Recovery of energy in residue gases
AssigneeSwedish Stirling AB
InventorGunnar Larsson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for recovery of energy in residue gases, comprising at least two energy conversion units (1), including a combustion chamber (2) having a fuel inlet (9), and a Sterling engine (4) having a heat exchanger (3) with a set of tubes containing working fluid, a portion of the heat exchanger extending into the combustion chamber (2). The system further comprises a pressure control system including a high-pressure reservoir (21) of working fluid, a low-pressure reservoir (22) of working fluid, a pressure pump (23) configured to maintain a pressure difference between the reservoirs, and a control arrangement (31, 32, 33) to regulate a pressure in the fluid circuit.
Claims20
A system for recovery of energy in residue gases generated in an industrial process, comprising:
- at least two energy conversion units, each unit including:
- a combustion chamber having a fuel inlet configured to receive a flow of residue gas for combustion in said chamber, and
- a Sterling engine configured to convert heat from the combustion chamber into mechanical energy, the Stirling engine having a separate fluid circuit containing a compressible working fluid, said fluid circuit including a heat exchanger with a set of tubes, a portion of said heat exchanger extending into the combustion chamber;
- and
- a pressure control system including:
- a high-pressure reservoir of working fluid,
- a low-pressure reservoir of working fluid,
- a pressure pump connected between said high pressure reservoir and said low pressure reservoir and configured to maintain a pressure difference between said reservoirs, and
- a control arrangement common to the at least two energy conversion units and configured to place the fluid circuit of each Stirling engine in fluid connection with one of said high-pressure reservoir and said low-pressure reservoir to regulate a pressure in each separate fluid circuit.
A system for recovery of energy in residue gases generated in an industrial process, comprising:
- at least two energy conversion units, each unit including:
- a combustion chamber having a fuel inlet configured to receive a flow of residue gas for combustion in said chamber, and
- a Sterling engine configured to convert heat from the combustion chamber into mechanical energy, the Stirling engine having a separate fluid circuit containing a compressible working fluid, said fluid circuit including a heat exchanger with a set of tubes, a portion of said heat exchanger extending into the combustion chamber;
- and
- a pressure control system including:
- a high-pressure reservoir of working fluid,
- a low-pressure reservoir of working fluid,
- a pressure pump connected between said high pressure reservoir and said low pressure reservoir and configured to maintain a pressure difference between said reservoirs, and
- a control arrangement configured to place the fluid circuit of each Stirling engine in fluid connection with one of said high-pressure reservoir and said low-pressure reservoir to regulate a pressure in each separate fluid circuit,
- wherein the control arrangement includes a common supply valve for connecting the high-pressure reservoir to a low-pressure side of the fluid circuits of all Stirling engines, a common discharge valve for connecting the low-pressure reservoir to a high-pressure side of the fluid circuits of all Stirling engines, and one single pressure controller configured to control said common supply valve and said common discharge valve.
A system for recovery of energy in residue gases generated in an industrial process, comprising:
- at least two energy conversion units, each unit including:
- a combustion chamber having a fuel inlet configured to receive a flow of residue gas for combustion in said chamber, and
- a Sterling engine configured to convert heat from the combustion chamber into mechanical energy, the Stirling engine having a separate fluid circuit containing a compressible working fluid, said fluid circuit including a heat exchanger with a set of tubes, a portion of said heat exchanger extending into the combustion chamber;
- and
- a pressure control system including:
- a high-pressure reservoir of working fluid,
- a low-pressure reservoir of working fluid,
- a pressure pump connected between said high pressure reservoir and said low pressure reservoir and configured to maintain a pressure difference between said reservoirs, and
- a control arrangement configured to place the fluid circuit of each Stirling engine in fluid connection with one of said high-pressure reservoir and said low-pressure reservoir to regulate a pressure in each separate fluid circuit,
- wherein all fuel inlets are connected to a common fuel flow valve configured to regulate the flow of residue gas into all fuel inlets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.