Heat engine
First Claim
1. A heat engine comprising:
- a) a boiler having an inlet and an outlet and connected to receive a working fluid in a liquid state and vaporizing said working fluid to a vapor on input of heat from a boiler, heat-source input heat exchanger;
b) a positive displacement rotating expander with an inlet and outlet and adapted for receiving and expanding said vapor from said boiler outlet at high pressure to produce a work output and providing said vapor at low pressure at said outlet;
c) a condenser having an inlet for receiving said vapor from said expander outlet and condensing said vapor to said working fluid liquid;
d) a pump with an inlet and outlet for taking said working fluid liquid from said condenser at low pressure and providing said working fluid to said boiler inlet at high pressure; and
e) at least one of the following;
1) a heat-transfer device for recovering waste heat from said heat engine and using said heat to improve said heat engine efficiency and wherein said heat-transfer device comprises one or more heat exchangers whereby at least one of the following heat transfers occurs;
a) heat from said working fluid leaving said expander outlet is exchanged to said working fluid to preheat said working fluid prior to entering said boiler; and
b) work heat from said pump is exchanged to said working fluid to preheat said working fluid prior to entering said boiler;
2) a compression heat-transfer device comprising the following interconnected components;
a) an evaporator;
b) a compression device condenser;
c) a throttling valve; and
d) a compressor for compressing a compression device working fluid circulating through said interconnected components of said compression heat-transfer device; and
e) said compression heat-transfer device providing heat to said working fluid of said heat engine; and
3) an absorption heat transfer device comprising the following interconnected absorption, heat-transfer device components;
a) a generator, b) an absorber;
c) a condenser;
4) an evaporator; and
e) a working solution comprising an absorbent and refrigerant; and
f) said absorption heat transfer device transferring heat to or from said working fluid of said heat engine.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A heat engine (10) achieves operational efficiencies by: 1) recovering waste heat from heat engine expander (14) to preheat heat-engine working fluid, 2) using super-heated working fluid from compressor (402) to pre-heat heat-engine working fluid, and 3) using reject heat from condenser (93) and absorber (95) to heat the heat-engine boiler (12). A dual heat-exchange generator (72) affords continuous operation by using gas-fired heat exchanger (212) to heat generator (72) when intermittent heat source (40), e.g., solar, is incapable of heating generator (72). The combination of heat engine (10) and absorption and compression heat transfer devices (60, 410) allows use of low-temperature heat sources such as solar, bio-mass, and waste heat to provide refrigeration, heating, work output including pumping and heating of subterranean water and electrical generation.
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Citations
99 Claims
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1. A heat engine comprising:
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a) a boiler having an inlet and an outlet and connected to receive a working fluid in a liquid state and vaporizing said working fluid to a vapor on input of heat from a boiler, heat-source input heat exchanger;
b) a positive displacement rotating expander with an inlet and outlet and adapted for receiving and expanding said vapor from said boiler outlet at high pressure to produce a work output and providing said vapor at low pressure at said outlet;
c) a condenser having an inlet for receiving said vapor from said expander outlet and condensing said vapor to said working fluid liquid;
d) a pump with an inlet and outlet for taking said working fluid liquid from said condenser at low pressure and providing said working fluid to said boiler inlet at high pressure; and
e) at least one of the following;
1) a heat-transfer device for recovering waste heat from said heat engine and using said heat to improve said heat engine efficiency and wherein said heat-transfer device comprises one or more heat exchangers whereby at least one of the following heat transfers occurs;
a) heat from said working fluid leaving said expander outlet is exchanged to said working fluid to preheat said working fluid prior to entering said boiler; and
b) work heat from said pump is exchanged to said working fluid to preheat said working fluid prior to entering said boiler;
2) a compression heat-transfer device comprising the following interconnected components;
a) an evaporator;
b) a compression device condenser;
c) a throttling valve; and
d) a compressor for compressing a compression device working fluid circulating through said interconnected components of said compression heat-transfer device; and
e) said compression heat-transfer device providing heat to said working fluid of said heat engine; and
3) an absorption heat transfer device comprising the following interconnected absorption, heat-transfer device components;
a) a generator, b) an absorber;
c) a condenser;
4) an evaporator; and
e) a working solution comprising an absorbent and refrigerant; and
f) said absorption heat transfer device transferring heat to or from said working fluid of said heat engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99)
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33. A dual heat-exchange generator for an absorption heat-transfer device comprising:
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a) a first fluid space containing a working solution comprising an absorbent and refrigerant;
b) a second fluid space in heat exchange relation with said first fluid space and containing a first heat exchange fluid; and
c) a third fluid space in heat exchange relation with said first fluid space and containing a second heat exchange fluid; and
d) wherein at least one of said first heat exchange fluid and said second heat exchange fluid or both said first heat exchange fluid and said second heat exchange fluid are used to heat said working solution in said first fluid space. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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Specification