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US 12,663,189 B2Granted
Renewable power and/or water generator
AssigneeCirrus Rehos Renewable Power and Water (Pty) Ltd
InventorsJohan Adam Enslin, Mike Murray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a renewable power and/or water generator with an absorption heat transformer (AHT) providing a heat pump, an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) for generating power, and a coupling between the AHT and the ORC to regenerate ORC rejection heat. The AHT consists of a low pressure evaporator and a vapour absorption binary (VAB) reactor that forms the coupling between the AHT and ORC. The VAB reactor includes an absorption section with an absorber heat exchanger and a distillation section provided by a rotating centrifugal unit that includes a flooded rotating packed bed.
Claims17
A power and/or water generator, comprising:
- an absorption heat transformer (AHT) containing a binary liquid-vapour mixture and including:
- a low pressure (LP) evaporator, and
- a vapour absorption binary (VAB) reactor;
- the AHT configured to extract thermal energy from an external heat source and function as a heat pump creating a temperature gradient used to drive an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) that employs a high pressure (HP) vapour expansion drive mechanism for generation of power;
- the VAB reactor including:
- an absorption section, and
- a distillation section;
- with an absorber heat exchanger (H/E) located inside the absorption section to draw heat from the absorption section;
- the distillation section provided by a rotating centrifugal unit for increasing a volatile component concentration of the binary liquid-vapour mixture in a distillate outlet liquid to be used both in:
- (a) the LP evaporator, and
- (b) a working vapour supply assembly for the vapour expansion drive mechanism;
- the LP evaporator arranged
- for heat extraction from the external heat source,
- to receive distillate outlet liquid from the distillation section for conversion to LP evaporator vapour, and
- to supply the LP evaporator vapour through a first return line from the LP evaporator to the absorption section;
- in which a heat carrier fluid medium is connected through a branch to the LP evaporator with a fluid medium chilling flow path on a first side of the LP evaporator that is isolated from and in thermal communication with a second side of the LP evaporator and a low pressure supply line for distillate outlet liquid from the distillation section connected to the second side of the LP evaporator for evaporation of the distillate outlet liquid and thermal energy extraction from the fluid medium in the fluid medium chilling flow path;
- the absorption section generating heat in a vapour absorption process inside the absorption section;
- the working vapour supply assembly incorporating the absorber H/E and arranged to use heat from the absorber H/E inside the absorption section for conversion of distillate outlet liquid from the distillation section to heated high pressure (HP) working vapour;
- the HP working vapour supplied to the vapour expansion drive mechanism which is coupled to a generator;
- and
- LP exhaust vapour from the expansion drive mechanism connected through a second return line to the absorption section of the VAB reactor.
18 more elements
A power and/or water generator, comprising:
- an absorption heat transformer (AHT) containing a binary liquid-vapour mixture and including:
- a low pressure (LP) evaporator, and
- a vapour absorption binary (VAB) reactor;
- the AHT configured to extract thermal energy from an external heat source and function as a heat pump creating a temperature gradient used to drive an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) that employs a high pressure (HP) vapour expansion drive mechanism for generation of power;
- the VAB reactor including:
- n absorption section, and
- a distillation section;
- with an absorber heat exchanger (H/E) located inside the absorption section to draw heat from the absorption section;
- the distillation section provided by a rotating centrifugal unit for increasing a volatile component concentration of the binary liquid-vapour mixture in a distillate outlet liquid to be used both in:
- (a) the LP evaporator, and
- (b) a working vapour supply assembly for the vapour expansion drive mechanism;
- the LP evaporator arranged
- for heat extraction from the external heat source,
- to receive distillate outlet liquid from the distillation section for conversion to LP evaporator vapour, and
- to supply the LP evaporator vapour through a first return line from the LP evaporator to the absorption section;
- in which ambient air provides the external heat source and is directed over a first side of the LP evaporator that is isolated from and in thermal communication with a second side of the LP evaporator with a low pressure supply line for distillate outlet liquid from the distillation section connected to the second side of the LP evaporator for evaporation of the distillate outlet liquid and thermal energy extraction from the ambient air providing an air-chilling heat exchanger (H/E) for extraction of atmospheric water from the ambient air;
- the absorption section generating heat in a vapour absorption process inside the absorption section;
- the working vapour supply assembly incorporating the absorber H/E and arranged to use heat from the absorber H/E inside the absorption section for conversion of distillate outlet liquid from the distillation section to heated high pressure (HP) working vapour;
- the HP working vapour supplied to the vapour expansion drive mechanism which is coupled to a generator;
- and
- LP exhaust vapour from the expansion drive mechanism connected through a second return line to the absorption section of the VAB reactor.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.