WO2017134481A1 - A tapering spiral gas turbine for combined cooling, heating, power, pressure, work and water - Google Patents

Abstract

Air is compressed by an electric motor in stages of Archimedes scroll spirals. Condensed air moisture is collected as potable water at the output of each stage of air compression. Heat of compression is used to produce hot water. The dried and cooled air could be stored in gas tanks as pressure energy storage. Pressurized air is useful for inflating tires and other devices but most of the pressurized air is used to drive the tapering spiral turbine. Pressurized air produces work when gas pressure is released gradually through the tapering exponential spiral. As air expands and yields its pressure energy to the spiral, it cools rapidly and can be used directly for air conditioning. Further evaporative cooling can be achieved by humidifying the previously dried air. To enhance work production, solar or combustion heat adds energy to the pressurized air at the center of the tapering spiral turbine. Hot and dense gas provides explosive force to drive the turbine. To convert work into electricity, permanent magnets on the periphery of the tapering spiral turbine induce electric voltage and current on solenoids on the spiral turbine enclosure. Residual heat of pressure expended gas could be used for cooking or space heating.

Description

A Tapering Spiral Gas Turbine for Combined Cooling, Heating, Power, Pressure, Work, and Water

Joseph Y. Hui

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application includes subject matter disclosed in and claims priority to a provisional application entitled "A Tapering Spiral Gas Turbine for Combined Cooling, Heating, Power, Pressure, Work, and Water" filed February 2, 2016 and assigned Serial Number 62/290,393 describing an invention made by the present inventor.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[OOOljThe recent 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP 21 for the twenty first century) was successful to bring countries to reach a consensus to the final draft of a global pact to reduce emissions as part of the method for reducing greenhouse gas. In the 12-page Paris Agreement, the members agreed to reduce their carbon output "as soon as possible" and to do their best to keep global warming "to well below 2 degrees Celsius" - this according to a recent update of Wikipedia article.

[0002]While a consensus is laudable, it remains unclear what technologies and policies are required to achieve reduced emission. Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft Corp, maintained that technological innovation and investment is key to solving the problems of energy shortage and climate change. Three promising examples of innovation were given: solar chemical, flow batteries, and solar paint.

[0003]Besides these technologies, we should emphasize on three shift of focus. The first shift of focus is from energy generation to energy application. People are concerned not just about energy generation but more about the use of energy to provide comforts: water, environment, food, information, and transportation. Consumption of energy is often just the means to provide these end comforts.

[0004]The second shift of focus is from electricity to heat. We can use heat directly for space and water heating, and indirectly to generate cooling, water, cooking, motion, and then motion-induced electricity.

Electricity is generated for lighting, communication, computation, and electric transportation. A heat centric view of energy substantially reduces the amount of electricity needed per household. [0005]We should store energy in the form it is used. We can store heat energy in heat bath and pressure energy as pressurized gas. We can store chill as condensed refrigerant or frozen matter. Pressurized gas can also be a refrigerant as expanding gas rapidly cools down. We can store energy in chemical batteries for fast conversion to eletricity. If small and efficient turbines are available, we should keep chemical energy in the form of fuel, burning the fuel only when electric power is needed. Combustible fuel has a much higher density than voltaic battery. Battery can be expensive with limited cycle life.

[0006]The third shift of focus is local generation, storage, conversion, and use of energy. James Watt started the 1^st industrial revolution with centralized work production by large steam engines. Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla started the 2^nd industrial revolution with centralized generation (CG) of electricity and distribution by electricity grid. The invention of semi-conductor and integrated circuits started the 3^rd industrial revolution that brought us distributed computing and communication. The integration of micro-electronic-mechanical systems (MEMS) brought the 4^th industrial revolution, fully distributing energy generation and use back to the individuals.

[0007]We invent the Firefly technologies with small, simple, and efficient conversion and use of multiple kinds of energy. Key to the Firefly technologies is the Hui turbine that for the first time allows gas turbines to be made small yet retaining the efficiency of large utility scale gas or steam turbines. Thus CG becomes unnecessary and is replaced by Personal Energy (PE) for which the collection, storage, conversion, and use of energy is on a personal scale with mobility.

[0008] Firefly has the lO'S characteristics: Smart, Small, Simple, Scalable, Savings, Strong, Silent, Safe, Storage, and Stylish. Firefly provides Combined Cooling, Heating, Power, Pressure, Work, and Water, with the acronym CCHP²W². Firefly can help industrialize undeveloped countries allowing people to be productive where they are without electric or water grids. Half of the world live without reliable electricity or running water supply. Most of the world have no easy access to CCHP²W²comforts.

[0009] In this disclosure, we focus on a gas turbine with heat supplied by concentrated solar power or internal combustion of gaseous fuel. Hot and dense gas is crucial to CCHP²W^Z. We focus on Brayton cycle heat engines and pumps, which is characterized by two constant pressure phases at high and low pressure with heat injection or extraction. Between each of these constant pressure phases are compression and expansion phases of the gas. This 4 phase thermodynamic cycle is the Brayton cycle.

[0010]The compression phase converts work into pressure energy. Some work is converted into heat of compression, which could be used to heat water. Compression of air also expels moisture as potable water. Heat from solar or combustion is injected in the constant high pessure phase. Work is extracted in the expansion phase, converting heat and pressure energy of the gas into work. Work could be used to drive cars, or converted into electricity by driving a generator. Pressure expended gas is ejected into the ambient low pressure with residual heat used for cooking or space heating. If no heat is injected into the expansion phase, pressure expended gas is cooled. Cooled air is ejected into the ambient low pressure environ for air conditioning, not only for temperature but also for humidity conditioning.

[0011]These thermodynamics insights has been developing since Carnot during the past 200 years. Carnot asked the basic questions of the nature of heat conversion into work as well as the role of working fluid. His 1824 book established the Carnot cycle as the most efficient heat engine with heat conversion efficiency 1— in which T is the high temperature of a heat source and T_L is the low temperature of a heat sink.

[0012]Practical engineering for heat engines started earlier with little understanding of thermodynamic principles. Let us survey the history of heat engines. Hero of Alexandria about two thousand years ago invented the first heat turbine. Steam produced in a boiler was ejected through nozzles. Steam ejected in opposing directions made the hinged boiler turn. That rotary engine is what we now call a turbine. The Hero turbine provided little torque or work. It remained a curiosity exhibited in the Alexandria Library. The Hero turbine was revolutionary: a central rotating boiler revolves by ejecting steam in an open, not closed volume. It is a reaction turbine based on conservation of momentum.

[0013] In between Hero and the 1^st industrial revolution, wind and water motion energy were harvested by means of turbines, literally a rotating device such as a wind mill or a water mill. The approach taken was an obstructionist one with blades or buckets used to slow down wind or flowing water. There were no effort to convert heat energy into motion energy.

[0014]The first powerful and practical steam engine was patented by James Watt in 1769 that used an external steam generator and condenser. Pressurized steam controlled by valves pushes a piston to perform work. The piston closure of steam gives a significant force. This force was utilized for pumping water, weaving textile, and driving train. Water was boiled under high pressure. This improves efficiency, but the resulting high pressure steam could be explosive and deadly. This harnessed motive force changed society. Big engines and locomotives brought people to cities. Centralized manufacturing was driven by steam engines. That started the industrial revolution at the turn of the 19^th century based on the Rankine cycle engine. [0015]The first realization of the Carnot cycle was the Stirling engine patented by Reverend Stirling in 1816. He was concerned with the deadly pressure of the steam engine. Carnot cycle efficiency depends only on a temperature ratio between the heat source and sink, not on pressure ratio within the engine and ambient pressure. Unfortunately, metallurgy and heat transfer technology for high temperature heat engine was immature.

[0016]lnventions of Edison and Tesla created the power utilities in the early 20^th century. Coal fired steam engines generated electricity by Tesla's AC generators. These power generators were inefficient due to the low efficiency of steam engines. Steam engines are Rankine cycle engine that boils a liquid to form the working gas to push pistons The pressure expended gas is cooled to condense back to liquid. Steam engines are inefficient because of the extra heat of evaporation needed. Also, modern steam turbines use large amount of water to condense low pressure steam. Steam engines were replaced by internal combustion engines, using liquid fuel instead of coal as energy source. Piston engines are noisy and inefficient due to the pumping motion of pistons.

[0017]Nikola Tesla invented the Tesla turbine. Steam is injected tangentially on turbine periphery. The turbine comprises a stack of closely spaced disks. Steam spirals inwards in between disks towards the center of the stack. Steam drags disks by gas viscosity, driving the disks to rotate. Steam pressure and velocity drops towards the center, where the spent steam exits the Tesla turbine. Tesla claimed to achieve over 90% isentropic efficiency of turning usable heat into work. The claim remains unconfirmed even with today's material and engineering. Tesla's turbine was not employed for power generation.

[0018]Since mid-20 ^h century, gas and steam turbines have made power utilities much more efficient. Steam turbines powered by steam generated by burning coal have efficiency around 40%. Large amount of water is required to condense low pressure steam from the steam turbine. Modern combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) can achieve efficiency above 60%. CCGT uses natural gas to drive a Brayton cycle gas turbine. Hot gas exhaust generates steam to power a Rankine cycle steam turbine.

[0019]Since the 21^st century, the world confronts pollution from burning fossil fuel. Carbon dioxide emission causes global warming. The resulting climate change is threatening human survival. Yet much of the world population remains poor in terms of being served water, heat, chill, food, and transportation. The CG utility model is failing poor countries that often lack power infrastructure. Yet poor people suffer the most from global warming, rising sea levels, and chronic air pollution.

[0020]Burning more coal is not the answer to help people live a comfortable life. We cannot afford to build expensive, polluting, and wasteful infrastructure of energy collection, generation, and distribution. Natural gas and solar power are our energy source of choice for PE. Both are abundantly available for personal energy generation and use. PE is efficient, clean, local, small, useful, and therefore beautiful.

[0021] Key to solving our energy and climate crises is miniaturization and personalization of energy production, storage, conversion, and usage. We will focus on heat as our energy source. Heat can come from solar thermal, geothermal, or from burning of piped natural gas and propane transported in canisters. We want simple, small, and superefficient turbines. We believe that global challenges require us to take a fresh look at the thermodynamics and fluid dynamics of hot and pressurized gas. Our goal is to make small gas turbines as efficient as large gas turbines, at a small fraction of cost per Watt of power. We also want to reduce cost per kWh of energy due to high efficiency and utility co-generation.

[0022]We want to know the geometry of open gas flow trajectory that allows a gradual and smooth release of gas pressure to produce work. We want to avoid a sudden conversion of pressure into kinetic energy of the gas. After much experimentation with trial and errors, we came to the following conclusion. The flow channel must be narrow and long. We want to prevent sudden release of pressure which accelerates gas to a high speed. The spiral must force the gas to flow in a carefully engineered trajectory that allows gas to push the turbine spiral in an oblique manner.

[0023]lt took a lot of experiment and fluid dynamic analysis before we realized that a tapering exponential spiral achieves smooth flow of gas with gradual release of pressure. Gas should flow from inside out, rather than from the outside to inside flow of gas for the Tesla turbine. Tesla turbines use gas viscosity to drag the turbine in the same rotational direction. For the Hui turbine disclosed in an issued patent, gas flow pushes the turbine spiral in an oblique manner. Turbine reacts in the opposite rotational direction. We want to avoid impact of high velocity gas on turbine blades that is often the design used for small turbines.

[0024]We tried experimentally with 3D printed turbines tested by pressurized gas. We tried different sizes and shapes for the spiral. The exponential spiral, also known as the Bernoulli spiral, worked better than the Archimedes spiral. The Bernoulli spiral has radius r = ae^be that increases exponentially as the angle Θ of turn by gas in the spiral. The Archimedes spiral has radius r = αθ + b that increases linearly. [0025]Exponential spiral occurs often in nature such as seashells and plants. Fluid dynamics gives rise to an exponential spiral shape for hurricanes. Galaxy arms are exponential spirals. The exponential spiral results from the physics of growth. Growth is often self-generating and self-similar. The exponential spiral is self-similar: it looks similar as we zoom into center of the spiral. A spinning Bernoulli spiral does not appear visually contracting or expanding. Archimedes spirals are not self-similar: the inside of the Archimedes spiral is less tangential while the outside looks like circles. Rotating Archimedes spiral looks like it is expanding inside out.

[0026]This self-similarity is due to an important property of the Bernoulli spiral: spiral tangent makes a constant angle with spiral radius. This constancy is used by eagles zooming into preys. An eagle circles in on a prey tracking a logarithmic spiral, the reverse of an exponential spiral. The eagle does so by fixing its eye on the prey. The line of sight radius towards the prey is at a fixed angle to the tangential flight path of the eagle. For the exponential spiral with radius r = ae^be , the angle between the spiral radius and the spiral tangent is a constant = tan^-1(^). For large b, the spiral expands rapidly and the tangent makes a small angle with the radius. The spiral looks like a curved radius that grows rapidly. For small b, the spiral resembles a circle with tangent perpendicular to radius. The radius grows slowly.

[0027]We have disclosed the innovation of a spiral of long length, moderate width, and shallow depth for a gas turbine in an earlier issued patent. We discovered and disclose here that better efficiency can be achieved with a tapering spiral of a lesser length that allows a more gradual increase of gas velocity and gradual decrease of gas pressure. A tapering spiral turbine is proposed with an internal heat transfer chamber in the center, versus the external heat transfer in the earlier disclosure. The newly proposed tapering spiral turbine with internal heat transfer provides much more torque than the earlier proposed constant width spiral. We also disclose for the first time a thorough momentum and energy conservation analysis that explains how tapering can increase torque and shorten the spiral length.

[0028] In the current disclosure we reveal how to build an internal combustion gas turbine with new way to compress fuel-air, new design of combustion chamber, new method to control pressure release of combusted fuel-air, and new air bearing for the gas turbine. We reveal how to integrate an axle-free turbine with an electric disk generator. We reveal how a compressor could be built using an Archimedes scroll spiral that has a disk form factor similar to the exponential spiral. We also reveal how the stator winding of the generator to generate electricity can also be used to drive the electric motor for the Archimedes scroll compressor. This compressor-expander-generator-motor integration is elegant, resulting in a small form factor as well as high efficiency. [0029] In the current disclosure, we teach how this newly invented internal combustion gas turbine can be used with production of not only electric power but also pressure, work, water, as well as cooling and heat. Most micro combined cooling, heating, and power {mCCHP) systems divert low temperature exhaust heat to produce cooling and heating in parallel. Cooling is done often by evaporating water as refrigerant. Water is absorbed by a desiccant (absorbent) such as strong lithium bromide solution, silica gel, or active carbon. Low temperature heat is used to dry the desiccant. This drying requires a large volume that is prohibitive for PE. Also dispersal of heat for condensation of water vapor at low pressure requires large cooling towers.

