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US 2014/0109573 A1Published application
Power systems utilizing two or more heat source streams and methods for making and using same
AssigneeKalex, LLC
InventorAlexander I. Kalina
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power systems utilizing at least two heat source streams with substantially different initial temperatures, where the systems include a simple vaporization, separation, and energy extraction subsystem, a recycle subsystem, and a condensation and pressurization subsystem and methods for making and using same.
Claims36
A system for power generation comprising:
- a vaporization subsystem including:
- a booster pump to increase a pressure of an intermediate pressure rich solution stream forming a higher pressure rich solution stream,
- a lower temperature heat exchange portion to partially vaporize the higher pressure rich solution stream using a combined heat source stream comprising a cooled higher temperature heat source stream and a lower temperature heat source stream,
- a higher temperature heat exchange portion to further vaporize the higher pressure rich solution stream, and
- a first separator to separate the further vaporized higher pressure rich solution stream into a higher pressure lean liquid stream and a higher pressure vapor richer solution stream,
- an energy extraction subsystem including:
- at least one turbine to convert a portion of thermal energy in the higher pressure vapor richer solution stream into a usable form of energy forming a lower pressure richer solution stream,
- a separation and pressure reduction subsystem including:
- a first throttle control valve to reduce a pressure of the higher pressure lean liquid stream to form an intermediate vapor-liquid lean stream,
- a second separator to separate the intermediate vapor-liquid lean stream into an intermediate pressure rich vapor stream and an intermediate pressure leaner liquid stream,
- a first mixing valve to combine the intermediated pressure lean solution stream and the intermediate pressure rich vapor stream forming the intermediated pressure rich solution stream,
- a second throttle control valve to reduce the pressure of the intermediate pressure leaner liquid stream forming a lower pressure leaner liquid stream, and
- a second mixing valve to combine the lower pressure leaner liquid stream and the lower pressure richer solution stream, and
- a condensation subsystem including:
- a condenser to fully condense a lower pressure lean solution stream forming the lower pressure fully condensed lean solution stream.
12 more elements
A method for power generation comprising:
- increasing a pressure of an intermediate pressure rich solution stream forming a higher pressure rich solution stream in a booster pump of a vaporization subsystem,
- partially vaporizing the higher pressure rich solution stream using a combined heat source stream comprising a cooled higher temperature heat source stream and a lower temperature heat source stream in a lower temperature heat exchange portion of the vaporization subsystem,
- further vaporizing the higher pressure rich solution stream in a higher temperature heat exchange portion of the vaporization subsystem,
- separating the further vaporized higher pressure rich solution stream into a higher pressure lean liquid stream and a higher pressure vapor richer solution stream in a first separator,
- converting a portion of thermal energy in the higher pressure vapor richer solution stream into a usable form of energy forming a lower pressure richer solution stream in at least one turbine of an energy extraction subsystem,
- reducing a pressure of the higher pressure lean liquid stream to form an intermediate vapor-liquid lean stream in a first throttle control valve of a separation and pressure reduction subsystem,
- separating the intermediate vapor-liquid lean stream into an intermediate pressure rich vapor stream and an intermediate pressure leaner liquid stream in a second separator of the separation and pressure reduction subsystem,
- combining the intermediated pressure lean solution stream and the intermediate pressure rich vapor stream forming the intermediated pressure rich solution stream in a first mixing valve of the separation and pressure reduction subsystem,
- reducing the pressure of the intermediate pressure leaner liquid stream forming a lower pressure leaner liquid stream in a second throttle control valve of the separation and pressure reduction subsystem, and
- combining the lower pressure leaner liquid stream and the lower pressure richer solution stream a second mixing valve of the separation and pressure reduction subsystem, and
- fully condensing a lower pressure lean solution stream forming the lower pressure fully condensed lean solution stream in a condenser of a condensation subsystem.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.