Organic rankine cycle system for use with a reciprocating engine
First Claim
1. An energy recovery system of the type wherein heat is extracted from an engine by refrigerant passing through a heat exchanger of an organic rankine cycle system, comprising:
- at least one heat exchanger for transferring heat from said engine to a fluid passing through said heat exchanger;
a turbine for receiving said heated fluid from said at least one heat exchanger and for transferring its thermal energy to motive power, with said fluid being cooled in the process;
a condenser for receiving said cooled fluid and for further cooling said fluid to cause it to change to a liquid state;
a first pump for receiving said liquid refrigerant and passing it to said heat exchanger; and
a second pump being disposed in a fluid flow path between said condenser and said heat exchanger and being capable of receiving said liquid refrigerant and passing it to said at least one heat exchanger and including control means for operating said first pump during normal operation in which said engine and said organic rankine cycel system are operating, and for operating only said second pump during periods in which said engine is operating and said organic rankine cycle system is not operating.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a waste heat recovery system wherein an organic rankine cycle system uses waste heat from the fluids of a reciprocating engine, provision is made to continue operation of the engine even during periods when the organic rankine cycle system is inoperative, by providing an auxiliary pump and a bypass for the refrigerant flow around the turbine. Provision is also made to divert the engine exhaust gases from the evaporator during such periods of operation. In one embodiment, the auxiliary pump is made to operate simultaneously with the primary pump during normal operations, thereby allowing the primary pump to operate at lower speeds with less likelihood of cavitation.
98 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An energy recovery system of the type wherein heat is extracted from an engine by refrigerant passing through a heat exchanger of an organic rankine cycle system, comprising:
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at least one heat exchanger for transferring heat from said engine to a fluid passing through said heat exchanger;
a turbine for receiving said heated fluid from said at least one heat exchanger and for transferring its thermal energy to motive power, with said fluid being cooled in the process;
a condenser for receiving said cooled fluid and for further cooling said fluid to cause it to change to a liquid state;
a first pump for receiving said liquid refrigerant and passing it to said heat exchanger; and
a second pump being disposed in a fluid flow path between said condenser and said heat exchanger and being capable of receiving said liquid refrigerant and passing it to said at least one heat exchanger and including control means for operating said first pump during normal operation in which said engine and said organic rankine cycel system are operating, and for operating only said second pump during periods in which said engine is operating and said organic rankine cycle system is not operating. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of operating a waste heat recovery system having an organic rankine cycle with its motive fluid in heat exchange relationship with relatively hot fluids of an engine, comprising the steps of:
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providing a first pump for circulating motive fluids from a condenser of said organic rankine cycle system to at least one heat exchanger of said engine and then serially to a turbine of said organic rankine cycle and back to said condenser;
providing a second pump between said organic rankine cycle condenser and said at least one heat exchanger, said second pump being capable of circulating motive fluids from said organic rankine cycle condenser to said at least one heat exchanger; and
control means for operating said first pump during normal operation in which said engine and said organic rankine cycle system are operating, and for operating said second pump during periods in which said engine is operating and said organic rankine cycle system is not operating. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification