Limitless heat source power plants
OwnerYan P. Changinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of employing the thermal energy from essentially limitless sources, such as the ocean or the atmosphere, to produce mechanical work or electricity by power plants wherein; the fluid from the limitless heat source is used to heat the working fluid of a prime mover through a heat exchanger; the effluent cooled fluid from the said heat exchanger may be employed directly or indirectly to extract the exhaust heat of the prime mover; and the said effluent cooled fluid from the said heat exchanger may also be used simultaneously or successively for the conversion of saline water into fresh water, or dirty water into usable water.
Claims8
A method of utilizing the thermal energy of substantially limitless heat sources which are usually considered as inert heat sources, such as the atmosphere, the ocean, a lake, a river and the like, to power a power plant including (i) first heat exchange means operatively associated with the heat sources;
- (ii) a prime mover which includes a turbine and compression means operating in a closed power cycle operatively associated with the first heat exchange means, (iii) second heat exchange means operatively associated with the prime mover and (iv) an auxiliary system for starting the operation of the prime mover;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting first and second heat exchange means for providing appropriate heating and cooling processes of the power cycle so that the power plant is capable of producing net work with the continuous increase of entropy in the surroundings;
- (b) orienting the flow of source fluid from the heat sources so that the flow is moved by gravitational forces through the first heat exchange means wherein the source fluid heats the working fluid of the turbine and the source fluid is thereby cooled;
- (c) expanding the heated working fluid in the turbine;
- (d) cooling the expanded working fluid by the auxiliary system to start the prime mover and to initiate the continuous release of thermal energy from the heat sources;
- (e) cutting off the auxiliary system;
- (f) conducting the cooled source fluid effluent from the first heat exchange means to the second heat exchange means wherein the expanded working fluid is cooled by the cooled source fluid effluent;
- (g) compressing the cooled expanded working fluid back to the first heat exchange means wherein the compressed working fluid is heated by the source fluid as recited in step (b) for repeating steps (c) and (f);
- and
- (h) utilizing the cold source fluid effluent from the power plant for another cooling process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.