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US 8,146,360 B2Granted
Recovering heat energy
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsScott R. Myers, Robert Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Some embodiments of a generator system can be used with the working fluid in a Rankine cycle. For example, the generator system can be used in a Rankine cycle to recover heat from one of a number of commercial applications and to convert that heat energy into electrical energy. In particular embodiments, the generator system may include a turbine generator apparatus to generate electrical energy and a liquid separator arranged upstream of the turbine generator apparatus.
Claims9
A method of using a turbine generator system, comprising:
- pumping a working fluid in a Rankine cycle from a low pressure reservoir toward at least one exhaust oxidizer;
- heating the working fluid from heat energy recovered from the exhaust oxidizer, at least a portion of the working fluid being pressurized and heated to a gaseous state;
- directing the heated and pressurized working fluid toward a turbine generator apparatus, the turbine generator apparatus including an inlet conduit to direct the working fluid toward a turbine wheel that is rotatable in response to expansion of the working fluid;
- generating electrical energy from the rotation of the turbine wheel, the turbine wheel being coupled to a rotor of an electrical energy generator that rotates within a_stator of the electrical energy generator,
- further comprising separating a liquid state portion of the heated and pressurized working fluid from a gaseous state portion of the heated and pressurized working fluid using a cyclone separator device before the working fluid is delivered to the turbine generator apparatus.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.