Recovering heat energy
First Claim
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1. A method of using a turbine generator system, comprising:
- pumping a working fluid in a Rankine cycle from a low pressure reservoir toward at least one compressor interstage cooler;
heating the working fluid from heat energy recovered from one or more compression stages of the compressor interstage cooler, at least a portion of the working fluid being pressurized and heated to a gaseous state;
directing the heated and pressurized working fluid toward a turbine generator apparatus, the turbine generator apparatus including an inlet conduit to direct the working fluid toward a turbine wheel that is rotatable in response to expansion of the working fluid; and
generating electrical energy from the rotation of the turbine wheel, the turbine wheel being coupled to a rotor of an electrical energy generator that rotates within a stator of the electrical energy generator.
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Abstract
Some embodiments of a generator system can be used with the working fluid in a Rankine cycle. For example, the generator system can be used in a Rankine cycle to recover heat from one of a number of commercial applications and to convert that heat energy into electrical energy. In particular embodiments, the generator system may include a turbine generator apparatus to generate electrical energy and a liquid separator arranged upstream of the turbine generator apparatus.
155 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of using a turbine generator system, comprising:
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pumping a working fluid in a Rankine cycle from a low pressure reservoir toward at least one compressor interstage cooler; heating the working fluid from heat energy recovered from one or more compression stages of the compressor interstage cooler, at least a portion of the working fluid being pressurized and heated to a gaseous state; directing the heated and pressurized working fluid toward a turbine generator apparatus, the turbine generator apparatus including an inlet conduit to direct the working fluid toward a turbine wheel that is rotatable in response to expansion of the working fluid; and generating electrical energy from the rotation of the turbine wheel, the turbine wheel being coupled to a rotor of an electrical energy generator that rotates within a stator of the electrical energy generator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of using a turbine generator system, comprising:
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pumping a working fluid in a Rankine cycle from a low pressure reservoir toward at least one compressor interstage cooler; directing the working fluid toward one or more heat exchangers to heat the working fluid from heat energy recovered from at least two compression stages of the compressor interstage cooler; heating the working fluid from the heat energy recovered from the at least two compression stages of the compressor interstage cooler, at least a portion of the working fluid being pressurized and heated to a gaseous state; directing the heated and pressurized working fluid toward a turbine generator apparatus, the turbine generator apparatus including an inlet conduit to direct the working fluid toward a turbine wheel that is rotatable in response to expansion of the working fluid; and generating electrical energy from the rotation of the turbine wheel, the turbine wheel being coupled to a rotor of an electrical energy generator that rotates within a stator of the electrical energy generator.
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13. A method of using a turbine generator system, comprising:
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cycling a high molecular mass, organic working fluid in an organic Rankine cycle from a low pressure reservoir toward at least one compressor interstage cooler, the working fluid cycled through the organic Rankine cycle while inhibiting seepage of the working fluid to an environment external to the organic Rankine cycle; heating the working fluid from heat energy recovered from one or more compression stages of the compressor interstage cooler, at least a portion of the working fluid being pressurized and heated to a gaseous state; directing the heated and pressurized working fluid toward a turbine generator apparatus, the turbine generator apparatus including an inlet conduit to direct the working fluid toward a turbine wheel that is rotatable in response to expansion of the working fluid; and generating electrical energy from the rotation of the turbine wheel, the turbine wheel being coupled to a rotor of an electrical energy generator that rotates within a stator of the electrical energy generator.
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14. A Rankine cycle system, comprising:
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a pump device coupled to a low pressure reservoir and one or more heat exchangers to receive a working fluid in the Rankine cycle from the low pressure reservoir and to pump the working fluid toward the one or more heat exchangers; the one or more heat exchangers coupled to at least one interstage cooler to heat the working fluid from heat energy recovered from one or more compression stages of the compressor interstage cooler, at least a portion of the working fluid being pressurized and heated to a gaseous state; and a turbine generator apparatus coupled to the one or more heat exchangers for receiving heated and pressurized working fluid, the turbine generator apparatus comprising; a turbine wheel configured to receive the heated and pressurized working fluid and rotate in response to expansion of the working fluid flowing from an inlet side to an outlet side of the turbine wheel, and an electric generator having a stator and a rotor, the rotor coupled to the turbine wheel to rotate within the stator in response to rotation of the turbine wheel to generate electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification