| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090000299 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECOVERING WASTE HEAT - A waste heat recovery system includes at least two integrated rankine cycle systems coupled to at least two separate heat sources having different temperatures. The first rankine cycle system is coupled to a first heat source and configured to circulate a first working fluid. The second rankine cycle system is coupled to at least one second heat source and configured to circulate a second working fluid. The at least one second heat source includes a lower temperature heat source than the first heat source. The first and second working fluid are circulatable in heat exchange relationship through a cascading heat exchange unit for condensation of the first working fluid in the first rankine cycle system and evaporation of the second working fluid in the second rankine cycle system. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20100034684 | METHOD FOR LUBRICATING SCREW EXPANDERS AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING LUBRICATION - A method for lubricating a screw expander includes condensing a mixture of working fluid and lubricant fed from the screw expander, through a condenser. At least a portion of the mixture of working fluid and lubricant fed from the condenser is pressurized from a first pressure to a second pressure through a pump. The method also includes separating the lubricant from the condensed working fluid of the at least portion of the mixture via a separator and feeding the lubricant to the screw expander; or separating the lubricant from the working fluid of the at least portion of the mixture via an evaporator and feeding the lubricant to the screw expander; or feeding the at least portion of the mixture of condensed working fluid and lubricant to the screw expander; or combinations thereof. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100146974 | SYSTEM FOR RECOVERING WASTE HEAT - A waste heat recovery system includes a heat generation system including at least two separate heat sources having different temperatures. A rankine cycle system is coupled to the at least two separate heat sources and configured to circulate a working fluid. The rankine cycle system is coupled to at least one heat source and another heat source among the at least two separate heat sources. The rankine cycle system is configured to remove heat from the at least one heat source to partially vaporize or preheat the working fluid; and remove heat from the other heat source to vaporize or superheat the working fluid. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100242476 | COMBINED HEAT AND POWER CYCLE SYSTEM - A combined heat and power cycle system includes a heat generation system having at least two separate heat sources having different temperatures. The combined heat and power cycle system includes a first rankine cycle system coupled to a first heat source among the at least two separate heat sources and configured to circulate a first working fluid. A second rankine cycle system is coupled to at least one second heat source among the at least two separate heat sources and configured to circulate a second working fluid. The first and second working fluids are circulatable in heat exchange relationship through a cascaded heat exchange unit for condensation of the first working fluid in the first rankine cycle system and evaporation of the second working fluid in the second rankine cycle system. At least one heat exchanger is disposed at one or more locations in the first rankine cycle system, second rankine cycle system, or combinations thereof. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100242479 | TRI-GENERATION SYSTEM USING CASCADING ORGANIC RANKINE CYCLE - A tri-generation system comprises a heat generation system, a first rankine cycle system, a second rankine cycle system, a cascaded heat exchange unit, at least one first heat exchanger coupled to the second rankine cycle system for heating a third fluid, at least one second heat exchanger disposed at one or more locations in the first rankine cycle system for heating a fourth fluid, and an absorption chiller coupled to the at least one first heat exchanger and the at least one second heat exchanger for receiving the heated third fluid and the heated fourth fluid. The first rankine cycle system is coupled to a first heat source and configured to circulate a first working fluid to remove heat from the first heat source. The second rankine cycle system is coupled to at least one second heat source and configured to circulate a second working fluid to remove heat from the at least one second heat source. The first and second working fluids are circulated in heat exchange relationship through the cascaded heat exchange unit for condensation of the first working fluid in the first rankine cycle system and evaporation of the second working fluid in the second rankine cycle system. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100319346 | SYSTEM FOR RECOVERING WASTE HEAT - A waste heat recovery system includes at least two integrated rankine cycle systems coupled to at least two separate heat sources having different temperatures. The first rankine cycle system is coupled to a first heat source and configured to circulate a first working fluid. The second rankine cycle system is coupled to at least one second heat source and configured to circulate a second working fluid. The first and second working fluid are circulatable in heat exchange relationship through a cascading heat exchange unit for condensation of the first working fluid in the first rankine cycle system and evaporation of the second working fluid in the second rankine cycle system. At least one recuperator having a hot side and a cold side is disposed in the first rankine cycle system, second rankine cycle system, or combinations thereof. The at least one recuperator is configured to desuperheat and preheat the first working fluid, second working fluid, or combinations thereof. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20100326076 | OPTIMIZED SYSTEM FOR RECOVERING WASTE HEAT - A waste heat recovery system includes at least two integrated rankine cycle systems coupled to at least two separate heat sources having different temperatures. The first rankine cycle system is coupled to a first heat source and configured to circulate a first working fluid. The second rankine cycle system is coupled to at least one second heat source and configured to circulate a second working fluid. The first and second working fluid are circulatable in heat exchange relationship through a cascading heat exchange unit for condensation of the first working fluid in the first rankine cycle system and evaporation of the second working fluid in the second rankine cycle system. At least one bypass unit is configured to divert at least a portion of the first working fluid to bypass the first evaporator, the first expander, the cascaded heat exchange unit, or combinations thereof; at least a portion of the second working fluid to bypass the second expander, the cascaded heat exchange unit, or combinations thereof. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110061388 | DIRECT EVAPORATOR APPARATUS AND ENERGY RECOVERY SYSTEM - In one aspect of the present invention provides a direct evaporator apparatus for use in an organic Rankine cycle energy recovery system, comprising: (a) a housing comprising a heat source gas inlet, and a heat source gas outlet, said housing defining a heat source gas flow path from said inlet to said outlet; and (b) a heat exchange tube disposed entirely within said heat source flow path, said heat exchange tube being configured to accommodate an organic Rankine cycle working fluid, said heat exchange tube comprising a working fluid inlet and a working fluid outlet, said heat exchange tube defining three zones, a first zone adjacent to said heat source gas outlet, a second zone adjacent to said heat source gas inlet, and a third zone disposed between said first zone and said second zone, said working fluid inlet being in direct fluid communication with said first zone, and said working fluid outlet being in direct fluid communication with said third zone; wherein said first zone is not in direct fluid communication with said third zone. An organic Rankine cycle energy recovery system and a method of energy recovery are also provided. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110072820 | HEAT ENGINE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME - A process fluid cooler can extract thermal energy from a process fluid including carbon dioxide. An absorber can transfer carbon dioxide from the process fluid to a removal fluid. A reboiler can heat the removal fluid so as to cause carbon dioxide to be released from the removal fluid and outputted as part of a reboiler output stream. The reboiler can also output a heating fluid. A stripper condenser can extract thermal energy from the reboiler output stream so as to cause condensation of water associated with the reboiler output stream and to remove carbon dioxide therefrom. A compression system can remove thermal energy from carbon dioxide received from the stripper condenser. A heat engine can be configured to operate according to an organic Rankine cycle, receiving thermal energy from the heating fluid and/or extracted at the process fluid cooler, at the stripper condenser, and/or at the compression system. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110083437 | RANKINE CYCLE SYSTEM - The rankine cycle system includes an evaporator coupled to a heat source and configured to circulate a working fluid in heat exchange relationship with a hot fluid from the heat source so as to heat the working fluid and vaporize the working fluid. An expander is coupled to the evaporator and configured to expand the vaporized working fluid from the evaporator. The exemplary expander is operable at variable speed. A condenser is coupled to the expander and configured to condense the vaporized working fluid from the expander. A pump is coupled to the condenser and configured to feed the condensed working fluid from the condenser to the evaporator. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110094212 | COMPRESSED AIR ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM WITH REVERSIBLE COMPRESSOR-EXPANDER UNIT - A system and method for compressing and expanding air in a compressed air energy storage (CAES) system is disclosed. A CAES system is provided that is alternately operable in a compression mode and an expansion mode and includes therein a motor-generator unit and a drive shaft connected to the motor-generator unit that is configured to transmit rotational power to and from the motor-generator unit. The CAES system also includes at least one reversible compressor-expander unit coupled to the drive shaft and configured to selectively compress and expand air, and an air storage unit connected to the reversible compressor-expander unit and configured to store compressed air received therefrom, with the at least one reversible compressor-expander unit compressing air during the compression mode and expanding air during the expansion mode. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110094227 | Waste Heat Recovery System - In one embodiment, a waste heat recovery system includes a Rankine cycle system that circulates a working fluid that absorbs heat from exhaust gas. The Rankine cycle system includes an evaporator that may transfer sensible heat from the exhaust gas to the working fluid to produce cooled exhaust gas. The Rankine cycle system also includes an economizer that may transfer latent heat from the exhaust gas to the working fluid. The economizer is a carbon steel heat exchanger with a corrosion resistant coating. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110100009 | Heat Exchanger for Direct Evaporation in Organic Rankine Cycle Systems and Method - Systems and methods include heat exchangers using Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) fluids in power generation systems. The system includes a heat exchanger configured to be mounted inside an exhaust stack that guides hot flue gases and having an inlet and an outlet, the heat exchanger being configured to receive a liquid stream of a first fluid through the inlet and to generate a vapor stream of the first fluid and the heat exchanger is configured to include a double walled pipe, where the first fluid is disposed within an inner wall of the double walled pipe and a second fluid is disposed between the inner wall and an outer wall of the double walled pipe. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110113781 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SECONDARY ENERGY PRODUCTION IN A COMPRESSED AIR ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM - A method, system, and apparatus including a compressed air energy storage (CAES) system including a compression train with a compressor path, a storage volume configured to store compressed air, a compressed air path configured to provide passage of compressed air egressing from the compression train to the storage volume, and a heat recovery system coupled to at least one of the compressor path and the compressed air path and configured to draw heat from at least one of the compressor path and the compressed air path to a first liquid. The compression train is configured to provide passage of compressed air from a first compressor to a second compressor. The heat recovery system includes a first evaporator configured to evaporate the first liquid to a first gas and a first generator configured to produce electricity based on an expansion of the first gas. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110146277 | FLUID FEEDBACK PUMP TO IMPROVE COLD START PERFORMANCE OF ORGANIC RANKINE CYCLE PLANTS - A system and method improves cold start performance of an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) plant. The system includes one or more pumps configured to pump condensed fluid from points of natural accumulation of the condensed fluid within an ORC loop back into a corresponding low pressure liquid storage vessel shortly after shutting down the ORC plant to ensure the start-up routine works properly for the next ORC plant start event. One or more of the pumps can also be configured to pump fluid away from the ORC expansion machine(s) at any time prior to starting the ORC if the fluid is in a liquid phase. | 06-23-2011 |
