ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY POWER GENERATION PROCESS

Abstract

A new power generation process where thermal energy can be taken from the air, bodies of water or other heat sources and converted to mechanical energy without generating environmentally harmful emissions is disclosed. This process is based on the use of turbo-expanders, compressors, wet working gases and liquid heat sinks. This process does not employ the Rankine cycle; it does not require the use of a boiler, evaporator or condenser. This process can be practiced from a fixed location or while mobile.

Description

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION DATA

[0001] Not Applicable.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable.

SEQUENCE LISTING

[0003] Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0004] This invention relates to environmentally friendly power generation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Presently mankind produces a great deal of mechanical energy using processes that are known to pollute the environment. This problem has been recognized by many and a concerted effort is now being made to use more environmentally friendly processes such as wind-turbines, hydropower, geothermal heat, and tidal surge. This is a step in the right direction but, all of these processes operate from a fixed location and can not directly address the massive amount of pollution created by mobile devices. This invention seeks to resolve these and other problems related to the generation and/or distribution of energy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] This invention is based on circling a wet gas around a path having a compressor, a liquid dispenser, a turboexpander and a gas-liquid separator, adding a hot liquid to the wet gas at one or more locations between the exit of the compressor and the exit of the turbo-expander and removing cold liquid from the wet gas at one or more locations between the exit of the turbo-expander and the exit of the compressor. The cold liquid recovered is sent through a liquid recirculation pump, reheated and returned to the process.

[0007] In practice cold wet gas takes on heat as mechanical energy is applied to compress it and hot wet gas loses heat as it expands and mechanical energy is produced. The liquid portion of the wet gas acts as a heat sink and continually seeks temperature equilibration with the gas.

[0008] The liquids selected for heat sinks should not change state or under go a chemical reaction at the temperature and pressure combinations employed.

DEFINITIONS

[0009] A wet gas is a gas or mixture of gases containing one or more liquids.

[0010] A turbo-expander is also referred to as a turboexpander or an expansion turbine.

[0011] A liquid heat sink is also referred to as a liquid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the type of equipment needed to practice this invention.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration a of a theoretical 40 kwatt generator set where no unwanted heat transfers occur.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the type of equipment needed to practice this invention. It shows a hot liquid being added at 1 to a hot compressed wet gas coming from compressor 2 and the resulting liquid enriched wet gas traveling through turbo-expander 3. The cold wet gas leaving the turbo-expander enters a gas-liquid separator 4 were some of the cold liquid is recovered and sent through liquid pump 5 then heat exchanger 6 and back to 1. The cold wet gas leaving 4 goes to compressor 2 to complete the process cycle. A load device such as an electric generator is shown at 7.

[0015] Table 1 lists the operation parameters and the work calculations for theoretical 20 and 40 kwatt generator sets. FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the 40 kwatt generator set.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Generator Set 20 KW 40 KW Operation Parameters of the Working Gas Maximum Temperature (F.) 35 35 Minimum Temperature (F.) -250 -250 Maximum Volume (CFM) 360.00 720.00 Minimum Volume (CFM) 50.00 100.00 Minimum Pressure (Atm.) 1.2560 1.2559 Working Gas Argon Argon Heat Sink Liquid Propene Propene Intermediate Calculations Maximum Pressure (Psia) 313.5 313.5 Minimum Pressure of (Psia) 18.5 18.5 Work Calculations (Btu./Min.) Isothermal Work Done During 1995 3989 Expansion Adiabatic Work Done During 2506 5011 Expansion Isothermal Work Done During -846 -1691 Compression Adiabatic Work Done During -2506 -5011 Compression Net Work 1149 2299 Cold Liquid Flow Rate Gal./Min 0.86 1.71 Hot Liquid Flow Rate Gal./Min 1.17 2.33 Liquid Pump Work Amount of liquid to be pumped (gpm) 0.31 0.62 Horsepower 0.27 0.54 Temp. of the Liquid Leaving -250 -250 the Expander (° F.) Heat Transfer Loads (Btu/min) Make-up Heat Required 1138 2276 Temp. of the Liquid Leaving -239 -227 the Liquid Pump (° F.) Work (Hp) Net Work 27.09 54.18 Thermal Fluid Pump Work -0.27 -0.54 Net Output 26.83 53.65 Net Output (KW) 20.00 40.00

[0016] Together Table 1 and FIG. 2 show:

[0017] a) That the adiabatic work done during expansion and compression cancel each other and that the net work produced by the process is due to the difference between the isothermal processes.

[0018] b) That there are no environmental emissions.

[0019] c) That the process can be practiced in a fixed location or while mobile.

[0020] d) That the process is easily scalable by simple multiplication.

[0021] Table 2 illustrates the effect of varying the pressure of the working gas through out a process.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Pressure Multiple 1 2 4 Maximum Pressure (Psia) 313.5 627.1 1254.1 Minimum Pressure (Psia) 18.5 36.9 73.8 Compression Ratios Volume 7.2 7.2 7.2 Pressure 17.0 17.0 17.0 Work (Hp) Net Work 27.09 54.19 108.38 Thermal Fluid Pump Work -0.27 -0.94 -3.48 Net Output 26.83 53.25 104.90 Net Output (kwatt) 20.00 39.71 78.22

[0022] Examination of the data in Table 2 shows that the net work is directly related to the overall pressure in the system and that the gas compression ratios do not change. This is important for equipment sizing and process control.

[0023] Table 3 illustrates that it is necessary to pass a diatomic gas through the process of this invention twice in order to obtain a temperature difference equal to that obtained with a single pass of a noble gas and that the combined net power output from the diatomic gas is less that of the single pass processed noble gas.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Working Gas Argon Air Air Pass #1 Air Pass #2 Operating Parameters of the Working Gas Maximum Temperature (F.) 35 35 35 -100 Minimum Temperature (F.) -250 -250 -100 -250 Working Gas Argon Air Air Air Molecular Weight 39.95 28.95 28.95 28.95 Cp/Cv 1.6670 1.4000 1.4000 1.4000 Gas Expansion V_i (m³) 2.815000 2.815000 4.595000 2.645000 P_i (kPa) 1086.81 1086.81 388.13 841.00 K 6101447 4628307 3282291 3282386 Adiabatic Work Done by the 2642563 3077287 1216912 2319257 Gas (J) P_f (kPa) 127.21 179.36 127.20 127.20 P_f (Psia) 18.46 26.03 18.46 18.46 P_f (Atm.) 1.256 1.771 1.256 1.256 Temp. (° K.) 116.5 164.2 199.8 116.5 T_f (° F.) -250.0 -164.0 -100.0 -250.0 Gas Compression V_i (m³) 5.127000 5.127000 3.141000 5.458000 P_i (kPa) 252.92 252.92 412.84 237.58 K 3857717 2493428 2049645 2556613 Adiabatic Work Done on the -2642311 -2182289 -1216897 -2319738 Gas (J) P_f (kPa) 2160.65 1532.40 1259.66 1571.23 P_f (Psia) 313.5 222.4 182.8 228.0 P_f (Atm.) 21.3 15.1 12.4 15.5 Temp. (° K.) 274.8 194.9 274.8 199.8 T_f (° F.) 35.0 -108.9 35.0 -100.0 Work (Hp) Net Work 27.09 NA 12.81 12.96 Thermal Fluid Pump Work -.27 NA -0.18 -0.19 Net Output 26.83 NA 12.63 12.77 Net Output (KW) 20.00 NA 9.42 9.52

Claims

1. A method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy, the steps comprising: a) introducing a liquid having a temperature below that of an external heat source into a wet gas compressed by at least one compressor to a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure at sea level, the output thereof being a liquid-enriched wet gas having a predetermined temperature; b) introducing said liquid-enriched wet gas into at least one turbo-expander for expanding said liquid-enriched wet gas, the output thereof being mechanical energy and a cooler wet gas having a temperature lower than said predetermined temperature; c) introducing said cooler wet gas into at least one gas-liquid separator to separate said cooler wet gas into cold liquid and cold wet gas; d) extracting said cold liquid from said at least one gas-liquid separator and introducing at least a portion thereof into at least one heat exchanger; e) extracting cold wet gas from said at least one gas-liquid separator and introducing at least a portion thereof into at least one of said at least one compressor, the output thereof being compressed wet gas.

2. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein said extracting step (d) is performed with at least one recirculating liquid pump.

3. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein said liquid in said introducing step (a) has a temperature at least approximately -200.degree. F.

4. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pressure in said introducing step (a) is a pressure at least approximately 200 psi.

5. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cooler wet gas in said introducing step (b) has a temperature at least approximately -300.degree. F.

6. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pressure of said compressed gas in said extracting step (e) is at least approximately 100 psi less than that in said introducing step (a).

7. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein said introducing step (a) is performed at at least two locations downstream of said compressor.

8. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein said extracting step (d) is performed at at least two locations downstream of said turbo-expander.

9. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein said liquid-enriched wet gas, said cooler wet gas, and said cold wet gas, and compressed gas comprises a noble gas.

10. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein said liquid having a predetermined temperature and said cold liquid comprises at least one liquid chosen from the group: isobutene, propene, and a mixture thereof.

11. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the mechanical energy produced in said step (b) is applied to at least one device for generating another type of energy.

12. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one turbo-expander, one compressor and one device for producing another type of energy are sealed in a common container to prevent the loss of fluid to the environment.