CA2432332A1

CA2432332A1 - Self-powered turbocharger energy system for heating and power applications

Info

Publication number: CA2432332A1
Application number: CA002432332A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Luiz Claudio Vieira Fernandes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-06-25
Filing date: 2003-06-25
Publication date: 2004-12-25

Abstract

The invention provides a unique, detailed method of burning liquid, solid or gaseous fuels to produce heat in a system that does not require any external electrical input. The invention mainly consists of a conventional turbocharger converted to a simplified gas turbine engine. A pump that is driven by the turbocharger's energy forms the oil lubrication system. The burner can be external or internal to the system. The outlet gases from the turbocharger contain enough kinetic and potential energy to produce some mechanical and electrical output. The enthalpy available from its gases is used to transmit heat to air, water or other fluid. Several applications of using the energy output are presented in this document.

Description

Self Pavaered Turbocharger Energy Systean for 1<Ieating and P~~er Applicati~ns S
This invention is a combustion device that converts the energy of fuel, either solid or liquid, into thermal and mechanical energy without the need of any external electrical input.
BACKGR~UND:
In order for combustion systems to ignite and release thermal energy, a su~cient amount of oxygen must be directly available to the fuel for burning. Normally, the air flowing through the system carries an adequate amount of oxygen, and in high intensity situations a fan is used to increase flow rate and thusly increase oxygen supply. Systems designed primarily for heat production generally utilize a heat exchanger to transfer kinetic energy from the hot burned gases to the quid to be heated. Traditional high intensity systems use an electrical fan powered by some external source to force airflow and also to pump combustion gases throughout.

2~ The same electrical source is used to power other components of the traditional system, such as the controls. The fact that this necessary component of the operation relies on an external electrical source limits the geometrical and geographical capabilities of the system. For remote location operations the dependence upon an external electrical source is cumbersome and inconvenient.
A
conventional fan delivers large amounts of air at low pressures.
The proposed system incorporates a self~powered pumping device that moves the combustion gases at high flow rates, high speeds and r~riuch higher pressures.

- t'ACp~ 4-This has applications where a basic combustion system is normally used with the advantage, as mentioned in the last paragraph, of providing outlet combustion gases at much higher velocities and pressures. Therefore, for applications that do require large heat exchanger surface areas sash as boilers and air heating systems, the necessary total surface area can be considerably reduced, which represents significant reductions in equipment size, materials and costs. ~tller applications that might use the high mechanical energy from the exhaust gases to exchange thermal energy, such as direct contact water heaters and radiant tube heaters, can also be greatly simplified adopting this technology.
to SIJMM~9.RY ~F TIE Il~VEhITI~N:
It is the object of the present invention to provide a basic self powered combustion system that will have innu~nerous applications for puxposes that require high temperature exhaust gases with significant kinetic and potential energy.
The present invention accomplishes these objectives using, as shown on Fig l, a turbocharger 1 that uses a combustor 2 that burns fuel providing the necessary energy to drive the turbocharger turbine. A low-frequency piston motor 3, that utilizes a small fraction of the turbocharger compressor air, pumps the necessary lubricating oil for the turbocharger shaft and the fuel for the pressurized combustor 2. The air motor 3 receives the compressed air from the turbocharger compressor that goes inside the cylinder 3a that has a double action piston. This piston ~a is connected to other two smaller pistons Sand 3c. Piston 3b pumps lubricating oil to the turbocharger oil bearings and piston 3c pumps liquid fuel to the combustion 2. A series of check valves 3d ensure that the pistons 3b and 3e pump fluid in one stroke direction and sucks fluid in the opposite stroke direction. An accumulator 3e, which consists of a pressurized vessel containing compressible fluid such as air, keeps the fluid pressure stable even when pistons 3b and 3c reach their anal compressed stroke. Two fluid reservoirs 3f and 3g are also present and correspond to the oil and fuel containers respectively. The turbocharger ~, the eombustor ~ and the air motor 3 represent the combustion core systez~n. .t~ heat exchanger 4 that can be used to transfer thermal energy form the exhaust gases to other Iluids such air, water or any other liquid is also presented. It could also be a direct heat exchanger where the exhaust gases could be released in an immc,rsed contairner containing the fluid to be heated. ~1 simple air motor 5 that can be signilar to the I-Ieron's turbine can be used to generate mechanical energy movement from the exhaust gases to drive a more conventional fan 6. A starting fan 7 is wised for providing airflow to 1 fl the turbocharger ~ at starting conditions.
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Claims

1. A basic self-powered combustion system that consists of a turbocharger, a pressurized combustor and an oil/ fuel pump that produces high temperature gases with significant amounts of kinetic and potential, as pressure, energies.

2. A basic self-powered combustion system as described on item 1 above that can be used with conventional heat exchanger applications such as boilers and air heaters with the advantage of requiring less heat exchanger surface area that reduces equipment cost and size

3. A basic self-powered combustion system as described on item 1 that utilizes an air motor that can drive an oil and fuel pumps. The air motor consists of a larger piston connected to smaller pistons for the oil and fuel pumps.

4. A basic self-powered combustion system that can be used in a direct contact heat exchanger applications to heat water from its high pressure high temperature exhaust gases that can be released submersed in a water tank, simplifying the direct contact heat exchanger.

5. A method of obtaining a basic self-powered combustion system that can be used for applications that require beat transfer from high temperature high pressure exhaust gases to another fluid.

6. A method of obtaining a basic self-powered extremely low-maintenance combustion system that can be used for applications that require heat transfer from high temperature high pressure exhaust gases to another fluid and some mechanical that can be extracted from the exhaust gases that can be used to drive an air motor that can drive a fan or an electrical generator.

7. A method of transferring lubricant oil from a thermally insulated vessel to an engine lubricating system using pressurized air in the said vessel created by a compressor system.

8. A pneumatic oil heat storage system for use in addition to the lubricant system of a known internal combustion engine, said pneumatic oil heat storage system consisting of an air compressor where both suction and compressed air manifolds are utilized to pump oil between an engine and a thermally insulated vessel as described in claims 4 and 5; means using a valve that allows using either the compressed or the suction air manifolds of the said compressor.