# US 8,769,951 B2 · Geothermal power-generation system

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- Number: US 8,769,951 B2
- Document ID: US8769951B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/171,847
- Filed: 2011-06-29
- Published: 2012-01-05
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2010-06-30
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
- Applicants: Hiromi Nakatani; Jin Kato
- Inventors: Hiromi Nakatani; Jin Kato
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8769951B2

## CPC

- F24T 10/15: using bent tubes; using tubes assembled with connectors or with return headers
- F03G 4/02: with direct {working} fluid contact
- F03G 4/029: {closed loop geothermal collectors, i.e. the fluid is pumped through a closed loop in heat exchange with the geothermal source, e.g. via a heat exchanger}
- F03G 4/033: {having a Rankine cycle}
- F03G 4/074: {Safety arrangements}
- Y02E 10/10: Geothermal energy
- F24T: GEOTHERMAL COLLECTORS; GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
- F03G: SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (arrangements in connection with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60K16/00; electric propulsion with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60L8/00)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

[Problem to be solved] To achieve a reduction in facility costs in a geothermal power-generation system. [Solution] To provide a compressor 11 that compresses air, a heating device 14 that heats compressed air compressed by the compressor 11 by geothermal heat, a turbine 12 that obtains a rotational force by heated compressed air heated by the heating device 14, and a generator 13 that generates power by the rotational force inputted from the turbine 12.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A geothermal power-generation system comprising:
a compressor that compresses air;
an air supply pipe embedded in a ground to a predetermined depth from a surface of the ground;
a heat exchange unit that is connected to a distal end of the air supply pipe and performs heat exchange between air and geothermal heat;
an air discharge pipe that is connected to the heat exchange unit and embedded in the ground from the surface of the ground;
a turbine that obtains a rotational force by heated compressed air heat exchanged by the heat exchange unit; and
a generator that generates power by a rotational force inputted from the turbine, wherein the heat exchange unit includes a columnar main body and a plurality of partition walls for defining a plurality of fine pores within the columnar main body,
wherein the heat exchange unit includes a first heat exchange unit that is connected to a lower end of the air supply pipe and a second heat exchange unit that is connected to a lower end of the air discharge pipe, and the lower end of the first heat exchange unit is connected to the lower end of the second heat exchange unit by a U-shaped connecting piping.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The geothermal power-generation system of claim 1, wherein the air supply pipe and the air discharge pipe are placed in the ground so as to be spaced away from each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The geothermal power-generation system of claim 1 wherein a heat retaining unit is provided at outside of the air discharge pipe.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The geothermal power-generation system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that the geothermal heat is conducted to an inner portion of the heat exchange unit via the plurality of partition walls.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The geothermal power-generation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of partition walls are connected to the columnar main body.