[0030]Using high pressure of gas is key to high heat-to-work conversion efficiency, instead of using high temperature of the Carnot cycle. We could raise pressure to the requisite 20+ bar for a 50+% efficiency. We achieve a high pressure compression by means of a multi-stage Archimedes scroll spiral. We can rotate the tapering spiral turbine in reverse as a gas compressor. The compressor can extract water from humid air. The compressor can use cheaper off-peak electricity to store pressure energy in air tanks.

[0031]We can also use the compressor-expander configuration for cooling. The compressor of air serves as a heat pump to heat water. The cooled compressed air can be stored as refrigerant for chilling. Compressed air drives the spiral turbine which is a gas expander. Work generated can be used to produce electricity. Pressure expended air cools down further, which could be used directly for air conditioning. No refrigerant other than air is needed.

[0032]The compressor not only pumps out heat of compression, it also forces moisture to condense, giving out heat of condensation. Using air as refrigerant not only is earth friendly, it can also remove atmospheric water vapor which by itself is a heat capturing gas. There have been major concerns that popular refrigerant can be ozone depleting and heat capturing.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A simple, small, and efficient gas turbine system called Firefly is invented, comprising a tapering spiral turbine with a heat chamber in the center and a scrolling compressor to compress air towards the center. This compression-expansion gas system can be used to produce a combination of 5 essential comfort for humans: cooling, heating, electric power, air pressure, mechanical work, and potable water. We call this CCHP²W² for Combined Cooling, Heating, Power, Pressure, Work, and Water. Energy source for CCHP²W² could be from concentrated solar power or by internal combustion of gaseous fuel.

Air is compressed by an electric motor in stages of Archimedes scroll spirals. Condensed air moisture is collected as potable water at the output of each stage of air compression. Heat of compression is used to produce hot water. The dried and cooled air could be stored in gas tanks as pressure energy storage. Pressurized air is useful for inflating tires and other devices but most of the pressurized air is used to drive the tapering spiral turbine. Pressurized air produces work when gas pressure is released gradually through the tapering exponential spiral. As air expands and yields its pressure energy to the spiral, it cools rapidly and can be used directly for air conditioning. Further evaporative cooling can be achieved by humidifying the previously dried air. To enhance work production, solar or combustion heat adds energy to the pressurized air at the center of the tapering spiral turbine. Hot and dense gas provides explosive force to drive the turbine. To convert work into electricity, permanent magnets on the periphery of the tapering spiral turbine induce electric voltage and current on solenoids on the spiral turbine enclosure. Residual heat of pressure expended gas could be used for cooking or space heating.

The Hui turbine uses spiraling gas channels with superior gas flow geometry. Traditional geometry includes piston displacement engines and rotating blade turbines, which are structurally complicated and aerodynamically turbulent. Hui spirals have exponentially increasing spiral radius and exponentially decreasing spiral width verus turn angle of the spiral. Our analysis confirms that gas flows smoothly with gradually increased velocity and decreased pressure, allowing almost isentropic conversion of heat and pressure energy into work. We analyze momentum and energy conservation for gas interaction with the spiral turbine. Momentum conservation analysis gives torque production at every turn of the spiral as a function of fluid flow velocity. Energy conservation analysis relates the balance of kinetic and pressure energy decrease of fluid with work production by the turbine by torque force.

Our goal is to replace the Edison utility model of centralized generation of electricity by burning fossil fuel. We will replace that with the 21^st century model of Personal Energy (PE), defined as the personal and local collection, storage, conversion, and use of clean energy. Firefly has lO'S characteristics: Smart, Small, Simple, Scalable, Savings, Strong, Silent, Safe, Storage, and Stylish. Firefly will forment the fourth industrial revolution. Africa for which the Edison model has failed can be industrialized. Firefly will be vital for disaster relief. Firefly will help secure energy freedom and alleviate climate changes. Our motto is "Live comfortable and sustainable". We hope Firefly will be the energy miracle Bill Gates had asked for.

[0033]A method of gas turbine heated by internal combustion or external concentrated solar power for the production of work; comprising of plurality of rotating disks, at the center of which is a heated chamber, from which spiral channels of expanding radius and tapering bore control gradual release of pressure to cause a mechanical reaction of the turbine. Male gas nozzles injects gas into the female heated chamber receives compressed gas to be heated either by external concentrated solar power or internal combustion of a gaseous fuel.

[0034]The said gas turbine is integrated with an electric generator periphery of the spiral gas turbine, whereby an annulus of electromagnets or permanent magnets is used to induce alternating current electricity on the stator coils located at the periphery of the turbine casing. The electric generator can be used also as an electric motor to assist the gas turbine to produce more work by means of by means of stored electricity.

[0035]The said gas turbine is integrated with an air compressor powered directly by the work of the gas turbine, by the electricity produced by the turbine, or by external electric power source to produce compressed air for the turbine, for storing of energy in the form of compressed air, or for the purpose of cooling when pressurized air is cooled to produce work through the said gas turbine. The said compressor may comprise a single or plurality of stages of the Archimedes scroll compressor or tapering spiral channels. The AC motor of the compressor is used also as a heat pump to produce hot water, to prime the heated gas turbine, and to store pressure energy by compressed air.

[0036]The instrument of a gas turbine for combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP); comprising a rotor, an integrated turbine and generator casing that encapsulates the rotor on which one or more nozzles injects air-fuel into the heated chamber in the center of the rotor, and a compressor A compressor powered by the turbine, by the electricity generated by the turbine-generator, or by external electric power. Heat of compression is used for heating water. Cooled compressed air is expanded in the gas turbine to produce work and cooled air for air conditioning. Heat could be injected into the central heat chamber by concentrated solar power or combustion of gaseous fuel in the heat chamber to produce more work by expansion of the high pressure and temperature gas through spirals of exponentially increasing radius and exponentially decreasing bore versus the turn angle of the spiral. Pressure expended gas from the spiral could be used for space heating.

[0037]A gas turbine for combined cooling, heating, power, pressure, work, and water (CCHP²W²) that produces beyond cooling, heating, electricity, pressure, and mechanical work also extracts water from humid air through condensation of water vapor by means of pressure of a multi-stage spiral compressor prior to storage of dried high pressure gas or its direct use in the gas turbine for the production of work or cooling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038]Fig. 1 shows the Brayton cycle of pressure versus volume

[0039]Fig. 2 shows a tapering exponential spiral

[0040]Fig. 3 shows the dissected view of the internal combustion gas turbine, with the turbine at the top, a generator and motor on the periphery, and a scroll compressor at the bottom.

[0041] Fig.4 shows exponential spirals leading from the center combustion chamber.

[0042] Fig. 5 shows the Archimedes scroll compressor

[0043] Fig. 6 show gas temperature drop ratio T/T₀ versus radius r with efficiency ε = 1 - T/T₀

THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS

[0044]Our heat turbine uses the Brayton thermodynamic cycle to convert heat to work. The pressure versus volume graph of the cycle is shown in Fig. 1. The thermodynamic efficiency of the Brayton cycle, comprising the four phases of adiabatic and isentropic compression of air 1→ 2, isobaric heat addition and expansion of gas 2→ 3, the adiabatic and isentropic expansion of gas 3→ 4, and the isobaric cooling of the gas post turbine for the purposes of heating 4→ 1 .

