phase droplets of the fluid in a two-phase flow from the nozzle, the bulk of the droplets being less than 1 micron in cross section, e) directing said two-phase flow toward the turbine blades whereby the flow is turned in the spaces between the blades and directed to flow axially of the turbine rotor as well as outwardly away from said axis, reducing the swirl of the flow leaving the blades, and operable to produce torque transferable to the rotor to act in the direction of rotor rotation, f) and subsequently vaporizing said flow that leaves the blades pursuant to step a).
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16. An axial flow turbine with rotor blades to receive a two-phase flow of fluid, that comprises:
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a) an expansion nozzle contoured to expand the high pressure, supercritical fluid to a lower pressure in the wet region, producing a high velocity directed flow of gas and sub-micron liquid droplets, or of supersaturated b) axial flow blades, attached to a rotor, directed to receive the high velocity flow and turn it, generating torque on the rotor, c) surfaces oriented to receive liquid from the turned flow and direct it away from the moving rotor, d) an exit duct to remove the gas and liquid flow from surfaces and from the moving rotor, e) and a shaft attached to the rotor to transfer the generated torque to a load, f) the turbine rotor having an overall diameter less than 1.5 inches, and an operating angular velocity in excess of 90,000 RPM. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification