Power system and apparatus utilizing intermediate temperature waste heat

• US 7,841,179 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kalina Power Limited
• Original Assignee: Kalex, LLC
• Inventors: Kalina, Alexander I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hoang M
• Application Number:
  US11/514,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20080053095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 606/49, 606/51, 606/71, 606/53, 606/73
• US Class Current: 60/649
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/10 the vapours being cold, e.g. ammonia, carbon dioxide, ether
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/20 with heating by combustion gases of main boiler
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 7/16 the engines being only of turbine type the engines using steam of critical or overcritical pressure F01K7/32; the engines being of extraction or non-condensing type F01K7/34
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/1807 using the exhaust gases of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/30 Technologies for a more efficient combustion or heat usage

Abstract

System and method is disclosed to increase the efficient of internal combustion engines using to generate electric power, where the system and method converts a portion of thermal energy produced in the combustion process to a usable form of energy.

Claims

1. An apparatus for increasing power output of small internal combustion electric generators comprising:

a heat exchange/condensation component including;

a condenser HE1,

two recuperative heat exchangers HE2 and HE3,

a separator S1, and

and two pumps P1 and P2,

where;

the heat exchange/condensation component converts a spent intermediate working solution stream into a very rich working solution stream and a lean working solution stream, where a portion of the lean working solution stream and the very rich working solution stream are combined to form a rich working solution stream, heat from the spent intermediate working solution stream prior to separation and heat from the rich working solution stream are used to heat and partially vaporize a fully condensed, higher pressure, rich working solution stream, and

the pumps increase a pressure of the remainder of the lean working solution stream to form a higher pressure, lean working solution stream and a pressure of the fully condensed, rich working solution stream to form the fully condensed, higher pressure, rich working solution stream;

a recuperative heat recovery vapor generator RHRVG adapted to form a fully vaporized, intermediate working solution stream with heat derived from an external heat source stream and from the spent intermediate working solution stream prior to partially vaporizing the fully condensed, higher pressure, rich working solution stream, and

a turbine T1 adapted to convert a portion of thermal energy in the fully vaporized, intermediate working solution stream into a useable form of energy producing the spent intermediate working solution stream.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange/condensation component further includes a third recuperative heat exchanger HE4, which heats the higher pressure, lean working solution stream with heat from a portion of the spent intermediate working solution and the RHRVG fully vaporizes the heated higher pressure, lean working solution stream and the partially vaporized, higher pressure, rich working solution stream.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RHRVG fully vaporizes and superheats the higher pressure, intermediate working solution stream to form a fully vaporized and superheated intermediate working solution stream, where the intermediate, higher pressure, working solution stream is formed by combining the higher pressure, lean working solution stream and the partially vaporized, rich working solution stream prior to the intermediated, higher pressure, working solution stream entering the RHRVG.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the RHRVG comprises two heat exchanger HE5, HE6 and HE7.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the working solution streams comprise multi-component fluids having different concentrations of at least two components with different normal boiling temperatures, higher boiling components and lower boiling components.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the multi-component fluids comprises an ammonia-water mixture, a mixture of two or more hydrocarbons, a mixture of two or more freons, or a mixture of hydrocarbons and freons.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the multi-component fluids comprises an ammonia-water mixture.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the working solution streams have compositions of the lower boiling component and higher boiling component such that [lower boiling component]_{very rich}>

[lower boiling component]_rich>

[lower boiling component]_intermediate>

[lower boiling component]_lean and conversely [higher boiling component]_lean>

[higher boiling component]_intermediate>

[higher boiling component]_rich>

[higher boiling component]_{very rich}.

9. A system comprising:

an internal combustion engine,

a recuperative heat recovery vapor generator (RHRVG) connected to an exhaust of the engine and designed to utilize heat in the exhaust gases and heat in a spent intermediate working solution stream to form a fully vaporized, higher pressure, intermediate working solution stream,

a turbine connected to the RHRVG for converting a portion of thermal energy in the fully vaporized, higher pressure intermediate working solution stream into a usable form of energy to form the spent intermediate working solution stream, and

a heat exchange/condensation subsystem connected to the turbine, the RHRVG, and an external coolant stream, where the subsystem;

(a) produces a very rich working solution stream, a lean working solution stream and a rich working solution stream, (b) fully condenses the rich working solution stream, (c) increases a pressure of the fully condensed rich working solution stream to form a fully condensed, higher pressure, rich working solution stream and a pressure of a portion of the lean working solution stream to form a higher pressure, lean working solution stream, and (d) heating and partially vaporizing the fully condensed, higher pressure, rich working solution stream to form a partially vaporized, higher pressure, rich working solution stream.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the heat exchange/condensation subsystem comprises:

a condenser HE1,

two recuperative heat exchangers HE2 and HE3,

a separator S1, and

and two pumps P1 and P2,

where;

the separator S1 converts the spent intermediate working solution stream into the very rich working solution stream and a lean working solution stream, where a portion of the lean working solution stream and the very rich working solution stream are combined to form the rich working solution stream,

the condenser HE1 fully condenses the rich working solution stream with an external coolant to form the fully condensed, rich working solution stream,

the heater exchangers HE2 and HE3 use heat from the spent intermediate working solution stream prior to separation in the separator S1 and heat from the rich working solution stream are used to heat and partially vaporize a fully condensed, higher pressure, rich working solution stream,

the pump P2 increase a pressure of a remainder of the lean working solution stream to form the higher pressure, lean working solution stream and the pump P1 increases a pressure of the fully condensed, rich working solution stream to form the fully condensed, higher pressure, rich working solution stream, and

the higher pressure, lean stream and the partially vaporized, higher pressure, rich working solution stream are combined to form a higher pressure, intermediate working solution stream prior to the higher pressure, intermediate working solution stream entering the RHRVG.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the heat exchange/condensation subsystem further includes a third recuperative heat exchanger HE4, which heats the higher pressure, lean working solution stream with heat from a portion of the spent intermediate working solution and the RHRVG fully vaporizes the heated higher pressure, lean working solution stream and the partially vaporized, higher pressure, rich working solution stream.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the RHRVG fully vaporizes and superheats the higher pressure, intermediate working solution stream to form a fully vaporized and superheated intermediate working solution stream, where the intermediate, higher pressure, working solution stream is formed by combining the higher pressure, lean working solution stream and the partially vaporized, rich working solution stream prior to the intermediated, higher pressure, working solution stream entering the RHRVG.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the RHRVG comprises two heat exchanger HE5, HE6 and HE7.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the working solution stream comprise multi-component fluids having different concentration of at least two components with different normal boiling temperatures, higher boiling components and lower boiling components.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the multi-component fluids comprises an ammonia-water mixture, a mixture of two or more hydrocarbons, a mixture of two or more freons, or a mixture of hydrocarbons and freons.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the multi-component fluids comprises an ammonia-water mixture.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the working solution streams have compositions of the lower boiling component and higher boiling component such that [lower boiling component]_{very rich}>

[lower boiling component]_rich>

[lower boiling component]_intermediate>

[lower boiling component]_lean and conversely[higher boiling component]_lean>

[higher boiling component]_intermediate>

[higher boiling component]_rich>

[higher boiling component]_{very rich}.

18. A method, for converting a portion of waste thermal energy generated by an internal combustion engine into a usable form of energy, comprising the steps of:

combusting a fuel in an internal combustion engine including an exhaust system,

forming a fully vaporized, intermediate working solution stream, with heat from an exhaust gas stream from the exhaust system and heat from a spent intermediate working solution stream, in a recuperative heat recovery vapor generator (RHRVG) including a plurality of heat exchange stages;

converting a portion of thermal energy in the fully vaporized, intermediate working solution stream to a usable form of energy in a turbine to form the spent intermediate working solution stream; and

passing the spent working solution stream, after exiting the RHRVG through a heat exchange/condensation subsystem, where the subsystem;

(a) produces a very rich working solution stream, a lean working solution stream and a rich working solution stream, (b) fully condenses the rich working solution stream, (c) increases a pressure of the fully condensed, rich working solution stream to form a fully condensed, higher pressure, rich working solution stream and a pressure of a portion of the lean working solution stream to form a higher pressure, lean working solution stream and (d) heating and partially vaporizing the fully condensed, higher pressure, rich working solution stream.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the heat exchange/condensation system comprises:

a condenser HE1,

two recuperative heat exchangers HE2 and HE3,

a separator S1, and

and two pumps P1 and P2,

where;

the separator S1 converts the spent intermediate working solution stream into the very rich working solution stream and a lean working solution stream, where a portion of the lean working solution stream and the very rich working solution stream are combined to form the rich working solution stream,

the condenser HE1 fully condenses the rich working solution stream with an external coolant to form the fully condensed, rich working solution stream,

the heater exchangers HE2 and HE3 use heat from the spent intermediate working solution stream prior to separation in the separator S1 and heat from the rich working solution stream are used to heat and partially vaporize a fully condensed, higher pressure, rich working solution stream, the pump P2 increase a pressure of a remainder of the lean working solution stream to form the higher pressure, lean working solution stream and the pump P1 increases a pressure of the fully condensed, rich working solution stream to form the fully condensed, higher pressure, rich working solution stream, and

the higher pressure, lean stream and the partially vaporized, higher pressure, rich working solution stream are combined to form a higher pressure, intermediate working solution stream prior to the higher pressure, intermediate working solution stream entering the RHRVG.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the heat exchange/condensation component further includes a third recuperative heat exchanger HE4, which heats the higher pressure, lean working solution stream with heat from a portion of the spent intermediate working solution and the RHRVG fully vaporizes the heated higher pressure, lean working solution stream and the partially vaporized, higher pressure, rich working solution stream.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the RHRVG fully vaporizes and superheats the higher pressure, intermediate working solution stream to form a fully vaporized and superheated intermediate working solution stream, where the intermediate, higher pressure, working solution stream is formed by combining the higher pressure, lean working solution stream and the partially vaporized, rich working solution stream prior to the intermediated, higher pressure, working solution stream entering the RHRVG.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the RHRVG comprises two heat exchanger HE5, HE6 and HE7.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the working solution stream comprise multi-component fluids having different concentration of at least two components with different normal boiling temperatures, higher boiling components and lower boiling components.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the multi-component fluids comprises an ammonia-water mixture, a mixture of two or more hydrocarbons, a mixture of two or more freons, or a mixture of hydrocarbons and freons.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the multi-component fluids comprises an ammonia-water mixture.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the working solution streams have compositions of the lower boiling component and higher boiling component such that [lower boiling component]_{very rich}>

[lower boiling component]_rich>

[lower boiling component]_intermediate>

[lower boiling component]_lean and conversely [higher boiling component]_lean>

[higher boiling component]_intermediate>

[low higher boiling component]_rich>

[low higher boiling component]_{very rich}.