Vapor-powered liquid-driven turbine

A power generation system comprising:

• an evaporator;
• a condenser;
• a liquid pump connected to pump pressurizing fluid, in a liquid state, from the condenser to the evaporator;
• a liquid turbine;
• multiple pressure cylinders, each with an inlet from the evaporator, an outlet to the condenser, an outlet to the liquid turbine and an inlet from the liquid turbine;
• and multiple valves that are operable to:
• (a) admit a volume of the pressurizing fluid, when gaseous, from the evaporator into a first one of the pressure cylinders in order to transfer a liquid working fluid therefrom to the liquid turbine, wherein the pressurizing fluid and the liquid working fluid are immiscible with each other;
• and
• (b) admit the liquid working fluid from the liquid turbine into a second one of the pressurizing cylinders in order to transfer another volume of the pressurizing fluid therefrom to the condenser.

A power generation system comprising:

• an evaporator;
• a condenser;
• a liquid pump connected to pump pressurizing fluid, in a liquid state, from the condenser to the evaporator;
• a liquid turbine;
• multiple pressure cylinders, each with an inlet from the evaporator, an outlet to the condenser, an outlet to the liquid turbine and an inlet from the liquid turbine;
• an inline heater between the evaporator and the pressure cylinders;
• and multiple valves that are operable to:
• (a) admit a volume of the pressurizing fluid, when gaseous, from the evaporator into a first one of the pressure cylinders in order to transfer a liquid working fluid therefrom to the liquid turbine;
• and
• (b) admit the liquid working fluid from the liquid turbine into a second one of the pressurizing cylinders in order to transfer another volume of the pressurizing fluid therefrom to the condenser.

A power generation system comprising:

• an evaporator;
• a condenser;
• a liquid pump connected to pump pressurizing fluid, in a liquid state, from the condenser to the evaporator;
• a liquid turbine;
• multiple pressure cylinders, each with an inlet from the evaporator, an outlet to the condenser, an outlet to the liquid turbine and an inlet from the liquid turbine;
• multiple valves that are operable to:
• (a) admit a volume of the pressurizing fluid, when gaseous, from the evaporator into a first one of the pressure cylinders in order to transfer a liquid working fluid therefrom to the liquid turbine;
• and
• (b) admit the liquid working fluid from the liquid turbine into a second one of the pressurizing cylinders in order to transfer another volume of the pressurizing fluid therefrom to the condenser;
• and
• a regenerator that:
• cools the pressurizing fluid after it leaves the pressure cylinders;
• and
• heats the pressurizing fluid, in the liquid state, after it leaves the condenser.

A power generation system comprising:

• an evaporator;
• a condenser;
• a liquid pump connected to pump pressurizing fluid, in a liquid state, from the condenser to the evaporator;
• a liquid turbine;
• multiple pressure cylinders, each with an inlet from the evaporator, an outlet to the condenser, an outlet to the liquid turbine and an inlet from the liquid turbine;
• and
• multiple valves that are operable to:
• (a) admit a volume of the pressurizing fluid, when gaseous, from the evaporator into a first one of the pressure cylinders in order to transfer a liquid working fluid therefrom to the liquid turbine;
• and
• (b) admit the liquid working fluid from the liquid turbine into a second one of the pressurizing cylinders in order to transfer another volume of the pressurizing fluid therefrom to the condenser;
• and
• a mechanical vapor recompression blower that compresses the pressurizing fluid after it leaves the pressure cylinders.

A power generation system comprising:

• an evaporator;
• a condenser;
• a liquid pump connected to pump pressurizing fluid, in a liquid state, from the condenser to the evaporator;
• a liquid turbine;
• multiple pressure cylinders, each with an inlet from the evaporator, an outlet to the condenser, an outlet to the liquid turbine and an inlet from the liquid turbine;
• and
• multiple valves that are operable to:
• (a) admit a volume of the pressurizing fluid, when gaseous, from the evaporator into a first one of the pressure cylinders in order to transfer a liquid working fluid therefrom to the liquid turbine;
• and
• (b) admit the liquid working fluid from the liquid turbine into a second one of the pressurizing cylinders in order to transfer another volume of the pressurizing fluid therefrom to the condenser;
• and
• a buffer tank connected to hold a further volume of the pressurizing fluid in the liquid state so that the liquid pump is not starved of the pressurizing fluid in the liquid state.

A power generation system comprising:

• an evaporator;
• a condenser;
• a liquid pump connected to pump pressurizing fluid, in a liquid state, from the condenser to the evaporator;
• a liquid turbine;
• multiple pressure cylinders, each with an inlet from the evaporator, an outlet to the condenser, an outlet to the liquid turbine and an inlet from the liquid turbine;
• and
• multiple valves that are operable to:
• (a) admit a volume of the pressurizing fluid, when gaseous, from the evaporator into a first one of the pressure cylinders in order to transfer a liquid working fluid therefrom to the liquid turbine;
• and
• (b) admit the liquid working fluid from the liquid turbine into a second one of the pressurizing cylinders in order to transfer another volume of the pressurizing fluid therefrom to the condenser;
• and
• another liquid turbine connected to be driven by the liquid working fluid when the liquid working fluid is expelled from a third one of the pressure cylinders.

A power generation system comprising:

• an evaporator;
• a condenser;
• a liquid pump connected to pump pressurizing fluid, in a liquid state, from the condenser to the evaporator;
• a liquid turbine;
• multiple pressure cylinders, each with an inlet from the evaporator, an outlet to the condenser, an outlet to the liquid turbine and an inlet from the liquid turbine;
• and
• multiple valves that are operable to:
• (a) admit a volume of the pressurizing fluid, when gaseous, from the evaporator into a first one of the pressure cylinders in order to transfer a liquid working fluid therefrom to the liquid turbine;
• and
• (b) admit the liquid working fluid from the liquid turbine into a second one of the pressurizing cylinders in order to transfer another volume of the pressurizing fluid therefrom to the condenser;
• and
• a buffer tank connected to hold a volume of the liquid working fluid between the pressure cylinders and the liquid turbine.

A method for driving a liquid turbine comprising:

• (a) using a liquid pump to pump a pressurizing fluid, in a liquid state, from a condenser to an evaporator;
• (b) evaporating the pressurizing fluid using the evaporator;
• (c) admitting a volume of the pressurizing fluid from the evaporator into a first pressure cylinder in order to transfer a liquid working fluid therefrom to a liquid turbine;
• (d) admitting the liquid working fluid from the liquid turbine into a second pressure cylinder in order to transfer another volume of the pressurizing fluid therefrom to the condenser;
• and
• (e) maintaining a temperature of the liquid working fluid above a boiling point of the pressurizing fluid.