RU2499897C2 - Heat engine - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: power engineering.

SUBSTANCE: heat engine is designed to convert energy of thermal waste at thermal power plants into mechanical energy with the purpose of secondary processing of electric energy. The heat engine comprises a base, cylinders with pistons, a power takeoff shaft, a low-temperature source of thermal energy and a refrigerator. Volatile liquid is filled into working cavities of the cylinders. Cylinders are fixed to a pair of links in a row of closed equidistant chains and form routes of four or more such rows that are moved relative to each other by one quarter of the pitch of the cylinder row. There are hooks on stems of pistons. On the cover of each cylinder there is a lever fixed on a hinged joint with a stop from a spring of the lever end at the piston stem and a roller at its other end opposite to a guide block installed on the base in each row of the cylinder route, with the possibility of simultaneous fixation with the lever and disengagement of the piston stem by the guide block, at the end of which there is a yoke. Opposite to the ends of the yoke on the base there are two hook-like anchors installed hingedly, with the possibility to fix the ends of the yoke with anchor hooks. Each pair of chains, where cylinders are attached, is engaged with driving sprockets of the common power takeoff shaft and idle sprockets of the route, having two falling loops from the cylinder rows, one of which is submerged into a source of thermal energy, for instance, in a reservoir with hot water, and the other one - into the refrigerator, for instance, in a reservoir with cold water. The proposed engine has a row of positive features of energy conversion of thermal waste scattered in large mass of a low-temperature coolant, into mechanical energy, which make it possible to efficiently use this energy for power generation.

EFFECT: invention will make it possible to cut demand for coolants, and also to reduce power consumption from external suppliers in enterprises, where a large mass of low-temperature wastes is generated.

5 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of heat engineering and can be used in thermal power plants and other industrial enterprises in which there is a large waste of heat.

The efficiency coefficient (EFFICIENCY) in the best examples of thermal machines that convert the thermal energy of a heat source into mechanical energy does not exceed (approximately) 30%. In a number of industries, in particular, the metallurgical and chemical industries, a large waste of heat is generated, which is lost in cooling towers or other heat exchangers that return cooling water to production. Thus, waste heat takes away more than 70% of thermal energy, which, due to the low temperature potential, is not effectively used.

Atmospheric pressure in piston heat engines acts on the piston in both forward and reverse stroke and is an additive quantity. The useful work of the thermodynamic cycle is determined in them only by the action of internal pressure and the working volume of the cylinder, therefore, the effective operation of these machines is possible only with a high temperature potential of the working fluid (steam, gas).

The operation of the piston machine on a low-temperature working fluid is possible when using a pair of easily evaporating liquids. In particular, a steam-powered plant is known [1], which is capable of converting the thermal energy of a low-temperature heat source into mechanical one. However, this steam-powered installation has significant drawbacks that do not allow it to be used effectively in industrial power generation - low efficiency (less than conventional steam engines), a complicated and bulky device of a refrigerator and an injector for cyclic return under vacuum, the spent working fluid into the boiler at low power of one cars.

The closest analogue of the invention according to the principle of action is the steam engine of Polzunov (hereinafter referred to as the Polzunov machine) [2].

According to the principle of operation, the Polzunov machine is a vacuum piston machine. In the Polzunov machine, saturated water vapor is supplied from the boiler to the cylinders, which alternately lifts the pistons in the cylinders, connected by a chain thrown through the block. The working stroke of each cylinder is due to the vacuum under the piston. The pistons alternately fall down after cold water is injected into the next cylinder under the piston, which leads to the condensation of saturated water vapor in the cylinder, and a vacuum is created. Thus, in the thermodynamic cycle of Polzunov’s machine, atmospheric pressure, which, in fact, is a free energy source, performs useful mechanical work, and the internal saturated vapor pressure in the cylinder serves only to kinematically continue the machine’s cycle of operation. Therefore, the isobaric thermodynamic cycle of the Polzunov machine is the most economical. The theoretical efficiency of the thermodynamic cycle of Polzunov’s machine is equal to the difference in atmospheric pressure lowering the piston and internal pressure after condensation of saturated steam (vacuum) under the piston divided by atmospheric pressure. Since the saturated vapor pressure under the piston after its condensation is incommensurably small compared to atmospheric pressure, the theoretical efficiency of the thermodynamic cycle of the Polzunov machine approaches unity.

The aim of the invention is a heat engine capable of efficiently operating on low-temperature heat waste from thermoelectric power plants and other industrial enterprises in which large heat waste is generated.

This goal is achieved in a heat engine containing a base, cylinders with pistons, a power take-off shaft, a source of heat energy and a refrigerator, and in the working cavities of the cylinders, with a minimum volume, a metered-in liquid that is easily evaporated is filled in, and the cylinders themselves are attached diametrically with two sides near the center of gravity, to a pair of links in a series of closed equidistant chains and form paths of four or more of these rows, sequentially shifted relative to each other by one quarter of the pitch of a number of cylinders, on the piston rods of which there are hooks, for example, in the form of grooves, and on the cover of each cylinder a lever is fixed on the hinge with a stop from the spring of the end of the lever into the piston rod and a roller at its other end opposite the copier mounted on the base in each row of the track of a number of cylinders, with the possibility one-sided fastening by a lever and detaching by a copier of the piston rod, at the end of which there is a beam, and opposite the ends of the beam on the base, two hook-shaped anchors are mounted pivotally, with the possibility of fixing the ends of the beam with hooks of anchors, p why does each pair of chains on which the cylinders are attached enter into engagement with the drive sprockets of the common power take-off shaft and the idle sprockets of the track having two falling loops from the rows of cylinders, one of which is immersed in a source of thermal energy, for example, in a tank with hot water, and the other in the refrigerator, for example, in a container of cold water.

The invention is illustrated in figure 1, which shows, schematically, one row of cylinders of the route, figure 2 is a side view of a separate cylinder, figure 3 is a top view along arrow C, figure 4 is a section along DD, in figure 5 - section according to EE.

The heat engine (hereinafter referred to as the machine) contains cylinders of the same type 1 (Figs. 1 and 2), diametrically attached near the center of gravity, from two opposite sides to the same link of the equidistant chains 2 and 3 (Fig. 3). Chains 2 and 3 with attached cylinders form the path of a closed row of cylinders with a step t (Fig. 1). The number of traces of the rows of cylinders can be any, but not less than four (depending on the required machine power). Each row of cylinders is offset from the neighboring one by one quarter of step t sequentially. Cylinders 1 (Fig. 2) are lightweight and made of aluminum alloy with thin walls and external stiffeners. Inside each cylinder 1 is placed, as light as possible, a piston 4 of aluminum alloy with rubber o-rings 5. Through a hole for the screw plug 6 in the back cover 7, with a minimum volume of the cavity F of cylinder 1 (in the position of the piston 4 at the back cover 7), it is dosed , a volatile liquid that can replenish if necessary. The front cover 8 and the back cover 7, as light as possible and made of aluminum alloy. The front cover 8 of the cylinder 1 has through holes in the form of segments separated by jumpers, and through its central hole passes the rod 9, fastened to the piston 4. The rod 9 has a hook, for example, in the form of a stepped groove. A lever 10 is pivotally mounted on the front cover 8. A leaf spring 11 constantly presses the end of the lever 10 against the piston rod 9. The other end of the lever 10 is equipped with a roller 12, opposite the copier 13 (Figs. 1 and 2). Copiers 13 are mounted on the base of the machine in the space between the drive sprocket 14 (Fig. 1) on the power take-off shaft 15 and the idle sprockets 16, with the possibility of adjusting the position along the direction of the track. The end of the rod 9 (FIG. 2) of the piston 4 is connected to the beam 17 by an axis 18 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The edges of the rocker arm 17 are located opposite the hook-shaped anchors 19 and 20 (Figs. 3 and 5) of each row of track cylinders on hinges 21 and 22 (Fig. 3) attached to the base of the machine. In the position of the rocker arm 17 next to the copier 13, the ends of the rocker arm 17 rest on the fixed beds 23 and 24, fixed to the base of the machine and limited in length (Fig. 4).

In the basement, below the floor level of 0.0 (Fig. 1), a container 25 with hot water (heat source) and a container with cold water 26 (refrigerator) are placed. Chains 2 and 3 (Fig. 3), shown by a dashed line (Fig. 1), are engaged with drive sprockets 14 on the power take-off shaft 15 and idler sprockets 16, 27, 28 and 29 so that part of the cylinders 1 is immersed in a tank with hot water 25, and the other part into the container with cold water 26 due to the falling loops of the route of a number of cylinders 1.

The machine has starting and stationary (working) operating modes. With a sufficiently long starting scrolling of the power take-off shaft 15 (Fig. 1), from the starter counterclockwise, the row of cylinders 1 moves from right to left along arrow A (Fig. 1).

All cylinders 1 work identically, therefore it is enough to consider the work on the example of one cylinder 1 (hereinafter, the cylinder). Let this cylinder be in the initial position before immersion in the hot water of the tank 25, and its piston is located at the back cover 7 (figure 2). Moving downward (Fig. 1), when starting scrolling of the power take-off shaft 15, the cylinder is immersed in a tank 25 with hot water. During the movement in it, an easily evaporating liquid, poured into the cylinder, boils and the pressure of its saturated vapors is created in the cylinder, which is higher than atmospheric, which moves the piston 4 in the cylinder (Fig. 2) to the front cover 8, and the emphasis of the lever 10 engages in stock 9, preventing it from returning back. The cylinder leaves the tank 25 (figure 1) and, after turning on a single sprocket 28, is immersed in a tank 26 with cold water. During the residence time in the container 26, which is much longer than in the tank 25, the cylinder cools, the saturated vapor of easily evaporating liquid condenses and a vacuum is created in the cylinder under the piston 4 in the cavity F (Fig. 2), since the piston 4 remains fixed by the stop of the lever 10 at the front cover 8. Thus, the cylinder becomes an accumulator of potential mechanical energy, due to the constant difference of atmospheric pressure and vacuum in the cavity F, with the piston 4 attached. Moving up, the cylinder goes around a pair of drive sprockets 1 4 (FIG. 1), assuming a horizontal position. Moving in a horizontal position, first the rocker 17 (Fig. 4) lies on the bed 23 and 24, and then its protruding ends go beyond the hooks of the anchors 19 and 20 (Figs. 3 and 5), which fall over the ends of the rocker 17. Copier 13 ( 1 and 2) is adjusted so that immediately after lowering the rocker arm 17 under the hooks of the anchors 19 and 20 at its ends, the copier 13, when the cylinder moves through the roller 12, presses the lever 10 (figure 2) and releases its end rod 9 of piston 4. Due to the pressure difference (atmospheric and inside the cylinder), the cylinder pulls chains 2 and 3 and transfers the previously stored potential cial energy via the drive sprocket 14 (Figure 1) the PTO shaft 15, as the piston rod 9 4 (2) is held by hook-shaped yoke 17, anchors 19 and 20 (Figure 3). The piston 4 (figure 2) returns to the rear cover 7 in its previous position. From this moment, the machine switches to a stationary mode of operation. In fact, the starting mode is somewhat shorter and ends immediately after the entry into operation of the cylinders immersed in the tank 25 (Fig.1) with hot water. The operation of each cylinder in stationary mode is similar to the operation in the starting mode. The stationary mode of operation of the machine occurs continuously due to the fact that adjacent rows of cylinders are shifted relative to each other by one quarter of step t (Fig. 1), and the stroke of the pistons 4 of cylinders 1 exceeds this shift, so that adjacent rows of cylinders come into operation sequentially and are summed by PTO shaft load 15 torque. For the smooth operation of the machine, the temperature of hot water in the tank 25 (Fig. 1) and cold water in the tank 26 should be constant due to the automatic maintenance of the ratio of the influx and outflow of water in the tanks 25 and 26.

For normal operation of the machine, it is necessary that the saturated vapor pressure of the easily volatile liquid poured into the cylinders 1 exceeds atmospheric pressure at the temperature of hot water in the tank 25, and the temperature of the cold water in the tank 26 is as low as possible. The use of a number of easily volatile liquids is consistent with this condition. For example, in a volatile liquid - acetone, the vapor pressure of saturated steam exceeds atmospheric already at a temperature of + 60 ° C (860 mm Hg), and the condensation of saturated steam occurs at a temperature below + 56 ° C [3].

The machine stop mode can be emergency or normal. The emergency stop mode of the machine is achieved by forced lifting of all hook-shaped anchors 19 and 20 (Figs. 3 and 5), for example, using electromagnets. For a normal stop of the machine, it is necessary to drain hot water from the tank 25 (Fig. 1), but the machine will not stop immediately until all the potential energy stored in the cylinders 1 has been generated, after which the machine will stop.

The proposed machine has a number of positive features of converting the energy of thermal waste dispersed in a large mass of low-temperature coolant into mechanical energy, which allows you to effectively use this energy to generate electricity. Such features include: (1) the absence of a boiler and a steam distribution device, which simplifies the manufacture and operation of the machine, (2) the high efficiency of the thermodynamic work cycle, which is extended over time, which allows the machine to work on a low-temperature coolant, (3) the accumulation of mechanical energy in large the number of individual batteries of mechanical energy (individual cylinders) that continuously collect and accumulate dissipated thermal energy from a large mass of thermal waste, which allows to obtain a sufficiently large power for driving an electric generator, (4) separation of the phase of the slow conversion of low-temperature thermal energy into the potential energy of mechanical energy accumulators and its transportation for the subsequent phase of quick delivery to its power take-off shaft, which allows to obtain a sufficiently high speed of its rotation.

The use of the proposed machine in thermal power plants will reduce the need for coolants, as well as reduce the consumption of electricity from external suppliers in enterprises where a large mass of low-temperature waste is generated. It is also possible to use a machine to generate electricity on cheap energy sources, for example, peat, wood waste, etc.

List of sources

1. Patent Ros.Fed. N9 2003814, Bull. fig. Ns 43-44, November 30, 1993

2. The prototype. See Danilevsky V.V. - I.I. Crawlers. Works and life of the first Russian heat engineering, M. - L. Izd. USSR Academy of Sciences, 1940

3. A brief physical and technical reference book, ed. K.P. Yakovleva, Volume One - M: ed. FM lit., 1960, p. 341, 346.

Claims (1)

A heat engine containing a base, cylinders with pistons, a power take-off shaft, a source of thermal energy and a refrigerator, characterized in that easily evaporating liquid is dosed into the working cavities of the cylinders with a minimum volume, and the cylinders themselves are attached, diametrically, on both sides near their center gravity to a pair of links in a series of closed equidistant chains and form routes of four or more of these rows, successively shifted relative to each other by one quarter of the pitch of a series of cylinders, on the piston rods of which there are hooks, for example, in the form of grooves, and on the cover of each cylinder, a lever is fixed on the hinge with a stop from the spring of the end of the lever into the piston rod and a roller at its other end opposite the copier mounted on the base in each row of the track of a number of cylinders, with the possibility of one-way fixing lever and detachment of the piston rod with a copier, at the end of which there is a rocker arm, and opposite the ends of the rocker arm, two hook-shaped anchors are pivotally mounted on the base, with the possibility of fixing the ends of the rocker arm with anchor hooks, each I am a pair of chains on which the cylinders are attached, engages with the drive sprockets of the common power take-off shaft and idle sprockets of the track having bottom falling loops from the rows of cylinders, one of which is immersed in a source of thermal energy, for example, in a tank with hot water, and the other - in the refrigerator, for example in a container with cold water.

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