US 4,489,563 AGranted

Generation of energy

OwnerAlexander I. Kalinainventor

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Abstract

A method of generating energy which comprises utilizing relatively lower temperature available heat to effect partial distillation of at least portion of a multicomponent working fluid stream at an intermediate pressure to generate working fluid fractions of differing compositions. The fractions are used to produce at least one main rich solution which is relatively enriched with respect to the lower boiling component, and to produce at least one lean solution which is relatively improverished with respect to the lower boiling component. The pressure of the main rich solution is increased whereafter it is evaporated to produce a charged gaseous main working fluid. The main working fluid is expanded to a low pressure level to release energy. The spent low pressure level working fluid is condensed in a main absorption stage by dissolving with cooling in the lean solution to regenerate an initial working fluid for reuse.

Claims37

Dependent claims

A method of generating energy, which comprises:

(a) subjecting at least a portion of an initial multicomponent working fluid stream having an initial composition of lower and higher boiling components, to patial distillation at an intermediate pressure in a distillation system to distil or evaporate only part of the stream subjected to said distillation and thus generate an enriched vapor fraction which is enriched with a lower boiling component relatively to a main rich solution;
(b) mixing the enriched vapor fraction with part of the initial working fluid stream and absorbing it therein to produce at least one such main rich solution which is enriched relatively to the initial working fluid stream with respect to a lower temperature boiling component, and using a remaining part of the initial working fluid stream as at least one lean solution which is impoverished relatively to the main rich solution with respect to a lower temperature boiling component;
(c) increasing the pressure of the main rich solution to a charged high pressure level and evaporating the main rich solution to produce a charged gaseous main working fluid;
(d) expanding the charged gaseous main working fluid to a spent low pressure level to transform its energy into usable form;
and
(e) cooling and condensing the spent main working fluid in a main absorption stage by dissolving it in the lean solution at a pressure lower than the intermediate pressure to regenerate the initial working fluid.

3 more elements

A method of generating energy, which comprises:

(a) feeding an initial multicomponent working fluid stream to a partial distillation system;
(b) increasing the pressure of the stream to an intermediate pressure;
(c) separating the stream into a neutral stream and a distillation stream;
(d) subjecting the distillation stream to partial distillation to distil or evaporate part of the distillation stream to produce working fluid fractions of differing compositions, the one fraction being an enriched vapor fraction which is enriched with at least one lower boiling component relatively to an enriched liquid stream, and the other fraction being a lean liquid solution;
(e) withdrawing the fraction comprising a lean liquid solution which is impoverished with respect to a lower boiling component, from the distillation system;
(f) mixing the fraction comprising an enriched vapor fraction which is enriched with respect to at least one lower boiling component, with the neutral stream and condensing it therein by means of a cooling medium to form such an enriched liquid stream;
(g) increasing the pressure of the enriched liquid stream;
(h) substantially evaporating the enriched liquid stream in an evaporation stage to produce a charged working fluid vapor;
(i) expanding the charged working fluid vapor to transform its energy into usable form and produce a spent working fluid;
and
(j) mixing the spent working fluid with the lean liquid solution and condensing it therein in an absorption stage to regenerate the initial working fluid stream.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.