US20090293516A1 - Method and Apparatus - Google Patents

Method and Apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US20090293516A1
US20090293516A1 US12/300,249 US30024907A US2009293516A1 US 20090293516 A1 US20090293516 A1 US 20090293516A1 US 30024907 A US30024907 A US 30024907A US 2009293516 A1 US2009293516 A1 US 2009293516A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
substance
energy
gaseous phase
circuit
downstream
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Abandoned
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US12/300,249
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English (en)
Inventor
Rune Midttun
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RM-ENERGY AS
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RM-ENERGY AS
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Assigned to RM-ENERGY AS reassignment RM-ENERGY AS ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: MIDTTUN, RUNE
Publication of US20090293516A1 publication Critical patent/US20090293516A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
    • F01K—STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES
    • F01K25/00—Plants or engines characterised by use of special working fluids, not otherwise provided for; Plants operating in closed cycles and not otherwise provided for
    • F01K25/08—Plants or engines characterised by use of special working fluids, not otherwise provided for; Plants operating in closed cycles and not otherwise provided for using special vapours
    • F01K25/10—Plants or engines characterised by use of special working fluids, not otherwise provided for; Plants operating in closed cycles and not otherwise provided for using special vapours the vapours being cold, e.g. ammonia, carbon dioxide, ether
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/40—Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
    • Y02E10/46—Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, transferring energy.
  • the circulated medium prefferably takes the form of a mixture of a liquid of low volatility and a liquid of high volatility and for the latter liquid to be condensed in a condenser/absorber wherein the latter liquid is absorbed back into the liquid of low volatility.
  • Examples of such a system are disclosed in EP-A-181,275; EP-A-328,103; GB-A-294,882; JP-A-56-083,504; JP-A-56-132,410; JP-A-05-059,908; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,240.
  • a method of transferring energy comprising causing a fluid substance to flow through a circuit and, in sequence, converting said substance from a liquid phase to a gaseous phase by inputting energy from a source and while said substance is under relatively high pressure, and converting said substance from said gaseous phase to said liquid phase by outputting energy and while said substance is under relatively low pressure.
  • apparatus for transferring energy comprising a circuit, a displacing device arranged to displace a fluid substance around said circuit, an evaporating device in said circuit and arranged to convert said substance from a liquid phase to a gaseous phase by inputting energy from a source, a condensing device in said circuit and arranged to convert said substance from said gaseous phase to said liquid phase by outputting energy, said displacing device comprising a pump arranged to act directly upon said liquid phase, said pump being downstream of said condensing device and upstream of said evaporating device.
  • the condensing device is in the form of a condenser/absorber having a sorbent of solid material. This has an advantage over the systems using a medium mixture that the need to provide heat to split the mixture into vapour and liquid is avoided.
  • the present system can be relatively simplified by combining the condensing device with the evaporating device as a single assembly, preferably as a modular unit.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a prior art refrigeration system
  • FIG. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of the system according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating various applications of the system of FIG. 2 .
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating in detail a version of the embodiment of FIG. 2 .
  • FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating in detail another version of the embodiment of FIG. 2 .
  • the system comprises a sealed circuit 2 including a compressor 4 , a condenser 6 , an expansion valve 8 , and an evaporator 10 , in series.
  • the circuit 2 has a low pressure side 12 containing the evaporator 10 whereby thermal energy is input into the refrigerant, for example the substance R 22 (a single hydrochlorofluorocarbon), and a high pressure side 14 containing the condenser 6 and whereby thermal energy is emitted from the refrigerant.
  • the substance R 22 a single hydrochlorofluorocarbon
  • a disadvantage of this system is that it requires a gaseous phase compressor 4 which requires a significant power input, as well as being bulky and expensive.
  • the compressor 4 increases the pressure of the gaseous phase refrigerant, whereafter the gaseous phase-refrigerant is converted into the liquid phase in the condenser 6 , from which thermal energy is emitted and the refrigerant arrives at the expansion valve 8 which has a cooling effect on the substance owing to the pressure drop, causing conversion of the substance into partially gaseous phase and partially liquid phase.
  • the cold liquid substance receives thermal energy from the exterior and the substance is supplied to the compressor 4 in its gaseous phase.
  • the substance converts from its liquid phase to its gaseous phase under low pressure and converts from its gaseous phase to its liquid phase under high pressure.
  • this system again includes a sealed circuit 20 , but this contains a condenser/absorber combination 22 , a liquid pump 24 , an evaporator 26 , a superheater 28 and an energy-consuming device 30 , which may be a turbine, a propeller, a piston-in-cylinder drive device, or a gas engine.
  • the circuit 20 has a low pressure side 32 and a high pressure side 34 , but the substance is converted from its liquid phase to its gaseous phase in the high pressure side 34 and from its gaseous phase to its liquid phase in the low pressure side 32 .
  • the substance in the circuit 20 may be any suitable substance that has an evaporation temperature level at atmospheric pressure which is at least 30° C. lower than the temperature of the ambient source supplying thermal energy to the superheater 28 .
  • the ambient source may be air near the ground, or sea, lake or river water.
  • the evaporation temperature level is significantly lower than the temperature of the source, for example at least 5° C. lower for water and at least 10° C. lower for air. Examples of such substances are R 22 , carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
  • liquid pump 24 which, correspondingly to the compressor 4 , provides the motive power for driving the substance round the circuit, has a much lower power requirement than the compressor 4 and is also more compact and inexpensive.
  • the thermal energy input into the superheater 28 may be from ambient air, or ambient water, such as from a river or from the sea.
  • the superheater 28 could replace the water cooler of an air conditioning plant of a building, especially a large building such as an hotel.
  • the energy-consuming device 30 may drive an electrical generator 38 , a marine propeller 40 , or replace the engine of a vehicle 42 .
  • the electrical generator 38 may be used to supply the hotel 36 , a house 44 , and/or the pump 24 .
  • the condenser/absorber 22 comprises a shell 46 containing an absorbent 48 of solid material of a capillary nature, for example charcoal or coal powder, or nanotubes.
  • an absorbent 48 of solid material of a capillary nature, for example charcoal or coal powder, or nanotubes.
  • the evaporator 26 which is in the form of a coil 50 .
  • the effect of the absorbent 48 which is in contact with the coil 50 , is to reduce the saturation vapour pressure of the substance entering the absorbent. Inside the coil 50 , the vapour phase is created under a higher pressure than exists in the absorbent 48 .
  • the condenser pressure is higher than the evaporator pressure, but, owing to the use of the absorbent 48 , in the system shown in FIG. 4 the condenser pressure is lower than the evaporator pressure.
  • the thermal energy released during condensing of the vapour in the absorbent 48 balances the heat requirement for the evaporator 26 .
  • the internal surface area of the coil 50 is a major factor in determining the mass flow of the vapour into the superheater 28 .
  • the superheater 28 transfers thermal energy into the substance in the circuit from, say, ambient air or water, because the temperature of the gaseous substance therein is lower than the ambient temperature.
  • the superheated vapour enters the turbine 30 through a pressure-regulating, solenoid valve 52 .
  • the output vapour from the turbine 30 enters the condenser/absorber 22 for condensing and thus releasing thermal energy.
  • the turbine 30 is used to drive the electrical generator 38 which may drive a compressor 54 having a significantly lower power consumption than the power generation by the turbine 30 , for example 10% to 15% of the power generated by the turbine.
  • the compressor 54 creates in a liquid reservoir 56 the lowest pressure in the circuit 20 .
  • At the bottom of the shell 46 is a flow connection 57 to the reservoir 56 for the liquid condensate.
  • a liquid pump 62 pumps the condensate in the reservoir 56 to the coil 50 via a non-return valve 64 .
  • the pump 62 may be a gear or centrifugal pump.
  • the compressor 54 may be driven mechanically from the device 30 , or electrically from the generator 38 or from an external power supply 66 by way of switches 68 and 70 .
  • a pressure-relief valve 72 bypasses the turbine 30 and the solenoid valve 52 .
  • the auxiliary circuit 61 which is active particularly during start-up phases of the system, instead of containing the reservoir 56 , includes an evaporator 74 inside the reservoir 56 and forming a main super-cooler, so that the circuit 61 is totally separate from the circuit 20 , with the “flash” vapour being thereby condensed in the reservoir 56 itself.
  • the liquid is pumped by the pump 62 to the coil 50 via an auxiliary supercooler 76 in the reservoir 56 , whereby the heating of the liquid by the pump 62 is counteracted.
  • the device 30 has an output gearbox and power shaft 78 .
  • the low-pressure vapour output from the device 30 passes directly into the top of the shell 46 instead of via piping.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Engine Equipment That Uses Special Cycles (AREA)
  • Sorption Type Refrigeration Machines (AREA)
  • Vaporization, Distillation, Condensation, Sublimation, And Cold Traps (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
US12/300,249 2006-05-11 2007-05-10 Method and Apparatus Abandoned US20090293516A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0609349.6 2006-05-11
GBGB0609349.6A GB0609349D0 (en) 2006-05-11 2006-05-11 Method and apparatus
PCT/GB2007/001709 WO2007132183A2 (en) 2006-05-11 2007-05-10 Method and apparatus for a vapor cycle with a condenser containing a sorbent

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20090293516A1 true US20090293516A1 (en) 2009-12-03

Family

ID=36637309

Family Applications (1)

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US12/300,249 Abandoned US20090293516A1 (en) 2006-05-11 2007-05-10 Method and Apparatus

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US20090293516A1 (zh)
EP (1) EP2069612A2 (zh)
JP (1) JP2009536705A (zh)
CN (1) CN101529056B (zh)
AU (1) AU2007251367A1 (zh)
GB (1) GB0609349D0 (zh)
NO (1) NO20085152L (zh)
RU (1) RU2008149082A (zh)
WO (1) WO2007132183A2 (zh)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2535583A4 (en) * 2010-02-09 2016-02-24 Zibo Natergy Chemical Industry Co Ltd MOTOR DEVICE WITH TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES
US9657723B1 (en) * 2014-03-26 2017-05-23 Lockheed Martin Corporation Carbon nanotube-based fluidized bed heat transfer media for concentrating solar power applications

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
TR200802291A2 (tr) * 2008-04-04 2009-10-21 �Nce Alpay Enerji dönüştürücü.
US8915083B2 (en) 2008-10-14 2014-12-23 George Erik McMillan Vapor powered engine/electric generator
JP2010101233A (ja) * 2008-10-23 2010-05-06 Hiroshi Kubota 冷媒により作動するエンジン
WO2011007197A1 (en) * 2009-07-15 2011-01-20 Michael Kangwana Lowgen low grade energy power generation system
NZ596481A (en) * 2011-11-16 2014-10-31 Jason Lew Method and apparatus for utilising air thermal energy to output work, refrigeration and water
US20130312415A1 (en) * 2012-05-28 2013-11-28 Gennady Sergeevich Dubovitskiy Method for converting of warmth environment into mechanical energy and electricity

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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US4291232A (en) * 1979-07-09 1981-09-22 Cardone Joseph T Liquid powered, closed loop power generating system and process for using same
US4333313A (en) * 1979-02-06 1982-06-08 Ecological Energy Systems, Inc. Gas powered, closed loop power system and process for using same
US4489563A (en) * 1982-08-06 1984-12-25 Kalina Alexander Ifaevich Generation of energy
US4573321A (en) * 1984-11-06 1986-03-04 Ecoenergy I, Ltd. Power generating cycle
US4713944A (en) * 1985-09-09 1987-12-22 Schiedel Gmbh & Co. Intermittently operating sorption apparatus with solid sorbent for heat and cold storage
US4718243A (en) * 1985-05-22 1988-01-12 Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt fur Raumfahrt e.V. Heat pump system and a method of operating same
US5249436A (en) * 1992-04-09 1993-10-05 Indugas, Inc. Simplified, low cost absorption heat pump
US5456086A (en) * 1994-09-08 1995-10-10 Gas Research Institute Valving arrangement and solution flow control for generator absorber heat exchanger (GAX) heat pump
US5557936A (en) * 1995-07-27 1996-09-24 Praxair Technology, Inc. Thermodynamic power generation system employing a three component working fluid
US5846450A (en) * 1991-11-08 1998-12-08 Atkinson; Stephen Vapor absorbent compositions comprising potassium formate
US5934101A (en) * 1996-04-25 1999-08-10 The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc. Compression absorption heat pump

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB294882A (en) * 1927-07-30 1929-09-12 Gen Electric Improvements in and relating to vapour engines
JPH0658107B2 (ja) * 1984-05-26 1994-08-03 日揮株式会社 水素化金属を用いるエネルギー変換装置
EP0328103A1 (en) * 1988-02-12 1989-08-16 Babcock-Hitachi Kabushiki Kaisha Hybrid rankine cycle system
JPH02146208A (ja) * 1988-11-24 1990-06-05 Hitachi Ltd 複合熱利用プラント
CN1098493A (zh) * 1993-08-05 1995-02-08 北京市西城区新开通用试验厂 一种交互吸收式太阳能空调机
JP2002098436A (ja) * 2000-09-22 2002-04-05 Daikin Ind Ltd 冷凍装置

Patent Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4333313A (en) * 1979-02-06 1982-06-08 Ecological Energy Systems, Inc. Gas powered, closed loop power system and process for using same
US4291232A (en) * 1979-07-09 1981-09-22 Cardone Joseph T Liquid powered, closed loop power generating system and process for using same
US4489563A (en) * 1982-08-06 1984-12-25 Kalina Alexander Ifaevich Generation of energy
US4573321A (en) * 1984-11-06 1986-03-04 Ecoenergy I, Ltd. Power generating cycle
US4718243A (en) * 1985-05-22 1988-01-12 Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt fur Raumfahrt e.V. Heat pump system and a method of operating same
US4713944A (en) * 1985-09-09 1987-12-22 Schiedel Gmbh & Co. Intermittently operating sorption apparatus with solid sorbent for heat and cold storage
US5846450A (en) * 1991-11-08 1998-12-08 Atkinson; Stephen Vapor absorbent compositions comprising potassium formate
US5249436A (en) * 1992-04-09 1993-10-05 Indugas, Inc. Simplified, low cost absorption heat pump
US5456086A (en) * 1994-09-08 1995-10-10 Gas Research Institute Valving arrangement and solution flow control for generator absorber heat exchanger (GAX) heat pump
US5557936A (en) * 1995-07-27 1996-09-24 Praxair Technology, Inc. Thermodynamic power generation system employing a three component working fluid
US5934101A (en) * 1996-04-25 1999-08-10 The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc. Compression absorption heat pump

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2535583A4 (en) * 2010-02-09 2016-02-24 Zibo Natergy Chemical Industry Co Ltd MOTOR DEVICE WITH TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES
US9657723B1 (en) * 2014-03-26 2017-05-23 Lockheed Martin Corporation Carbon nanotube-based fluidized bed heat transfer media for concentrating solar power applications

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0609349D0 (en) 2006-06-21
NO20085152L (no) 2008-12-10
AU2007251367A1 (en) 2007-11-22
WO2007132183A3 (en) 2009-04-16
EP2069612A2 (en) 2009-06-17
WO2007132183A2 (en) 2007-11-22
CN101529056A (zh) 2009-09-09
RU2008149082A (ru) 2010-06-20
JP2009536705A (ja) 2009-10-15
CN101529056B (zh) 2013-05-01

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