[0045]This Brayton cycle heat engine efficiency is analyzed as follows. Consider the temperature T and pressure p of the gas throughout the Brayton cycle. For adiabatic compression of gas, we have constant pV^Y and TV^7'1. The adiabatic coefficient is / = 1.4 for polyatomic gases. Let us assume air and fuel to be at 1 bar pressure and 300K (27°C) temperature. Adiabatic compression of volume by a factor of 8 increases pressure to 18.38 bars and temperature to 689.2K^" (343.3°C) .

[0046]When fuel-air mixture is combusted under constant pressure, heat of combustion increases the volume of the combusted mixture, giving out work as volume expands. After isobaric expansion, combusted air expands further as pressure drops towards spiral exit, in reverse of adiabatic compression of fuel-air mix. Work is further given out by the adiabatically expanding gas inside the spiral.

[0047]Work W is the area in the pressure versus volume plot for the Brayton cycle. For adiabatic expansion, pV^Y is constant. Pressure P_L and P_H are low and high pressure before and after the compressor. Volume V_L and V_H are low and high pressure volumes before and after the compressor. Work done by the Brayton cycle is rPH CVH / r∑l Y=l

W = I Vdp = C \ p ^ydp = C' [ p_H ^r - p_L ^Y

[0048]The constants C, C' depend on initial conditions of gas volumes. Renormalizing by the heat of combustion Q for each cycle, the efficiency of this Brayton cycle heat engine is

Brayton cycle has constant pressure (isobaric) at two steps of the cycle with pressure P_L and P_H. Efficiency depends on the pressure ratio ~ ^{or tr)}e compression ratio - . In contrast, Carnot cycle efficiency is given by ε — 1—— , which depends on the low versus high temperature ratio

[0049] If we assume a volume compression of 8 by the compressor, pressure is increased by 18.38 times according to a constant pV^Y. Brayton cycle efficiency is

_{£ = 1} _ ^ _{= 1} _ f^ _{= 1} _ (JL = 1 - 0.435 = 0.565

\p_HJ p_HJ V18.38/

A smaller volume compression of 4 would give a smaller efficiency of ε = 1— = 0.426. A larger

volume compression of 16 can be achieved by running the air through the compressor. The resulting

( l \^0A

pressure ratio would give a high Brayton cycle efficiency of ε = 1 - — J = 0.670.

[0050] If heat is removed from instead of being injected into compressed air, we have a heat pump instead. The thermodynamic cycle of a Brayton cycle heat pump comprises the four phases of adiabatic and isentropic compression of air 1→ 2, isobaric heat removal and contraction of gas 2→ 5, the adiabatic and isentropic expansion of gas 5→ 6, and the isobaric heating of the gas post turbine for the purpose of cooling 6→ 1. The extracted heat is the heat of compression in the phase 2→ 5

[0051]The heat pump process is the reverse of the heat engine process. Since both processes are reversible, the efficiency analysis of the heat engine process applies to the heat pump process. The

Coefficient of Performance (COP/,) of heating by the heat pump is defined as the heat extracted H relative to the work W required, with COP_ft =

[0052]COPft is reduced when the high to low pressure ratio is large. A high pressure compressor can produce a high temperature T_H of gas under compression. An alternative definition of COP of heating is the thermodynamic bound of achievable high temperature with COP_h < ^Tli .

' H-TL

[0053]Chill—AQ is obtained when heat is absorbed in phase 6→ 1. Conservation of energy for the thermodynamic cycle 1→2→ 5→6→ 1 implies:

W_1→2 - H_2→5 - W_5→6+ AQ_6→1 = 0

[0054]The coefficient of performance of cooling is COP_c = ^ = - 1). COP for cooling is lower than COP for heating. This is consistent with the alternative definition of COP of cooling with COP_c <

TH-TL T -TL

[0055]Compression of gas for pressure is more efficiently done if heat is extracted as gas is progressively compressed. Least work is done if the compression is isothermal and isentropic as shown in fig. 1 in the change 1→ 5. Using the ideal gas law pV = nRT, we have

In our implementation of the two-stage Archimedes scroll compressor, the compressor is jacketed in cooling water. The compressed air output of the compressor stages is also cooled by water. We also propose using the tapering spiral in stages as a compressor instead of an expander.

[0056] Isothermal decompression of compressed air produces work as well as absorbs heat as shown in fig. 1 in the phase change 5→ 1. Since the compression and decompression processes are reversible, the same amount of work is yielded in decompression as work done in compression. Heat absorbed in decompression is same as the heat of compression.

[0057]Note that COP_c can be very high for isothermal compression and decompression. For isothermal processes, ambient temperature is the same as the high and low temperature of the heat and chill pumps. In practice, these temperatures are not the same for speedy heat exchange.

[0058]ln humid places, removal of moisture is more important than cooling of air for air conditioning. Isothermal compression is effective for removal of moisture. The process of moisture condensation is exothermic and is therefore energy efficient. We believe that compression of humid air instead of a refrigerant is more energy efficient. Humidity removal is more suitable for most part of the world where humid heat makes life uncomfortable.

[0059]This new paradigm for air conditioning is beneficial in mitigating global warming trends. First, moisture in air is a global warming gas. Second, refrigerants are harmful to the atmosphere. Refrigerants such as CFC can deplete atmospheric ozone that shields us from harmful ultraviolet solar radiation. Other refrigerants are potent heat trapping gas that are hundred times more potent than carbon dioxide.

[0060] Moisture removal for potable water can for coastal areas with high humidity but lack of flowing fresh water. Fresh water is useful and vital byproduct of CCHP. Water is vital for drinking, washing, and growing food. Extracting water from humid air frees us from tethering to electric or water grids.

[0061]The use of Brayton cycle has an added advantage of energy storage by compressed air. Our compressor can use grid electricity at a lower cost off-peak to store pressure energy. We believed this form of energy storage is well suited for the grid, balancing temporal demand of energy using compressed air storage of energy rather than the much more expensive battery storage of energy.

[0062]Pressure energy is thermal energy density of gas according to the ideal gas law in the form of p =— , the product of molar volumetric gas density p_m = - and thermal energy due to temperature T.

[0063]Bernoulli's law of constant p + ^, ρν² for a flowing fluid states the conservation of energy density for pressure and kinetic energy. The pressure energy of the gas results from the chaotic thermal motion of gas. We will use this energy conservation principle in our kinetic analysis.

PRESSURE FORCE CONVERSION INTO TURBINE KINETIC ENERGY

[0064]We experimented with cool pressurized air driving a long spiral of narrow constant width. The turbine produced little torque. Torque is produced by pressure force. To maintain better control of pressure release, we consider varying the bore size A = wd, the width times depth of the spiral. We will show that this tapering moderates pressure release without substantially speeding up the gas.

[0065]A tapering spiral allows an exploding gas to exerts a larger torque on the outside spiral wall, which is longer than the inside wall. Besides a larger surface area, the outside spiral wall also has a larger radius than the inside spiral wall. This larger surface area and larger radius gives a larger torque than the opposing torque acting on the inside spiral wall.

[0066]We will ignore the kinetic energy of the gas. This kinetic energy is small at the center of the turbine, with most of gas energy retained as internal energy of high pressure and temperature. The kinetic energy of the gas close to spiral exit is also small, as gas flow inside the spiral is countered by the opposite spinning direction of the turbine.

[0067]Gas kinetic energy plays a small role in energy conversion in our turbine as explained by Bernoulli's law, which is in essence a law of conservation of energy. Bernoulli law states that the energy density of a gas comprises two components: thermal and kinetic.

[0068]The first component is pressure, which has the unit of energy per unit volume. Pressure p is the nRT

internal thermal energy density of a gas as indicated by the ideal gas law with p = Thermal energy nRT depends on molar quantity n, the universal gas constant R, and temperature Γ. Thermal energy density is thermal energy divided by volume V.

[0069]The second component is kinetic energy density where p is the mass density of the gas and

v its velocity. The major objective in designing the geometry of the gas flow channel is to make sure that gas velocity remains small. Gas flows from inside out with gas velocity reduced by the countering channel rotation. Also, a wider channel close to center prevents gas from speeding up.

[0070]Bernoulli's law states that in the absence of external forces, the sum of these two components p + ^pv² is constant due to the conservation of energy. Let's examine the order of magnitude differences of these two components. For our turbine design, pressure exceeds 1 million pascals (10 bars ~ 10 atmospheres), more than 200 times greater than the kinetic energy density of gas -pv ~ 5,000 pascals with p ~ 1 kg/m³ and v < 10m/s.

[0071]We use the tapering spiral channel for gas flow in the turbine. A tapering spiral is shown in Fig. 2. The exponential spiral has a radius r = ae^b9 where Θ is the angle turning of the gas in radians. Alternatively, we have Θ = ^ln^. We also have ^ = abe^b9 = br.

[0072]The tangent of the spiral makes a constant angle = tan^-1(^) with the radius. The length of the spiral from its combustion chamber entry point is x = The width of the spiral is tapering at an exponentially decreasing rate. [0073] In our design, we prefer to taper the depth of the spiral channel instead of its width as shown in Fig. 3. We can change d = wd by changing depth d while keeping constant width w. The resulting turbine shape is conic, with a small volume than a cylindrical turbine.

[0074]We consider the torque produced by pressure acting on turbine walls. Torque is pressure p times spiral wall area times the leverage of the torque r cos a, where tan a = . Net torque is the difference between the greater torque force on the outer wall of the channel than its inner wall.

[0075]We conservatively assume a constant pressure p across spiral cross section for the same Θ. Pressure could be higher on the outside wall than the inside due to centrifugal force. We have assumed smaller kinetic forces relative to pressure force.

[0076]Torque is pressure times area times leverage. Net torque between the outside and inside walls is τδθ \ ( [r - w]66 \

δΤ_Ώ = I p x x d x r cos a l - p x _: x d x [r - w] cos a = pbwd[2r - w]S6 p V sin a / sin a J

[0077] For a turbine rotating at angular velocity ω, this differential torque produces a differential power: dP„ dT_D

=— τ- ω = pbwd[2r - νν ω = pbA[2r - wJo>

do do

[0078]We ignore the kinetic energy component of Bernoulli's law. Consider the pressure energy component Pf of gas flow. Pressure power flow across A of a gas flowing with velocity u is Pf = Aup.

[0079]Energy conservation implies power loss Pf in the gas flow is power gain by the turbine P_p due to pressure force + = 0. Using previous results, we have the differential equation

do dO d

— (Aup) + pbA[2r - ]c = 0

do

[0080]Conservation of gas mass flow implies constant Aup, giving:

[0081]Change of variable from Θ to r using the relation = br, giving:

[0082] From ideal gas law pV = nRT, we have p nRT RT R

p ~ pV ~ pV/n ~ m_w

Molar mass m_w is the weight of a mole of gas. Thus p/p measures the temperature of gas.

[0083]With these substitutions, we obtain the remarkably simple differential equation d aTt ω) r wi

dr u I

This equation is independent of the nature of gas used. The first term is heat energy loss of gas across the radius. The second term is work gain by turbine.

[0084] Heat conversion to work process is adiabatic, implying constant TV^7'1. Gas volume V is proportional to Au of gas flow across area A. Thus TiAuy¹ - T₀(i4_{0 0})¹'^"1 _J giving

[0085]We choose A = wd with constant w and changing depth d = d₀ -^-, a linear tapering of depth

1— cr₀

versus radius r of the channel. Note d = d₀ for r = r₀. Since radius and length of the spiral channel increase exponentially as angle Θ, channel depth decreases exponentially as the length of the channel.

[0086]With this channel geometry we obtain the differential equation 77 -r; dT = -ω-— 2 - - \ dr = — 2 + cw - 2cr \ dr

_To-i/(y-i) _d()Uo L _r J (l - cr₀) ₀ L ri

The initial condition is by T = T_Q when r = r₀. The solution of the differential equation is

[0087] Fig. 6 is a plot of temperature T/T_Q across turbine versus radius r₀ = 1cm≤r < r-_l = 4cm for ratios— of 0.2, 0.4 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0. We choose r₀ = 1cm, d₀ = 2cm maximum spiral radius r_x = 4cm, c = 0.2, w = 0.3cm, and γ = 1.4. Gas temperature drops rapidly as shown, as internal thermal energy is rapidly dissipated by thermal pressure working the turbine spiral channels. [0088] Efficiency is ε = 1— -, with T_H = T₀ the high post combustion temperature and T_L the low temperature of exiting gas at r = r At— = 1.0, efficiency is as high as 60%. At ω = 377 rad/s (60Hz), u₀ = 377cm/s, a breezy speed (less than 10 miles per hour). Gas cools from lOOO f to 400K (127°C). These gas parameters seem good for operation, provided gas pressure ratio exceeds 16 times. For a 4 spiral turbine, gas flow rate 4A₀u₀ at r₀ = lcm is about 1 liter per second. At 16 bar pressure, gas internal energy s pV = 16 x 10⁵Pa x 10^"3m³, or a power of 1.6W. At 60% efficiency, this small turbine gives a respectable power output of roughly lkW.

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

[0089] Let us consider the heat input and electricity output our gas turbine. The standard heat of combustion of methane is 37 MJ/m? . Since 1 kWh of energy is equal to 3.6 M], we conveniently round the heat output rate as lOkW for burning natural gas at a rate of 1 cubic meter per hour.

[0090]As of the filing of this patent, the world has seen a fairly stable cost of US$2 per GGE (gallon of gasoline equivalent, with a heat content of 33.4kWh) for compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied propane gas (LPG) over the past few years. A rate of burning 1 cubic meter of natural gas per hour costs US$0.6 per hour. Piped natural gas usually costs less than CNG per GGE, depending on volume sold. As an example, a commercial average price of US$8/CCF (thousand cubic feet ~28 cubic meters) is less than US$0.3 per cubic meter, half the price of CNG or LPG.

[0091]Our design produces net lOkW of electric power at a burn rate of around 2.5 cubic meters of commercially priced natural gas per hour. The turbine itself is of a size roughly 20cm in diameter and height of 5cm. At an expected 40% practical efficiency and a natural gas price of $8/CCF, the cost of generating electricity is around 7.5 cents per kWh. This compares favorably with US utility electricity price of 12 cents per kWh.

[0092]lndustrial price of natural gas for large users such as power generators is typically lower than $4/CCF, which further half the fuel cost of generating electricity to less than 4 cents per kWh at 40% generating efficiency.

[0093]Water and space heating as well as refrigeration and chilling are bonus. Seen another way, if that natural gas was used for space and water heating, the electricity generated pays for the fuel. CCHP has the advantage that heat and cooling can be produced with no extra fuel cost. [0094]To lower electricity production cost, we may increase pressure or volume ratio of compression. We may increase volume compression ratio from 4 to 16 with double pass of water cooled scroll spiral compression. The resulting pressure ratio is increased from 8 to about 25. The resulting efficiency can exceed 60%.

[0095)Without a generating efficiency of 80%, fuel cost per kWh would then be reduced to US$0.05/ kWh for commercially priced piped natural gas, far below US$0.12/kWh price of grid power. Industrial fuel cost could be reduced further by a factor of 2 to US$0.025/kWh.

[0096]For personal energy with local generation and use of energy, fuel cost is dominated by distribution cost. Use of LPG, LNG, or CNG at US$2/GGE doubles electricity price at US$0.15/kWh. The advantage is the wide availability of LPG provides unprecedented mobility of personal and local production of power, as well as free bonus production of cooling and heat much needed in off-grid communities.

[0097]Part of the PE revolution is the conservation of energy using modern energy saving appliances such as LED, microwave and induction range cooking, and personal communication and computing devices. Our goal is to provide lOkW of power which should be sufficient for a family, while heating and cooling does not use electricity. Instead, heating and cooling comes free using only the otherwise wasted heat from electricity production.

[0098]Heating and cooling consumes a large part of the electricity bill in the US. We believe that this lOkW of electricity production plus lOkW each for heating and cooling is sufficient for most US families.

[0099]Our invention can be grid-tied. Our goal is to use PE as our primary energy supply while relegating utility as our backup or off-peak energy supply. PE can help ease expensive on-peak power generation by power companies. There is no need for CG, particularly in countries with no CG infrastructure. We plan to commercialize our tri-generation technologies with 5 lines of Firefly products.

[0100]For most families in the world, we plan to produce the nano-Firefly with lkW generation. For US and other developed countries, we plan to produce the micro-Firefly with lOkW generation. For commercial enterprises, we plan to produce the mini-Firefly with lOOkW generation. For communities, large buildings, and enterprises, we plan to produce the Mega-Firefly with 1 MW generation.

[0101]Clean energy sources such as solar, natural gas, or propane will reduce our large carbon footprint resulting from coal-fired power generation and petroleum driven transportation systems. We believe that power generators should be mobile. We plan to put these varying sizes of generators on vehicles. Pico-Firefly 100W power drives bicycles and small drones. Nano-Firefly of lkW power drives small cars and larger drones. Micro-Firefly of lOkW power drives automobiles. Mini-Firefly of lOOkW power drives large trucks. Mega-Firefly of 1MW power drives trains and ships.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INTEGRATED TURBINE AND GENERATOR

[0102]This section comprises a description of the compressor-expander-generator-motor for our tapering heated gas turbine. One embodiment of our gas turbine is shown in Fig. 3, 4, 5, 6. The configuration in its entirety can be used to provide combined cooling, heating, power, pressure, work and water for CCHP²W².

[0103]The heat source of the tapering heated gas turbine can come from focusing concentrated solar power on the top surface of the central heat chamber. Glass tops will allow concentrated solar power to reach the central heat chamber. In one implementation of concentrated solar power, we employ a double reflector design for which a converging reflective parabolic surface focus sunlight on a diverging reflective parabolic surface. The focused collimated beam then shines on the glass tops of the turbine in Fig. 3 to impart heat energy to the pressurized gas.

[0104]The heat source of the tapering heated gas turbine can come from combustion of air-gas fuel mixture in the center combustion chamber. In the following description, we will focus on the internal combustion mode of the heated gas turbine, though the implementation for a solar heated gas turbine is structurally similar.

[0105]The key figure of this disclosure is shown in Fig. 3. A major innovation is the integration of the combustion chamber 101 inside a plurality of disks 102, 103, 104 that comprises the rotary part of the turbine, the turbine rotor 105. There is no spin axle in the center of the plurality of disk to transfer mechanical work to other electrical systems such as an electric generator or mechanical system such as an air compressor.

[0106]The rotary combustion chamber 101 has female receptacle 106 at the bottom to receive air and fuel. A compressor 107 compresses air which is injected into female receptacle 106.

[0107]Two turbine casings 108, 109 encapsulate the turbine rotor 105. The center of the bottom casing 108 is a gas nozzle 110. In one realization of mixing air and fuel, we place a fuel outlet 111 inside the gas nozzle 110. Placement of the air nozzle at the bottom creates a force upward to counter the weight of the rotor 105.

[0108]We strive to maintain as low an air-to-fuel mix ratio to produce a lower flow volume of flue gas. Low flow volume of flue gas produces a higher flue gas temperature. For mCCHP, a high flue gas temperature produces better thermodynamic efficiency of power, chill, and lastly heat production.

[0109]Methane burns in oxygen by the reaction CH₄ + 20₂ → C0₂ + ₂0. One volume of methane gas combusts with two volumes of oxygen to create one volume each of carbon dioxide and steam. Since air is 21% oxygen by volume, the proper air-fuel mixture by volume is 10:1. Flame at this air-fuel ratio provides a temperature boost of almost 2000°C at 1 bar pressure.

[0110]Larger hydrocarbon molecules such as propane require a larger air fuel mix ratio than that for methane. A 30:1 ratio is necessary for propane. Air compression is needed prior to mixing and igniting air-fuel mixture. A compressor is needed, which is powered by the turbine and has to be primed initially.

[0111]Temperature boost is less at higher pressure since more work is done by the expanding gas against the ambient high pressure. At 20 bar pressure, a constant pressure heat addition to the combusted fuel-air mix raises temperature by about 500 degrees Celsius to a temperature around 1200K. A larger air-fuel ratio lowers temperature.

[0112]We propose the use of ceramic for the turbine for high tolerance of mechanical and heat stress as well as better thermal insulation than metal. Our design has a small combustion chamber leading directly to the work producing spirals. This relatively small chamber reduces heat stress on the turbine and heat loss that reduces turbine efficiency.

[0113]The bottom male nozzle 110 uses high pressure compressed air generated by the built-in air compressor to float the turbine rotor 105. Has bearing perforation 112, 113 generates air cushion to float the rotor.

[0114]The bottom male nozzle 110 also serves as the fixed axle for the turbine rotor to spin around. Gas perforation 114, 115, 116 acts as gas bearings. These gas bearings prevent abrasion of the male nozzle 110 against the female receptacle 106.

[0115]The top casing 109 may have a notch to serve the axis for the spinning of the turbine rotor 105. Gas perforation 117, 118, 119 may act as gas bearing to prevent abrasion of the turbine rotor 105, similar to the gas bearings 114, 115, 116 at the bottom. The bottom bearings may be sufficient for fixing the rotation. The top bearing uses the high pressure of the combusted air-fuel mixture, which is much hotter than compressed air at the bottom.

[0116]Combusted air is also employed for the air bearings 120, 121 to prevent the turbine rotor to hit the top. The gas bearings at the top may not be as necessary as those at the bottom as there is no gravity to bear against. The bearings 120, 121 at the top may counter the excessive force beyond that for handling gravity from their counterparts 112, 113 at the bottom.

[0117]An external fuel source 122 supplies the fuel for combustion. Rate of fuel consumption is controlled by the gauge 123. Air flow into the combustion chamber is mixed with fuel to produce a flame 124.

[0118]Let us follow the flow of gas inside the turbine rotor 105. For methane, a larger than 10:1 air-fuel mix ratio by volume is necessary for complete combustion of methane. For propane, a larger than 25:1 air-fuel mix is necessary. As fuel enters the center of the larger air flow, fuel air is mixed and ignited initially by a spark gap 125. Combustion should be completed inside the combustion chamber within 10 milliseconds. Combustion may occur past the combustion chamber with no degradation of system performance.

[0119]lnside the combustion chamber 101, heat of combustion brought a multiple fold expansion of gas volume under constant pressure. This isobaric expansion reduces the temperature of the combusted fuel-air. The combusted fuel-air enters the spirals 126, 127. Combusted fuel-air loses pressure, resulting in acceleration of the fuel-air pressure in an adiabatic (no heat exchange) expansion of the gas.

[0120]The accelerating gas presses against the spiral wall, causing the turbine rotor 105 to spin in reaction to the pressing gas.

[0121] Pressure release of the gas is made more gradual by the tapering of the turbine spirals 126, 127. This innovation reduces entropy created by mismatched velocity of the gas and the turbine.

[0122]After making many turbine turns inside the spirals 126, 127, gas exits at the periphery of the spirals at 128, 129.

[0123]This hot and depressurized flue gas is collected and conducted outside through conduit 130 for further use of its residual heat. [0124]We now focus on building an integrated turbine, generator, motor and compressor that can be grid-tied. Most gas turbine use a long axle to transfer work produced by the turbine to a separate generator and compressor placed along the axle. We use a co-axial approach instead.

[0125]We use a center disk 103 to separate the upper spiral disk 102 and 104. The center disk 103 also serves as the rotor disk for the electric generator. On the periphery of the disks are magnets 131, 132 for a two pole rotor. The magnets can either be permanent magnets such as those made with the rare earth metal neodymium, or electromagnets made with a copper annulus surround a core iron laminate of high but soft magnetic permeability.

[0126]These magnets have polarity on the top and bottom flat surfaces. The magnets have alternating polarity facing up and down. The number of poles/magnets on the rotor determines the frequency of the resulting AC electricity generated by the formula = number of poles ^x ^?~ as related to rotational rounds per minute (rpm) speed of the rotor.

[0127]We plan to grid tie our generator to the 60Hz electric grid. When permanent magnets are used on the rotor, the generator can become synchronous with the grid. The desired rotational speed of the rotor is therefore 360rpm, giving the same / = 60Hz frequency as the grid.

[0128]The turbine casings 108, 109 also serve on the periphery for mounting stator winding coils 133, 134 for electricity generation. As the rotor magnets sweep in the gap of the solenoids 133, 134, the magnetic field of the rotating magnets 131, 132 induces AC voltages in the solenoids.

[0129]One end of the solenoid is grounded at 135. The other end of the solenoid 136 on the left is connected to one end of the solenoid 137 on the right at 138. The other end of the solenoid is the live wire of a 120V AC power supply.

[0130]A switch 139 can be turned on to tie grid electricity 140 with electricity produced in our device. When the phase of the grid is ahead of those for the generator, the grid drives the rotor as a motor. This serves to prime the turbine/compressor at startup of combustion.

[0131]When the phase of the induced current of the rotor is ahead of the phase for grid current, AC power is pushed back into the grid or consumed by appliances connected to the generator. The phase difference between the generator and the grid determines the net power provided by the generator.

[0132]When switch 139 is disconnected, the grid does not regulate the frequency of rotation of the turbine. Combustion powers the turbine to turn. AC voltage is proportional to the speed of turning of the turbine. Electric load determines the rpm of the turning of the turbine. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) may be necessary to determine the operating point of the turbine to maximize power.

[0133]We now focus on realizing the air compressor 107 for our internal combustion gas turbine.

[0134]Fuel air is injected into the turbine combustion chamber at the center. Fuel is injected at a controlled rate suitable for creating the spin velocity and torque of the turbine.

[0135]The compressor 107 creates the constant high pressure in the combustion chamber 101. Post combustion, flue gas pushes against the tapering exponential spiral in the adiabatic expansion phase of the Brayton cycle heat engine. Brayton cycle engine compresses air from the ambient temperature and pressure p_L adiabatically to a high pressure p_H. The fuel air mix ignites inside a combustion chamber. Combustion heat expands the combusted fuel-air to a larger volume at the same pressure p_H.

[0136]ln our implementation, air is compressed adiabatically by a factor of 8, slightly higher than the volume expansion factor of 6 for the tapering exponential spiral. The Archimedes spiral is of the form β

r = αθ + b. We deploy an 8-turn spiral with r = - + 2 cm with 2cm < r < 18cm for 0 < θ≤ 16π.

[0137]The volume of air compressed depends on both the radius the height of the scroll spiral compressor. Spiral wall thickness reduces the volume of each air pocket. In our implementation, we choose the height of the compressor inside volume to be 4cm.

[0138]We chose the thickness of the spiral wall to be 4mm. Since spacing between consecutive turns of a spiral is 2cm, the space between spirals suitable for gas compression is 2cm minus twice the spiral width of 4mm. This net width for compression between consecutive turns is 1.2cm. Thus 60% of the volume in the compressor volume is used for compression of air.

[0139]The compression is facilitated by a scroll compressor 141 using an 8 turn Archimedes spiral 142. The scroll spiral works by means of an Archimedes spiral 143 scrolling inside another identical but static Archimedes spiral 144. The scrolling spiral 143 has a bottom for enclosing gas. The static spiral has a top for enclosing gas.

[0140]Air is compressed between spiral walls of the static and the scrolling spirals. There are twice as many trapped pockets of airs between the static and scrolling spirals as the number of turns of each Archimedes spiral. The volume of these pockets decreases arithmetically. An 8 turn Archimedes scroll compressor compresses air volume by a factor of 8. [0141]The scrolling is a circular motion of one end of the scrolling spiral 145 inside the center of the fixed spiral 146. This circular motion is facilitated by a pinion 147 that makes the scrolling end rotates. Please note that the scrolling spiral does not rotate; it is the end of the scrolling spiral 145 that rotates with a rotation diameter of 1.2cm, the width of the space between consecutive turn of the fixed spiral.

[0142]This scrolling is powered by a motor that is integrated with the generator. The stator coils of the generator are extended to form the stator coils 148, 149. The current generated by torque force of the turbine now drives the motor of the compressor. This would avoid the use of a mechanical axle which can be difficult to machine for proper torque coupling and axle bearing.

[0143jThe magnetic field generated by the stator coils 148, 149 drives the electromagnet or permanent magnet of 150, 151 of the compressor. That turns the rotor 152 of the motor, with rotation centered at 153. The scrolling motion of the scrolling Archimedes spiral is centered at 153, which is situated halfway between the center of the fixed spiral and the spiral after making a 180° turn.

[0144]The pinion 147 connects the rotor of the motor to the scrolling Archimedes spiral of the compressor. The rotation of the rotor facilitates the scrolling motion of the compressing spiral.

[0145]The rotation of the motor rotor 152 is borne by the bearings 154, 155.

[0146]Compressed air is released at the center 149 of the scroll spiral to be conducted by the male nozzle 150 into the combustion chamber 101 of the turbine.

[0147]Compression of air generates heat of compression which uses up work from the motor. This heat elevates the temperature of the combustion. This heat of compression later turns back into work in the expander of the turbine.

[0148]Fig. 4 shows the top view of the expander spirals. There are four tapering spiral from the central combustion chamber.

[0149] Fig. 5 shows the top view of the Archimedes scroll spiral and the fixed spiral of compressor

[0150] Fig. 6 shows the plot of gas temperature and efficiency versus distance from center of spiral.

[0151jThe compressor could also be separated from the expander to decouple compression and expansion of gas at different times. For example, compression may occur during off-peak period of the power grid, using lower cost electricity to compress and store air for on-peak period generation of power and cooling. Air tanks could become effective storage of pressure energy, balancing power use for the electric grid.

[0152]Stored pressurized air can be used for air conditioning, when the pressurized air expands in the expander to yield work, cooling the expanding air in the process. The exhaust of cool and dry air could be vented directly into the living environment for our comfort.

