Heat engine system with a supercritical working fluid and processes thereof
First Claim
1. A heat engine system for generating electricity, comprising:
- a working fluid circuit comprising a working fluid and having a high pressure side and a low pressure side, wherein the working fluid comprises carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the working fluid circuit contains the working fluid in a supercritical state;
a power turbine disposed between the high pressure side and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit, fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the working fluid, and configured to convert thermal energy to mechanical energy by a pressure drop in the working fluid flowing between the high and the low pressure sides of the working fluid circuit;
a motor-generator coupled to the power turbine and configured to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy;
a pump coupled to the power turbine, fluidly coupled to the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit by a pump inlet configured to receive the working fluid from the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit, fluidly coupled to the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit by a pump outlet configured to release the working fluid into the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit, and configured to circulate and pressurize the working fluid within the working fluid circuit;
a heat exchanger fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit, configured to be fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with a heat source stream, and configured to transfer thermal energy from the heat source stream to the working fluid; and
a recuperator fluidly coupled to a condenser in series on the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit, wherein;
the recuperator is fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit downstream of the pump and upstream of the heat exchanger on the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit, fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit downstream of the power turbine and upstream of the condenser on the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit, and configured to transfer thermal energy from the working fluid within the low pressure side to the working fluid within the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit; and
the condenser is fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit downstream of the recuperator and upstream of the pump on the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit and configured to remove thermal energy from the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Aspects of the invention disclosed herein generally provide heat engine systems and methods for generating electricity. In one configuration, a heat engine system contains a working fluid circuit having high and low pressure sides and containing a working fluid (e.g., sc-CO2). The system further contains a power turbine configured to convert thermal energy to mechanical energy, a motor-generator configured to convert the mechanical energy into electricity, and a pump configured to circulate the working fluid within the working fluid circuit. The system further contains a heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from a heat source stream to the working fluid, a recuperator configured to transfer thermal energy from the low pressure side to the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit, and a condenser (e.g., air- or fluid-cooled) configured to remove thermal energy from the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit.
445 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A heat engine system for generating electricity, comprising:
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a working fluid circuit comprising a working fluid and having a high pressure side and a low pressure side, wherein the working fluid comprises carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the working fluid circuit contains the working fluid in a supercritical state; a power turbine disposed between the high pressure side and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit, fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the working fluid, and configured to convert thermal energy to mechanical energy by a pressure drop in the working fluid flowing between the high and the low pressure sides of the working fluid circuit; a motor-generator coupled to the power turbine and configured to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy; a pump coupled to the power turbine, fluidly coupled to the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit by a pump inlet configured to receive the working fluid from the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit, fluidly coupled to the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit by a pump outlet configured to release the working fluid into the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit, and configured to circulate and pressurize the working fluid within the working fluid circuit; a heat exchanger fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit, configured to be fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with a heat source stream, and configured to transfer thermal energy from the heat source stream to the working fluid; and a recuperator fluidly coupled to a condenser in series on the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit, wherein; the recuperator is fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit downstream of the pump and upstream of the heat exchanger on the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit, fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit downstream of the power turbine and upstream of the condenser on the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit, and configured to transfer thermal energy from the working fluid within the low pressure side to the working fluid within the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit; and the condenser is fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit downstream of the recuperator and upstream of the pump on the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit and configured to remove thermal energy from the working fluid within the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A heat engine system, comprising:
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a single-core condensing heat exchanger having a working fluid inlet and a working fluid outlet providing a working fluid flow channel; a recuperator inlet and a recuperator outlet providing a recuperator flow channel through the single-core condensing heat exchanger and in thermal communication with the working fluid flow channel; a condenser inlet and a condenser outlet providing a condenser flow channel through the single-core condensing heat exchanger and in thermal communication with the working fluid flow channel; a pump having an inlet in fluid communication with the working fluid outlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the recuperator inlet; a power turbine having an inlet in fluid communication with the recuperator outlet and an outlet in fluid communication the working fluid inlet; and a motor-generator rotatably coupled to the pump and the power turbine. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for generating electricity comprising:
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operating a motor-generator to drive a pump for transferring a working fluid from a low pressure side of a working fluid circuit to a high pressure side of the working fluid circuit; adding heat to the working fluid in the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit by passing the working fluid in thermal communication with the working fluid in the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit in a single-core condensing heat exchanger; adding heat to the working fluid in the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit by passing the working fluid in thermal communication with a heat source stream; introducing the working fluid into a power turbine while converting high pressure working fluid into low pressure working fluid and generating rotational energy, wherein the power turbine is rotationally coupled to the motor-generator; and exhausting the working fluid from the power turbine into the single-core condensing heat exchanger where the working fluid is first cooled by passing in thermal communication with the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit and then further cooled by passing in thermal communication with a condenser loop. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification