Heat engine and heat to electricity systems and methods with working fluid fill system
AssigneeEchogen Power Systems, LLC
InventorsTimothy J. Held, Jason D. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A waste heat recovery system and a method for operating a thermodynamic cycle using a working fluid in a working fluid circuit which has a high pressure side and a low pressure side. The system comprises a waste heat exchanger, a waste heat source, an expander, a recuperator, a cooler, a pump, and a mass management system connected to the working fluid circuit. The mass management system comprises a working fluid vessel connected to the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit and configured to passively control an amount of working fluid mass in the working fluid circuit.
Claims31
A heat engine system operative to execute a thermodynamic cycle using a working fluid, comprising:
- a working fluid circuit having a high pressure side and a low pressure side, and a working fluid comprising carbon dioxide contained in the working fluid circuit, wherein at least a portion of the working fluid is in a supercritical state;
- a heat exchanger in the working fluid circuit and in thermal communication with a heat source, whereby thermal energy is transferred from the heat source to the working fluid in the working fluid circuit;
- an expander in the working fluid circuit and located between the high pressure side and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit and operative to convert a pressure drop in the working fluid to mechanical energy;
- a recuperator in the working fluid circuit operative to transfer thermal energy between the high pressure side and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit;
- a cooler in thermal communication with the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit and operative to control a temperature of the working fluid in the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit;
- a pump in the working fluid circuit and fluidly connected between the low pressure side and the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit and operative to move the working fluid through the working fluid circuit;
- a mass management system fluidly connected to the working fluid circuit, the mass management system having a working fluid vessel fluidly connected to the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit;
- and
- a working fluid storage tank fluidly connected to the mass management system via a working fluid supply line, the working fluid supply tank being configured to store a working fluid supply and distribute the working fluid supply to the mass management system.
A method of converting thermal energy into mechanical energy, comprising:
- placing a thermal energy source in thermal communication with a heat exchanger arranged within a working fluid circuit, the working fluid circuit having a high pressure side and a low pressure side;
- regulating an amount of working fluid within the working fluid circuit using a mass management system, the mass management system having a working fluid vessel fluidly connected to the both the high pressure and low pressure sides of the working fluid circuit;
- supplying a working fluid comprising carbon dioxide to the working fluid vessel from a working fluid supply tank fluidly connected to the working fluid vessel via a working fluid supply line, wherein at least a portion of the working fluid is in a supercritical state;
- pumping the working fluid through the working fluid circuit by operation of a pump, the pump being configured to supply working fluid in a supercritical or subcritical state;
- expanding the working fluid in an expander to generate mechanical energy, the expander being fluidly coupled to the pump in the working fluid circuit;
- directing the working fluid away from the expander through the working fluid circuit and back to the pump;
- controlling a flow of the working fluid in a super-critical state from the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit to the working fluid vessel;
- and
- controlling an amount of working fluid in a sub-critical or super-critical state from the working fluid vessel to the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit and to the pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.