Cascading closed loop cycle power generation
First Claim
1. A method for generating energy, the method comprising:
- providing a working fluid;
increasing the pressure of the working fluid;
dividing the working fluid into multiple streams, including at least a first stream and a second stream;
transferring a first amount of heat energy from an energy source to the first stream and subsequently transferring a second amount of heat energy from the first stream to the second stream;
extracting a first amount of useful energy from the first stream;
extracting a second amount of useful energy from the second stream;
merging the first stream with the second stream; and
reducing the first stream and the second stream to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being approximately equal to or below the vapor pressure of the working fluid at an ambient temperature.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Cascading Closed Loop Cycle (CCLC) and Super Cascading Closed Loop Cycle (Super-CCLC) systems are described for recovering power in the form of mechanical or electrical energy from the waste heat of a steam turbine system. The waste heat from the boiler and steam condenser is recovered by vaporizing propane or other light hydrocarbon fluids in multiple indirect heat exchangers; expanding the vaporized propane in multiple cascading expansion turbines to generate useful power; and condensing to a liquid using a cooling system. The liquid propane is then pressurized with pumps and returned to the indirect heat exchangers to repeat the vaporization, expansion, liquefaction and pressurization cycle in a closed, hermetic process.
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Citations
69 Claims
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1. A method for generating energy, the method comprising:
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providing a working fluid; increasing the pressure of the working fluid; dividing the working fluid into multiple streams, including at least a first stream and a second stream; transferring a first amount of heat energy from an energy source to the first stream and subsequently transferring a second amount of heat energy from the first stream to the second stream; extracting a first amount of useful energy from the first stream; extracting a second amount of useful energy from the second stream; merging the first stream with the second stream; and reducing the first stream and the second stream to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being approximately equal to or below the vapor pressure of the working fluid at an ambient temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for generating energy, the apparatus comprising:
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multiple fluid conduits, including at least a first fluid conduit, a second fluid conduit, and a combined fluid conduit, the multiple fluid conduits being adapted to contain a working fluid; a pump operatively attached to the multiple fluid conduits and adapted to pressurize the working fluid; an energy source; a first heat exchanger operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to allow a first amount of heat energy to transfer from the energy source to the working fluid in the first fluid conduit; a second heat exchanger operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit and adapted to allow a second amount of heat energy to transfer from the working fluid in the first fluid conduit to the working fluid in the second fluid conduit, the second heat exchanger being positioned, with respect to the first fluid conduit, downstream of the first heat exchanger; a first fluid expander operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to extract a first amount of useful energy from the working fluid in the first fluid conduit; a second fluid expander operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and adapted to extract a second amount of useful energy from the working fluid in the second fluid conduit; a cooling device operatively attached to at least one of the multiple fluid conduits and adapted to reduce the working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being approximately equal to or below the vapor pressure of the fluid at an ambient temperature; and wherein the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit join at a merge point to form the combined fluid conduit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for converting heat to useful energy, the method comprising:
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providing a combined fluid stream in a liquid state; pressurizing the combined fluid stream; dividing the combined fluid stream into a primary fluid stream and a secondary fluid stream; applying thermal energy from a heat source to vaporize the primary fluid stream; expanding the vaporized primary fluid stream to produce a first amount of useful energy; transferring heat from the vaporized and expanded primary fluid stream to superheat the vaporized secondary fluid stream; expanding the vaporized second fluid stream to produce a second amount of useful energy; mixing the vaporized and expanded primary fluid stream with the vaporized and expanded secondary fluid stream to form a combined fluid stream; transferring heat from the combined fluid stream to vaporize the secondary fluid stream; and condensing the combined fluid stream to a liquid state. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for converting heat to useful energy, the apparatus comprising:
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a combined fluid conduit adapted to convey a fluid stream; a pump operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit; a stream separator operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit downstream of the pump, the stream separator further being operatively attached to a primary fluid conduit and a secondary fluid conduit; a first heat exchanger operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit downstream of the stream separator, the first heat exchanger further being operatively attached to a heat source; a first expander operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit downstream of the first heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit downstream of the first expander, the second heat exchanger further being operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit; a third heat exchanger operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit downstream of the fluid separator;
the third heat exchanger further being operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit;a second expander operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit downstream of the second heat exchanger; a stream mixer operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit, to the primary fluid conduit downstream of the second heat exchanger, and to the secondary fluid conduit downstream of the second expander; a cooler operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit between the stream mixer and the pump; wherein the third heat exchanger is positioned, with respect to the combined fluid conduit, between the stream mixer and the cooler; and wherein the second heat exchanger is positioned, with respect to the secondary fluid conduit, between the third heat exchanger and the second expander. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method for improving the efficiency of a power system having an energy source and a cooling system, the method comprising:
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transferring a first amount of heat energy from the cooling system to a first loop of a cascading closed loop cycle system; extracting a first amount of useful energy from the first loop; transferring a second amount of heat energy from the energy source to a second loop of a cascading closed loop cycle system; and extracting a second amount of useful energy from the second loop. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for improving the efficiency of a power system having an energy source and a cooling system, the method comprising:
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providing a working fluid; increasing the pressure of the working fluid; dividing the working fluid into multiple streams, including at least a first stream and a second stream; transferring a first amount of heat energy from the cooling system to the first stream; extracting a first amount of useful energy from the first stream; transferring a second amount of heat energy from the energy source to the second stream; extracting a second amount of useful energy from the second stream; and cooling the working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being approximately equal to or below the vapor pressure of the working fluid at an ambient air temperature. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for generating energy, the method comprising:
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providing a first working fluid; increasing the pressure of the first working fluid; transferring a first amount of heat energy from an energy source to the first working fluid; extracting a first amount of useful energy from the first working fluid; providing a second working fluid; increasing the pressure of the second working fluid; dividing the second working fluid into multiple streams, including at least a first stream and a second stream; transferring a second amount of heat energy from the first working fluid to the first stream; extracting a second amount of useful energy from the first stream; transferring a third amount of heat energy from the energy source to the second stream; extracting a third amount of useful energy from the second stream; and cooling the second working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being approximately equal to or below the vapor pressure of the second working fluid at an ambient air temperature. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method for improving the efficiency of a power system having an energy source and a cooling system, the method comprising:
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providing a working fluid; increasing the pressure of the working fluid; dividing the working fluid into a first stream a second stream and a third stream; transferring a first amount of heat energy from the cooling system to the first stream; extracting a first amount of useful energy from the first stream; transferring a second amount of heat energy from the energy source to the second stream; extracting a second amount of useful energy from the second stream; transferring a third amount of heat energy from the second stream to the third stream; extracting a third amount of useful energy from the third stream; and cooling the working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being approximately equal to or below the vapor pressure of the working fluid at an ambient air temperature. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. An apparatus for generating supplemental energy from a power system having an energy source and a cooling system, the apparatus comprising:
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multiple fluid conduits, including at least a first fluid conduit, a second fluid conduit, and a combined fluid conduit, the multiple fluid conduits being adapted to contain a working fluid; one or more pumps operatively attached to the multiple fluid conduits and adapted to pressurize the working fluid; a first heat exchanger operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to allow a first amount of heat energy to transfer from the cooling system to the working fluid in the first fluid conduit; a first fluid expander operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to extract a first amount of useful energy from the working fluid in the first fluid conduit; a second heat exchanger operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and adapted to allow a second amount of heat energy to transfer from the energy source to the working fluid in the second fluid conduit; a second fluid expander operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and adapted to extract a second amount of useful energy from the working fluid in the second fluid conduit; a cooling device operatively attached to at least one of the multiple fluid conduits and adapted to reduce the working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being approximately equal to or below the vapor pressure of the fluid at an ambient temperature; and wherein the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit join at one or more merge points to form the combined fluid conduit. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. An apparatus for converting heat energy to useful energy, the apparatus comprising:
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a primary power system comprising; an energy source; a primary fluid conduit adapted to contain a primary working fluid; a primary fluid pump operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit and adapted to pressurize the primary working fluid; a primary fluid heat exchanger operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit and adapted to allow a first amount of heat energy to transfer from the energy source to the primary fluid contained in the primary fluid conduit; a primary fluid expander operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit and adapted to extract a first amount of useful energy from the primary working fluid in the primary fluid conduit; a secondary power system comprising; a secondary fluid conduit system comprising a first fluid loop, a second fluid loop, and a third fluid loop, the secondary fluid conduit system being adapted to contain a secondary working fluid; one or more secondary fluid pumps operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit system and adapted to pressurize the secondary working fluid; a first heat exchanger operatively attached to the first fluid loop and the primary fluid conduit and being positioned, relative to the primary fluid conduit, between the primary fluid expander and the primary fluid pump, the first heat exchanger being adapted to allow a second amount of heat energy to transfer from the primary fluid in the primary working fluid conduit to the secondary working fluid in the first fluid loop; a first fluid expander operatively attached to the first fluid loop and adapted to extract a second amount of useful energy from the secondary working fluid in the first fluid loop; a second heat exchanger operatively attached to the second fluid loop and adapted to allow a third amount of heat energy to transfer from the energy source to the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop; a second fluid expander operatively attached to the second fluid loop and adapted to extract a third amount of useful energy from the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop; a third heat exchanger operatively attached to the second fluid loop and the third fluid loop and being located, relative the second fluid loop, after the second fluid expander, the third heat exchanger being adapted to allow a fourth amount of heat energy to transfer from the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop to the secondary working fluid in the third fluid loop; a third fluid expander operatively attached to the third fluid loop and adapted to extract a fourth amount of useful energy from the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop; and a cooling device operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit system and adapted to reduce the secondary working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being approximately equal to or below the vapor pressure of the secondary working fluid at an ambient temperature. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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Specification