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US 6,854,273 B1Granted
Apparatus and method for steam engine and thermionic emission based power generation system
AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.
InventorsAndrew J. Lasley, Gerald Thomas Fattic, Kaushik Rajashekara
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for generating power, the apparatus, comprising: a steam engine for providing a first source of power, the steam engine also producing heat waste; a thermionic device for providing a second source of power, the thermionic device providing the second source of power from the heat waste which is provided to the thermionic device, the heat waste of the steam engine being in fluid communication with a heat exchanger of the thermionic device.
Claims23
A power supply, comprising:
- a steam engine for providing a first source of power, said steam engine comprising:
- a combustor, a first heat exchanger configured to receive a heat exhaust of said combustor, said first heat exchanger using said heat exhaust to convert a supply of water into steam, wherein the steam generated by the steam engine is used to drive a turbine of the power supply and said steam engine also producing heat waste;
- a thermionic device for providing a second source of power, said thermionic device providing said second source of power from said heat waste, wherein said heat waste of said steam engine is provided to a second heat exchanger of said thermionic device by an exhaust conduit, said exhaust conduit providing fluid communication between said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger;
- and
- a third heat exchanger, said third heat exchanger being configured to receive an exhaust of said second heat exchanger, wherein said exhaust of said second heat exchanger is used to preheat a supply of water before it reaches said first heat exchanger.
2 more elements
A power supply, comprising:
- a steam engine for providing a first source of power, said steam engine producing heat waste when said steam engine is providing said first source of power, said steam engine comprising:
- a combustor for providing a source of heat to a first heat exchanger of said steam engine;
- an exhaust conduit providing fluid communication between an exhaust of said first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, said second heat exchanger being configured to provide heat to a thermionic device, said thermionic device providing a second source of power from the heat provided by said second heat exchanger;
- and
- a third heat exchanger, said third heat exchanger being configured to receive an exhaust of said second heat exchanger, wherein said exhaust of said second heat exchanger is used to preheat a supply of water before it reaches said first heat exchanger.
2 more elements
A method for generating power, comprising:
- generating power from a steam engine, said steam engine generating heat exhaust from a first heat exchanger, said first heat exchanger receiving heat from a combustor to heat water into steam to drive a steam turbine;
- generating power from a thermionic device, said thermionic device generating power from said heat exhaust received from said first heat exchanger, wherein said heat exhaust is routed to said thermionic device after heating water supplied to said first heat exchanger and said thermionic device generates power without increasing the amount of fuel necessary to heat the water into steam to drive said steam turbine, said thermionic device comprising a second heat exchanger for receiving said heat exhaust;
- and
- preheating water supplied to said first heat exchanger by providing a third heat exchanger, said third heat exchanger being configured to receive a heat exhaust of said second heat exchanger and said third heat exchanger is configured to heat water prior to is being supplied to said first heat exchanger.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.