Thermo-electric engine

• US 8,875,514 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Pesce, John Pesce
• Original Assignee: David Pesce, John Pesce
• Inventors: Pesce, John, Pesce, David
• Primary Examiner(s): JETTON, CHRISTOPHER M
• Application Number:
  US13/711,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20130118167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 606/418, 606/411.1, 606/411.5, 290/52
• US Class Current: 60/641.8
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/065 the combustion taking place in an internal combustion piston engine, e.g. a diesel engine
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/003 having a Rankine cycle F03G6/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines

Abstract

A thermo-electric engine with a working fluid operative in a closed Rankine cycle to enable a harvesting energy from an external source of thermodynamic energy, such as an internal combustion engine or solar energy. The thermo-electric engine can have an evaporator; a turbine fluidically coupled to the evaporator; a heat exchanger comprising a condenser for receiving working fluid from the turbine; a hot liquid input for coupling to a source of heated liquid coolant from an internal combustion engine to the evaporator; a liquid return for returning liquid coolant to the internal combustion engine; a cooling liquid input to the condenser for receiving cooling liquid from a radiator; and a cooling liquid return for returning the cooling liquid to the radiator. Alternatively, a solar energy collector can power a turbine fluidically coupled to the solar energy collector for receiving working fluid.

Claims

1. A thermo-electric engine with a working fluid operative in a closed Rankine cycle to enable a harvesting energy from an external source of thermodynamic energy comprising the Sun, the thermo-electric engine comprising:

a solar energy collector;

a turbine fluidically coupled to the solar energy collector for receiving working fluid from the solar energy collector wherein the turbine has a rotatably retained turbine shaft for being rotated by the working fluid;

a return conduit for returning working fluid to the solar energy collector from the turbine;

an alternator for converting a rotation of the turbine shaft to electrical energy wherein the alternator comprises a rotor, a plurality of magnets, and a stator and wherein the rotor, the plurality of magnets, and the stator are incorporated into the turbine and wherein the turbine has a turbine casing, wherein the stator is fixed relative to the turbine casing, and wherein the rotor is retained to rotate with the turbine shaft, wherein the plurality of magnets are retained by the rotor, wherein the stator retains a set of winding coils in proximity to the rotor, wherein the turbine casing has an end cap, wherein the end cap comprises the stator of the alternator, and wherein the winding coils are radially spaced on an inside face of the end cap.

2. The thermo-electric engine of claim 1 further comprising a water supply line in thermodynamic communication with the working fluid wherein the water supply line provides building supply water to the thermo-electric engine and further comprising a building water return line for returning heated building supply water.

3. The thermo-electric engine of claim 1 wherein the working fluid comprises a refrigerant.

4. The thermo-electric engine of claim 1 further comprising a pump fluidically interposed between the turbine and the solar energy collector.

5. The thermo-electric engine of claim 1 wherein the turbine comprises a Tesla turbine.

6. The thermo-electric engine of claim 1 wherein the turbine is disposed above the solar energy collector.

7. The thermo-electric engine of claim 1 wherein working fluid enters the turbine as a vapor and further comprising an insulated manifold and a vapor line fluidically interposed between the turbine and the solar energy collector to pass working fluid from the solar energy collector to the turbine.

8. The thermo-electric engine of claim 1 wherein the working fluid comprises an organic fluid.

9. The thermo-electric engine of claim 1 wherein the turbine has a plurality of disks retained to rotate with the turbine shaft and wherein the disks are disposed to receive the working fluid thereon.

10. The thermo-electric engine of claim 9 wherein the turbine is unidirectional and wherein working fluid is received tangentially to only a single side of the disks.

11. The thermo-electric engine of claim 1 wherein the thermodynamic efficiency of the Rankine cycle is determined according to the Equation:

12. The thermo-electric engine of claim 11 wherein the net power output for the thermo-electric engine is determined according to the equations:

13. The thermo-electric engine of claim 12 wherein the thermal efficiency of the thermo-electric engine is determined employing the equations: