Feedback energy conversion system
OwnerDan Egosiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat pumping process for the generation of industrially useful heat energy achieves an improved fuel effectiveness by feeding back to the process part of its otherwise output heat energy as an input to assist in compressing the process evaporized performing fluid. An equivalent amount of extraneous fuel otherwise required to carry out the mechanical work now done by the fed back energy is thus replaced.
Claims57
A method for increasing the ratio of thermal energy output to heating value of fuel consumed in a heat pumping process which includes delivering a first input stream of thermal energy from a low temperature source to a flow of performing fluid in the liquid state, vaporizing at least part of said flow of performing fluid, mechanically compressing said vaporized performing fluid, delivering heat from said compressed performing fluid as at least one output stream of thermal energy at a temperature level higher than that of the low temperature source, consuming fuel to generate a second input stream of thermal energy, and converting part of said second input stream of thermal energy to mechanical energy for performing said mechanical compression, the heating value of the fuel consumed being less than the corresponding output heat delivered, wherein the improvement comprises:
- feeding back part of the stream of output heat as a third input stream of thermal energy to the process and
- converting said third input stream of thermal energy into mechanical energy for performing part of the work of mechanically compressing said vaporized performing fluid, thereby reducing the consumption of fuel otherwise required to produce an equivalent amount of mechanical energy without reducing the total work input required for said mechanical compression.
Heat pumping apparatus for providing an increased ratio of thermal energy output to heating value of fuel consumed, the apparatus including means for delivering a first input stream of thermal energy from a low temperature source to a flow of performing fluid in the liquid state, means for evaporating at least part of the flow of performing fluid, mechanical compressor means having an input connected to the evaporating means for compressing the vaporized part of the performing fluid at a temperature higher than temperature of the low temperature source, heat engine means for consuming fuel as a second input stream of thermal energy and for delivering at least part of the mechanical energy required for driving the mechanical compressor, and means connected to the output of the mechanical compressor means for delivering a greater quantity of heat from said compressed performing fluid as at least one output stream of thermal energy than the heating value of the fuel consumed, wherein the improvement comprises:
- means coupled to said means for delivering at least one output stream of thermal energy for returning part of said at least one output stream as a third input stream of thermal energy and
- means for converting said third input stream of thermal energy into mechanical energy for performing part of the work of mechanically compressing said vaporized performing fluid, thereby reducing the amount of fuel otherwise required to produce an equivalent amount of mechanical energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.