Rankine cycle power plant with improved organic working fluid
AssigneeOrmat Turbines, Ltd.
InventorsAmnon Yogev, David Mahlab
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A Rankine cycle power plant utilizes as a working fluid and compounds selected from the group consisting of bicyclic hydrocarbons, substituted bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substituted heterocyclic bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bicyclic compounds where one ring is aromatic and the other condensed ring is non-aromatic, and their mixtures.
Claims25
In a Rankine cycle power plant having a boiler for vaporizing an organic working fluid which is applied to a turbine in which vaporized working fluid produced by the boiler expands and produces work, a condenser for condensing expanded vaporized working fluid exhausted by the turbine and producing condensate, and means for returning the condensate to the boiler, the improvement comprising:
- (a) operating the boiler so that the organic fluid vaporizes at substantially constant pressure and a temperature not exceeding 400.degree. C.;
- (b) applying only vaporized working fluid to the turbine;
- and
- (c) using as the working fluid, a compound selected from the group consisting of bicyclic hydrocarbons, substituted bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substituted heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bicyclic compounds where one ring is aromatic and the other condensed ring is nonaromatic, and their mixtures.
A binary Rankine cycle power plant comprising:
- (a) a first heat exchanger for vaporizing a first organic working fluid;
- (b) a first turbine and means for applying thereto only vaporized working fluid produced by the first heat exchanger for producing work when the first working fluid expands in the first turbine;
- (c) a second heat exchanger responsive to a second working fluid in liquid form for condensing the expanded vapors of the first working fluid into condensate and for vaporizing the second working fluid;
- (d) means for returning condensate produced by the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger;
- (e) a second turbine for expanding vaporized working fluid produced by the second heat exchanger and producing work;
- (f) a condenser for condensing the expanded vapors of the second working fluid exhausted by the second turbine to produce second working fluid condensate;
- and
- (g) means returning the second working fluid condensate to the second heat exchanger;
- (h) wherein said first working fluid is selected from the group consisting of bicyclic hydrocarbons, substituted bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substituted heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bicyclic compounds where one ring is aromatic and the other condensed ring is nonaromatic, and their mixtures, and the first heat exchanger vaporizes said first working fluid at a temperature not exceeding about 400.degree. C.
In a Rankine cycle power plant having a nuclear reactor heat source for vaporizing a working fluid that is supplied to a turbine, and a condenser for condensing vapor exhausted from the turbine, the improvement comprising constructing and arranging said heat source such that the working fluid is vaporized at substantially constant pressure and temperature not exceeding about 400.degree. C., and the fluid acts as a moderator, coolant and working fluid, wherein only vaporized working fluid is supplied to the turbine, and wherein the working fluid is selected from a group consisting of bicyclic hydrocarbons, substituted bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substituted heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bicyclic compounds where one ring is aromatic and the other condensed ring is nonaromatic, and their mixtures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.