Carbon dioxide sublimation generator
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsSamuel Anderson, Julie Strickland, Jake Rohrig
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sublimation generator including a sublimation tank configured to receive ice including at least carbon dioxide. The sublimation generator also includes a first heat exchanger in thermal communication with the sublimation tank. The first heat exchanger being configured to expel heat from a coolant into the sublimation tank to sublimate the carbon dioxide into a gaseous state. The sublimation generator also includes a gas turbine generator fluidly connected to the sublimation tank and configured to receive the carbon dioxide in the gaseous state.
Claims12
A sublimation generator, comprising:
- a sublimation tank configured to receive ice, the ice comprising at least carbon dioxide;
- a first heat exchanger in thermal communication with the sublimation tank, the first heat exchanger being configured to expel heat from a coolant into the sublimation tank to sublimate the carbon dioxide into a gaseous state;
- a gas turbine generator fluidly connected to the sublimation tank and configured to receive the carbon dioxide in the gaseous state;
- a habitat;
- a habitat heat exchanger configured to absorb heat from the habitat;
- a first coolant passageway fluidly connecting the habitat heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger, the first coolant passageway being configured to convey the coolant from the habitat heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger;
- a gas passageway fluidly connecting the sublimation tank and the gas turbine generator, the gas passageway being configured convey the carbon dioxide from the sublimation tank to the gas turbine generator,
- a second heat exchanger operably connected to the gas passageway, and
- a second coolant passageway fluidly connecting the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger, the second coolant passageway being configured to convey the coolant from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger,
- wherein the second heat exchanger is in the thermal communication with the carbon dioxide within the gas passageway and configured to heat the carbon dioxide within the gas passageway by expelling heat from the coolant to the carbon dioxide within the gas passageway.
A method of generating electricity using sublimation of carbon dioxide, comprising:
- directing ice into a sublimation tank, the ice comprising at least carbon dioxide;
- expelling, using a first heat exchanger, heat from a coolant into the sublimation tank to sublimate the carbon dioxide into a gaseous state;
- generating electricity, using a gas turbine generator, by flowing the carbon dioxide in the gaseous state through the gas turbine generator;
- absorbing heat from a habitat using a habitat heat exchanger;
- flowing the coolant from the habitat heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger via a first coolant passageway;
- flowing the carbon dioxide from the sublimation tank to the gas turbine generator via a gas passageway,
- flowing the coolant from the first heat exchanger to a second heat exchanger via a second coolant passageway;
- and
- heating the carbon dioxide within the gas passageway be expelling heat from the coolant to the carbon dioxide within the gas passageway using the second heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.