US 8,474,264 B2 · Radial counterflow steam stripper

Abstract

Turbine exhaust steam, axially fed between counter-rotating radial flow disk turbines, separates into: (1) a radially inward flow of low enthalpy dry steam, and (2) a radially outward flow of high enthalpy steam, noncondensibles, and condensate. The radially inward flow goes to a conventional condenser. The radially outward flow loses enthalpy turning the disk turbines as it passes in the boundary layers against the disks, thus becoming low enthalpy dry steam, and the counter-rotation of the disks by impinging mass flow of condensate, high enthalpy steam, and noncondensibles sustains a cascade of dynamic vortex tubes in the shear layer between the boundary layers. The low enthalpy dry steam resulting from work being done flows into the condenser through the vortex cores of fractal turbulence. Condensate exits the periphery of the workspace, ready to be pumped back into the Rankine cycle.

Claims6

Dependent claims

An apparatus for generating electricity from wet exhaust steam, comprising:

opposed coaxial disks counter-rotatable about a common axis of rotation and spaced apart so as to define a radial workspace between them,
the disks comprising radial runners configured such that the runners are impinged by the expanding wet exhaust steam and thereby cause the disks to counter-rotate;
an axial feed port at the center of one of the opposed coaxial disks, the axial feed port structured to communicate with the radial workspace to introduce wet steam into the radial workspace;
an axial exhaust port at the center of the opposite one of the opposed coaxial disks, the axial exhaust port structured to communicate with means for condensing steam axially extracted out of the radial workspace;
a baffle disposed between the axial feed port and the axial exhaust port;
and
a dynamo connected to a drive wheel, the drive wheel disposed at the periphery of the opposed coaxial disks and in contact with at least one of the opposed coaxial disks during counter-rotation of the opposed coaxial disks.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Radial counterflow steam stripper

Life of this patent

Radial counterflow steam stripper

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6