Rankine cycle generation of electricity
AssigneeThe Sun Trust, L.L.C.
InventorPaul Lawheed
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems or combinations and methodology for converting solar energy to electrical energy and thermal energy and for converting the resultant thermal energy to electrical energy are disclosed. Systems and methodology for conversion of low temperature thermal energy, wherever obtained, to electrical energy using a Rankine cycle mechanism to drive an electrical generator or do other work in a cost effective way are also disclosed.
Claims47
A method of using solar energy to generate primary and secondary electricity comprising the acts of:
- directly converting the solar energy to electricity at at least one solar cell;
- cooling the at least one solar cell with a liquid coolant in a first closed displacement loop;
- utilizing heat transferred from the liquid coolant without a chemical reaction to elevate the temperature of a gas in a second closed displacement loop;
- displace the gas to drive a non-combustion Rankine cycle electricity generating system associated with the second closed loop, but segregated from the first loop.
A method of using liquid at a moderately elevated temperature to cause a segregated gas to do work comprising the acts of:
- displacing liquid at an elevated temperature, below its vapor temperature, along a first closed loop only through a liquid-gas heat exchanger where the liquid and the gas are segregated and not commingled;
- displacing the gas along a second closed loop only through the liquid-gas heat exchange to transfer heat from the liquid to the gas without a chemical reaction where the liquid and the gas arc segregated and not commingled;
- displacing the gas along the second closed loop to rotate a non-combustion Rankine cycle lobe-displacement mechanism associated with the second loop but not the first loop to create rotation of at least one output shaft;
- converting the output shaft rotation to work.
A method of generating electricity by displacing a gas at a moderately elevated temperature through a non-combustion Rankine cycle mechanism comprising the acts of:
- displacing the gas, exclusive of pure hydrogen, along a closed loop at an above ambient temperature within a range which does not exceed 100° F. and at an influent pressure within a range on the order of 15 psi into a space between but not through oppositely rotatable intermeshing lobes respectively mounted on interconnected shafts of the Rankine cycle mechanism;
- applying the pressure of the gas:
- (a) first predominantly against an exposed surface on one lobe to forcibly rotate that lobe in a first direction causing the other lobe, through the interconnected shafts, to oppositely rotationally follow in a second direction and (b) second predominantly against an exposed surface of the other lobe to forcibly rotate the other lobe in the second direction causing the one lobe, through the interconnected shafts, to rotationally follow the first direction;
- driving an electric generator with one or both shafts to create electricity.
A system for using solar energy to co-generate primary and secondary electricity comprising:
- a solar generator comprising solar cells against which sunlight is impinged to directly convert solar energy to electricity;
- a cooling unit for cooling the electricity-producing solar cells with liquid coolant;
- a non-combustion Rankine cycle mechanism which utilizes heat derived from the liquid coolant without chemical reaction to drive a generator to also produce electricity.
A system for using liquid at a moderately elevated temperature to do work comprising:
- liquid-gas heat exchange through which a liquid in a first closed loop at an elevated temperature below its vapor point is displaced and through which a gas in a second closed loop is displaced to transfer heat from the liquid to the gas without generation of hydrogen through a chemical reaction while keeping the liquid and the gas separate;
- a Rankine cycle lobe-displacement mechanism using the gas passed therethrough, after discharge from the heat exchanger, to rotate at lest one output shaft;
- a device driven by the shaft rotation to do work.
A system for generating electricity by displacing a fluid at a moderately elevated temperature comprising:
- a Rankine cycle mechanism into which the fluid is introduced at a temperature within a range on the order of 100° F. or less and at a pressure within a range of on the order of 15 psi into a space between but not through either oppositely rotatable lobes, the lobes being respectively mounted on interconnected shafts of the Rankine cycle mechanism;
- such that the pressure of the fluid is:
- (a) first applied against one lobe to forcibly rotate that lobe in a first direction causing the other lobe, through the interconnected shafts, to oppositely rotate in a second direction and (b) ten is applied against the other lobe to forcibly rotate the other lobe in the second direction causing the one lobe, through the interconnected shafts, to rotate in the first direction;
- an electric generator connector to one or both shafts to create electricity.
A Rankine cycle mechanism comprising:
- 1. three contiguous narrow planar segments arranged in a series comprising:
- a. first and third narrow planar segments defining exterior sides of a housing and opposite interior side surfaces of a central narrow planar chamber.
- b. a second narrow planar segment contiguously interposed between the first and third planar segments defining an exterior edge of the housing and the narrow planar chamber;
- 2. two intermeshed rotatable narrow contoured lobes within the narrow planar chamber;
- 3. at least one output shalt non-rotatably connected to one of the lobes, journaled in the first and third narrow planar segments for rotation of the shaft with the connected lobe, the shaft extending beyond the housing and the rotation of the output shaft producing work.
A method of producing electricity using two closed fluid displacement loops, one loop comprising a heat transfer only loop which does not generate electricity, and the other loop comprising an electricity-generating loop, comprising the acts of:
- heating a first circulated fluid along the heat transfer loop and passing the fluid as a liquid having a temperature below the vapor point through a heat exchanger;
- without chemical reaction, displacing a second circulated fluid along the electricity-generating loop, through the heat exchanger separate from the first fluid and thence as a gas through a non-combustion Rankine cycle mechanism to turn the Rankine cycle mechanism and at least one generator to produce electricity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.