[0153]The compressor can also be implemented in stages to achieve a higher compression ratio for better thermal to work conversion efficiency. Higher pressure can also improve the storage capacity of pressure energy in air tanks. Also a higher pressure can result in a lower temperature of pressure expended gas for air conditioning.

[0154]Condensed moisture can be collected at the output of each compressor stage. Besides extraction of heat of condensation for heating water, the condensation can reduce the heat content of compressed air for air conditioning. Perhaps more importantly for communities without potable water supply, condensed moisture could be collected for drinking, cleaning, and farming.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

[0155]We have achieved low cost, high functions, mobile, personal generation and use of energy.

[0156]We allow user choice of the combination of cooling, heat, and power for CCHP. The combination of compression-expander also allows us to generate work directly for purposes of transportation and automation. We can also generate precious water for human, animal, and plant consumption. We achieve multi-mode of energy applications without the need of expensive infrastructures.

[0157]We hope to inspire a fourth industrial revolution. The first was the creation of large industrial heat engines for manufacturing and transportation that resulted in the building of large manufacturing centers and transportation grid. The second was the electrification of our industrial complex and homes by large electric generators and far reaching power grids. The third was the miniaturization of electric systems into micro-electronics systems based on the realization that electronics works better on a micro- and nano-scale. Moore's law allows for an exponential increase of complexity and capacity. We are ready for a fourth revolution that creates micro- and nano-scale heat engines and pumps that personalize energy collection, conversion, storage and use. [0158]Acknowledgment: Jim Hussey, Ankur Ghosh, and Jerry Jin of Monarch Power for their implementation and testing of the Hui turbine. Brainstorming with Forrest Blair of Monarch Power Corp helped determined the proper shape of the turbine. Professors Daniel Bliss of Arizona State University YC Chiew of Rutgers University, and Falin Chen of National Taiwan University stimulated discussion of the fluid dynamics of the spiral turbine. Last but not least, Professor Keng Hsu of Arizona State University provided the 3D laser printing of the Firefly turbine.

Claims

I claim:

[1] A disk shaped turbine powered by a pressurized gas, comprising: a central chamber into which the pressurized gas is injected by male nozzles and the gas is heated in the chamber by means of fuel combustion or concentrated solar energy; a plurality of spiral channels radiating from said central chamber, said plurality of spirals comprising expanding radii and tapering bore; the tapering bore adapted to release pressure gradually through the length of the spiral and out of a perimeter of said turbine; wherein said turbine is adapted to retain pressure to act on the perimeter, the perimeter having a larger outer surface area than an inner surface area of the tapering bore, thus allowing the gas pressure to rotate said turbine in the opposite direction of the gas flow.

[2] The disk shaped turbine of claim 1, further comprising a combined turbine and generator, wherein said disk turbine is mated with an electric generator and adapted to serve as a rotor for said generator, further comprising an annulus of electromagnets around said disk turbine adapted to induce polyphase alternating current electricity on stator coils located at the periphery of a turbine casing.

[3] The disk shaped turbine of Claim 2 further comprising a heat engine and a generator wherein said disk turbine is mated with an electric generator and adapted to serve as a rotor for said generator, further comprising an annulus of electromagnets around said disk turbine adapted to induce polyphase alternating current electricity on stator coils located at the periphery of a turbine casing, and further comprising a disk shaped compressor made to rotate by an external torque, comprising: a central chamber adapted to allow compressed gas to exit a plurality of spiral compressor channels radiating from said central chamber, said plurality of compressor spirals comprising expanding radii and tapering bore; wherein gas compressed from the outside of said compressor is forced to the inside of through said spiral channels in reaction to compressing force of the larger outer surface area of these compressor spiral channels; wherein said turbine is adapted to drive said compressor via torque force pressure.

[4] The disk shaped turbine of Claim 3 wherein said disk shaped turbine and said disk shaped compressor comprise a conic shape with a linear tapering of each of said plurality of spirals and said plurality of compressor spirals, said linear tapering comprising a linear relationship between channel depth versus spiral radius.

[5] The disk shaped turbine of Claim 2 wherein said disk shaped turbine comprises an Archimedes scroll compressor driven by an electric motor.

[6] The disk shaped turbine of Claim 1 further comprising a Faraday homopolar direct current generator coupled with said turbine and adapted to produce electricity.

[7] The disk shaped turbine of Claim 6 further comprising a better recharger coupled to said generator.

[8] The disk shaped turbine of Claim 1 wherein said plurality of spiral channels have radii that grow exponentially as the angle turned.

[9] The disk shaped turbine of Claim 1 wherein said plurality of spiral channels have a bore size that decreases exponentially as the angle turned.

[10] A method of utilizing compressed gas to drive a turbine said method comprising the steps of: forcing gas through a compressor into a spinning turbine central chamber, wherein the step of forcing includes the force to lift the spinning turbine to reduce abrasion on gas injection nozzles drawing gas through emanating spirals of tapering bores; spinning said turbine via gas release on the perimeter of said turbine at the termination of the spirals.

[11] The method of Claim 10, further comprising the step of producing chill via a compressor via expanding compressed air in a spiral of the spinning turbine; said step of producing chill completed without injection of heat by combustion or concentrated solar energy.

[12] The method of Claim 10, wherein the compressed gas is delivered by tubes, and further comprising the step of subsequently extracting work by expansion of the gas in the spinning turbine.

[13] A disk shaped compressor made to rotate by an external torque, comprising: a central chamber adapted to allow compressed gas to exit a plurality of spiral channels radiating from said central chamber, said plurality of spirals comprising expanding radii and tapering bore; wherein gas compressed from the outside of said compressor is forced to the inside of through said spiral channels in reaction to compressing force of the larger outer surface area of these spiral channels.

[14] The disk shaped compressor of Claim 13, further comprising a motor adapted to utilize said disk compressor as a rotor of an electric motor adapted to drive said compressor, further comprising an annulus of electromagnets adapted to react to changing electromagnetic field created by stator coils located at the periphery of a compressor casing.

[15] The disk shaped compressor of Claim 13 further comprising heated liquid, said liquid heated via heat of compression.

[16] The disk shaped compressor of Claim 13 further comprising potable water, said potable water being derived via said gas wherein sad gas comprises humid air, and said potable water is extracted from moisture in said humid air after compression.

[17] The disk shaped compressor of Claim 16 further comprising a container adapted to receive air from said compressor, said container adapted to store air after dehumidifed as cooled, pressurized and dehumidified air, and further comprising a disk shaped turbine powered by a pressurized air supplied from said container, said disk shaped turbine comprising: a central chamber into which the pressurized gas is injected by male nozzles and the gas is heated in the chamber by means of fuel combustion or concentrated solar energy; a plurality of spiral channels radiating from said central chamber, said plurality of spirals comprising expanding radii and tapering bore; the tapering bore adapted to release pressure gradually through the length of the spiral and out of a perimeter of said turbine; wherein said turbine is adapted to retain pressure to act on the perimeter, the perimeter having a larger outer surface area than an inner surface area of the tapering bore, thus allowing the gas pressure to rotate said turbine in the opposite direction of the gas flow.

[18] The disk shaped compressor of Claim 13 wherein said plurality of spiral channels have radii that grow exponentially as the angle turned.

[19] The disk shaped compressor of Claim 13 wherein said plurality of spiral channels have a bore size that decreases exponentially as the angle turned.

[20] The disk shaped compressor of Claim 13 wherein said plurality of spirals have constant width but spiral channel depth decreases exponentially as the angle turned.