Closed cycle heat transfer device and method
AssigneeEnergetix Genlec Limited
InventorsRussell Benstead, Simon James Redford
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A closed cycle heat transfer device comprising a boiler (10) and a condenser (13), the condenser being used to recover useful heat by latent heat evaporation. A circuit defined by the boiler (10), condenser (13) and ducts (12, 15) is to be liquid-filled at a pressure just above atmospheric pressure. An expansion device (16) maintains the working pressure in the circuit but will receive excess condensate in a liquid phase to compensate for expansion of the working fluid vapour which passes from the boiler (10) to the condenser (13). The expansion chamber contains a movable or flexible member which, when working liquid is received in the chamber, is displaced to compress a gas in the chamber.
Claims20
A closed cycle heat transfer device comprising an evaporator and a first condenser, a first fluid duct for transporting a heated fluid from the evaporator to the first condenser, and a second fluid duct for returning condensate from the first condenser to the evaporator;
- an expansion device connected to and in communication with the second fluid duct to receive liquid condensate therefrom to compensate for expansion of a fluid vapour phase in at least the first fluid duct, wherein at least one further condenser is connected to the first fluid duct and to the second fluid duct to receive working fluid in a vapour phase in response to a rise in pressure and temperature of the working fluid issuing from the evaporator, and
- the height of the further condenser is selected in relation to that of the boiler and the first condenser, so that the additional vapour space generated by the increased pressure starts to expose the heat transfer surface of the at least one further condenser when the required pressure is reached;
- and/or
- a regulating valve is disposed between the at least one further condenser and the second fluid duct.
(canceled)
(canceled)
A method of operating a closed cycle heat transfer device, the device comprising an evaporator and a first condenser, a first fluid duct for transporting a heated fluid from the evaporator to the first condenser and a second fluid duct for returning condensate from the first condenser to the evaporator, and at least one further condenser connected to the first fluid duct and to the second fluid duct, the method comprising the steps of
- enabling expansion of a working fluid in a vapour phase within the device by providing an expansion chamber connected to the second fluid duct and controlling the flow of the working fluid in a liquid phase into the expansion chamber to compensate for expansion of the working fluid vapour;
- and
- in response to a rise in temperature of the working fluid issuing from the evaporator, causing the working fluid in a vapour phase to pass into the associated further condenser.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.