Energy-recovery turbine with pressure-release valve
AssigneeCorporation Bearstream Inc.
InventorNormand Lévesque
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An energy-recovery system has an energy-recovery turbine to receive a flow of water from a water line to which the turbine is connected and to generate electric power from the flow of water while also regulating water pressure in the water line. The system also includes a pressure-regulating valve (PRV) connected in parallel with the turbine to regulate the water pressure in the water line only when the turbine is inoperative. The system includes a spiral water-flow adapter having a water inlet for connecting to an upstream portion of the water line and a water outlet for connecting to a downstream portion of the water line, the spiral water-flow adapter directing the flow of water from the water inlet into the turbine and then to the water outlet.
Claims18
An energy-recovery system, the system comprising:
- an energy-recovery turbine to receive a flow of water from a water line to which the turbine is connected, wherein the turbine both generates electric power from the flow of water and regulates water pressure in the water line;
- a pressure-regulating valve (PRV) connected in parallel with the turbine and the water line to regulate pressure in the water line when the turbine is inoperative;
- and
- a spiral water-flow adapter having a water inlet for connecting to an upstream portion of the water line and a water outlet for connecting to a downstream portion of the water line, the spiral water-flow adapter directing the flow of water from the water inlet into a turbine guide vanes circle and runner and then from the turbine to the water outlet.
A method of recovering energy from a flow of water, the method comprising:
- connecting a water inlet of a spiral water-flow adapter to an upstream portion of a water line;
- connecting a water outlet of the spiral water-flow adapter to a downstream portion of the water line;
- receiving the flow of water at an energy-recovery turbine from a water line to which the turbine is connected, whereby the spiral water-flow adapter directs the flow of water from the water inlet into the turbine and then to the water outlet;
- generating electric power from the flow of water while also regulating water pressure in the water line;
- and
- if a turbine bypass condition occurs, diverting the flow of water to a pressure-regulating valve (PRV) connected in parallel with the turbine to enable the PRV to regulate the water pressure when the turbine is inoperative.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.