US1961787A - Binary fluid power plant - Google Patents

Description

June 5, 1934.

R. C. ROE

BINARY FLUID POWER PLANT Filed Jan. 10, 1953 '6 mveuron Patented June 5, 1 934 NITED STATES itemsv rsrmmr FLUID rowan PLANT Ralph C. Roe, Englewood, N. J., assignor of onehalf to Stephen W. Borden, Summit, N. 3.

Application January 10, 1933, Serial No 650,363

9 .iliaims.

This invention pertains to improvements in power plants which employ a binary fluid regenerative heat cycle and is a continuation in part of myapplication Serial No. 508,068 from which it differs by the addition of heat exchangers, a

liquid turbine in the heavy liquid line, the extraction of. steam for regenerative purposes from a pressure point higher than the vacuum exhaust, the make up of the binary fluid and otherwise as will appear from the description.

" The general principle of operation of such systems is fully described in'-my co-pending applications Serial Nos. 508,068, 522,214 and 520,557.,

The following definitions are adopted for the purposes of this application.

Binary fluid-An absorptive, thermal-binary fluid consisting of two liquids in certain normal proportions, one of which has a lower boiling point, at any'pressure, than the other and the latter liquid having the property of absorbing, under certain conditions, vapor of the former liquid. I I

Light liquid-That one, of the two liquids of a binary fluid, which has the lower boiling point.

Heavy liquid-That one, of the two liquids of a binary fluid, which has the higher boiling point.

Either or both of the liquids may consist of a solution of two or more substances.

In the drawing, which is schematic, l is a furnace; 2, a boiler; 3, an analyzer; 5, a rectifier; 7, a vapor condenser; 9, a liquid turbine; 11, a condenser evaporator; 14, an absorber; 15, heat transfer coil; 17,-a heat exchanger; 18, a pump; 19, an electric motor; 20, a heat exchanger; 21, a pipe coil; 25, a superheating coil; 26, steam extraction conduit; 27, condenser coil; 28, steam generator; 31, prime mover; 33, vacuum con- 40 denser; 36, a pump; 37,-a motor; 39, a hot well;

a .46, a heating hot well; 48, water; v50, pipe coil; 55, a pump; 56, a motor; 58, a coupling; 65, a liquid turbine; 72, a float chamber; '73, float rod; 74, evaporation chamber; 75 a pressure regulator; 76, .a hot well; 77 a pump; 78, a motor; 79, a pipe-coil; 80, a heat exchanger; 83, a pipe coil; 84, a heat exchanger; 87, a control valve; 88, a control valve; the balance of the characters represent conduits.

The prime mover is a-steam turbine of conventional design. The rest of the equipment is all'of conventional design and the operation and construction thereof, including the necessary calculation of sizes etc.-, are well understood in 55 the steam power and refrigerating arts.

Those skilled in.this art will understand that the details of the apparatus and the binary fluid used will vary according to the particular requirements attending the use of which the system is to be put, but for the purposes of illustration 1 shall refer to an apparatus shown in the drawing and describe the same with reference to the use of the following binary fluida heavy liquid consisting of a solution of approximately 95% KOH and 5% NaOH with H2O as the light liquid. Temperatures are given in degrees Fahrenheit and pressures in lbs. per sq.

inch absolute. The fluid is heated in boiler 2 to a temperature of 750 degs. at which temperature its pressure is 600 lbs.

Light liquid is distilled off, in boiler 2, in the form of superheated steam which-passes through analyzer 3 to rectifier 5, where any entrained particles of heavy liquid are condensed out and returned to the boiler through conduit 23, through conduit 6 into coil 27 where it is condensed, into liquid having 'a temperature of 486 degrees. The liquid is then led through conduit 8 to heat exchanger 84. In heat exchanger 84 the temperature is reduced to 222 degrees. The turbine 9 reduces the pressure to 14.7 lbs. and the temperature to 212 degrees about 457% of the liquid being changed into vapor due to the low pressure. Exchanger 80 condenses the vapor and reduces the temperature to 192 degrees. The light liquid now enters the condenser evaporator 11 where it is evaporated by the steam which is extracted from the turbine via conduit 26, at a pressure of 18 lbs. and 223 degrees. 1 I The light liquid is evaporated in chamber 74 at 14.7 lbs. and 212 degrees and flows, via conduit 12, to heat exchanger 17 which it leaves at a temperature of 481.2 degrees flowing, via conduit 86, into 'absorber' 14 where it is absorbed by the heavy liquid and thereafter returned to the boiler via conduit 16, pump 18, conduit 47, coil 21 and analyzer 3.

Heavy liquid from boiler 2 passes, via conduit 24, to heat exchanger 20 which it leaves at 490 degs., via conduit 66' to turbine which it leaves at 486.2 degs. and 14.7 lbs., to heat exchanger 17 which it leaves at 474.6 degs.,- to absorber 14,, where it is mixed with the vapor, entering via conduit 86, absorbing the same and releasing heat of absorption. For the binary fluid specified and a pressure of 14.7 lbs., the working temperature of the absorber will be 480 degrees.

The binary-fluid formed in the absorber, by the absorption of the light liquid vapor by the heavy liquid, flows via conduit 16, at 14.7 lbs. and

at 709.8 degrees, to boiler 2 by conduit 41.

Steam is produced in generator 28 at 550 lbs. and 4'76 degrees by the released heat .of absorption which is transmitted to-water 48 via the metal casing of the absorber and the circulating coil 15. The steam flows via conduit 13 to conduit 29. The light liquid vapor condensing in coil 27 of the vapor condenser 7, produces steam in vapor condenser '7 at 550 lbs. and 4'16 degreesand it also flows into conduit 29. From 29 the steam flows through the superheater coil 25, which'it leaves at 592 degs., and via conduit 30 to the prime mover 31 which in this case is a steam turbine. From the turbine steam is extracted, via conduit 26, at 18 lbs. and 222 degrees, and condensed in condenser evaporator 11 from which the condensate flows to hot well,

46. The balance of the steam is exhausted, via conduit 32, to vacuum condenser 33, which is water cooled by water drawn through conduit 35 and discharged through'conduit 34, and its con-" densate' passes to hot well 76 and from them, via pump '77 to heat exchanger 80, which it leaves at 108.5 degs. passing into hot well 46 where it mixes with the condensate from condenser evaporator 11 and is heated by extracted steam. From 46 the total condensate flows, via conduit 54 and ieedpump 55 through heater 84, which it leaves at 338 degrees, to vapor condenser 7 via regulating valve 87 and to generator '28 via regulating valve 88.

"The liquid turbines s5 and 9,, pump 18 and motor 19 have their shafts coupled together.

The power produced by the liquidturbines is not quite enough to drive the pump and the motor supplies the deficiency. Should the pump 18 lose its loadthe motor serves as an overspeed brake for the liquid turbines.

As the level of condensate rises in float chamber '72 it actuates a-float which in turn actuates the rod '73 and this in turn actuates a flow control valve on turbine 9 so as to regulate the. speed of turbine 9, or the flow of liquid theree 'through, so as to maintain a constant prede termined level of condensate in hot well 39.

The regulator maybe any suitable type of pressure regulator. Its function is to control the motor 65 so that it will not pass sufilcient.

heavy liquid to flood the absorber. If too much liquid is admitted to the absorber it will build up a pressure which will cause the regulator 75 to' reduce the flow through the turbine 65.

The heavy liquid described, namely, a solution of about 95% KOH and 5% NaOH, has the following characteristics and solutions 'having these characteristics 'may be used as heavy liquids for power plant binary fluids.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention in accordance with the patent statutes, it will be understood that my invention is capable of embodiment in'a variety of forms of'apparatus and that I am. not limited to the specific arrangement or.structural parts shown and described, nor tothe particular binary fluid used in the illustration, but that the scope of invention is to be gaugedbythe accompanying claims taken in connection wlththe state of the prior art.

What I claim. is: 1. That combination which includes; a prime mover; a steam generator for supplying steam to the prime mover; a binary fluid boiler; a vapor condenser for condensing lightiliquid'vapor and 480 degs., to pump 18 which it leaves at 600' lbs., through heat exchanger 20, which it leaves.

means for conducting steam from the generator and from the vapor condenser to the prime mover and from the prime mover to the condenser evaporator and for conducting vapor from the boiler to the vapor condenser; a vacuum condenser independent of the condenser evaporator for condensing exhaust steam from the prime mover; means for conducting steam condensate from the condenser evaporator to the vapor condenser and to the steam generator; and means for conveying condensate from the vacuum condenser to the condenser evaporator said means including a pump.

2. A combination according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the conveying means includes one element of a heat exchanger the other element of which is connected in a conduit line for conveying condensate from the vapor condenser to the condenser evaporator.

3. That combination-which includes: a prime mover; a steam generator for supplying steam to the prime. mover; a binary fluid boiler; a vapor condenser for condensing light liquid vapor and producing steam for the prime mover; a condenser evaporator for condensing extracted steam from the prime mover and evaporating light liquid; an absorber for absorbing light liquid vapor; the absorber being arranged in heat exchange relation with the steam generator; means for conducting steam from the generator and from the vapor condenser to the prime mover and from the prime mover to the condenser evaporator and for conducting vapor from the boiler to the vapor condenser; a first conduit line for conducting light liquid from the vapor condenser -to the condenser evaporator said line including a pressure reducing device; a second conduit; line for conducting evaporate from the condenser evaporator to the absorber; a third conduit line for conducting heavy liquid from the boiler to the absorber said line including a liquid turbine; a fourth'conduit line for conducing binary fluid from the absorber to the boiler said line including a pump; and means for conducting steam condensate from the condenser evaporator to the steam generator-and to the vapor condenser.

4. A combination according to claim 8 characterized by the fact that the first conduit line includes one element of a heat exchanger the other element of which is included in the means for conducting steam. condensate.

5. A combination according to claim 3 characterized by the fact that the second conduit line includes one element of a heat exchanger the other element of which is included in the third conduit line.

6. A combination according to claim 3 characterized by the fact that the pressure reducing device in the third conduit line is'a liquid turbine arranged in power exchange relation with the pump in the fourth conduit line.

conduit line is arranged in power exchange re:

.light liquid; an absorber for absorbing light liquid vapor the absorber being arranged in heat exchange relation with the steam generator; means for conducting steam from the generator and from the vapor condenser to the prime mover and from the prime mover to the condenser evaporator and for conducting vapor from the boiler to the vapor condenser; means for conducting light liquid from the vapor condenser to the condenser evaporator saidmeans including one element of a heatexchanger and means for conducting steam condensate from the condenser evaporator to the. steam generator and to the vapor condenser said last means including the other element of the heat exchanger; means for conducting evaporate from the condenser evaporator to the absorber; means for conducting heavy liquid from the boiler to the absorber; and means for conducting binary fluid from'the absorber to the boiler. v

RALPH C. ROE.

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