Device for controlling a working fluid in a closed circuit operating according to the Rankine cycle, and method using said device
AssigneeIfp Energies Nouvelles
InventorsPascal Smague, Pierre Leduc, Richard Levesque
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a device for controlling a working fluid with low freezing point circulating in a closed loop working on a Rankine cycle, the loop includes a compression/circulation pump for the fluid in liquid form, a heat exchanger swept by a hot source for evaporation of the fluid, expansion machine for the fluid in vapour form, a cooling exchanger swept by a cold source for condensation of the working fluid, a working fluid tank and working fluid circulation lines. The working fluid tank is connected to a depression generator.
Claims17
A method of controlling a working fluid with low freezing point circulating in a closed loop working on a Rankine cycle, said loop comprising:
- a compression/circulation pump for the fluid in liquid form,
- a heat exchanger swept by a hot source for evaporation of said fluid,
- expansion means for the fluid in a vapour form,
- a cooling exchanger swept by a cold source for condensation of the working fluid,
- a working fluid tank and
- working fluid circulation lines, said method comprising:
- when the loop is at standstill, generating a depression inside the tank so as to transfer the working fluid contained in said loop to the tank, wherein the fluid is transferred to the tank when the temperature of the working fluid at an inlet of the pump is below a threshold temperature.
A method of controlling a working fluid with low freezing point circulating in a closed loop working on a Rankine cycle, said loop comprising:
- a compression/circulation pump for the fluid in a liquid form,
- heat exchanger swept by a hot source for evaporation of said fluid,
- expansion means for the fluid in a vapour form,
- a cooling exchanger swept by a cold source for condensation of the working fluid,
- a working fluid tank and
- working fluid circulation lines, said method comprising:
- when the loop is at standstill, generation a depression inside the tank so as to transfer the working fluid contained in said loop to the tank;
- and
- isolating the tank from the loop after transferring the working fluid.
A method of controlling a working fluid with low freezing point circulating in a closed loop working on a Ramkine cycle, said loop comprising:
- a compression/circulation pump for fluid in liquid form,
- a heat exchanger swept by a hot source for evaporation of said fluid,
- expansion means for the fluid in vapour form,
- a cooling exchanger swept by a cold source for condensation of the working fluid,
- a working fluid tank and
- working fluid circulation lines, said method comprising:
- when the loop is at standstill, generating a depression inside the tank so as to transfer the working fluid contained in said loop to the tank;
- upon starting operation of the loop again, withdrawing the working fluid contained in the tank so as to fill the closed loop;
- and
- withdrawing the fluid from the tank when a temperature of the working fluid in the tank is above a threshold temperature.
A device for controlling a working fluid with low freezing point circulating in a closed loop working on a Rankine cycle, comprising:
- the closed loop working on a Rankine cycle, the closed loop comprising:
- a compression/circulation pump for the fluid in liquid form,
- a heat exchanger swept by a hot source for evaporation of said fluid,
- expansion means for the fluid in vapour form,
- a cooling exchanger swept by a cold source for condensation of the working fluid,
- a working fluid tank, and
- working fluid circulation lines, and
- a depression generator connected to said tank configured to generate a depression in said tank to suck said fluid into said tank,
- characterized in that said working fluid circulation lines comprise a circulation line carrying controlled throttle means for connecting an outlet of said condenser to an inlet of said tank and a circulation line carrying controlled throttle means for connecting an outlet of said tank to an inlet of said pump.
A device for controlling a working fluid circulating in a closed loop working on a Rankine cycle, comprising:
- the closed loop working on a Rankine cycle, the closed loop comprising:
- a working fluid tank,
- a heat exchanger connected by a first circulation line to the working fluid tank and being configured to be swept by a hot source for evaporation of the working fluid,
- a pump for compressing and pumping the working fluid in a liquid form from the working fluid tank to the heat exchanger through the first circulation line,
- an expansion machine connected to the heat exchanger by a second circulation line for expanding the working fluid in vapour form,
- a cooling exchanger connected to the expansion machine by a third circulation line and being configured to be swept by a cold source for condensing the working fluid, and
- a fourth circulation line connecting the cooling exchanger to the working fluid tank, and
- a depression generator connected to the working fluid tank and being configured to generate a depression in the working fluid tank to suck the working fluid into the working fluid tank,
- a temperature detector configured to measure a temperature of the working fluid in the loop between the working fluid tank and the pump, and
- a control unit responsive to a temperature of the working fluid measured by the temperature detector for controlling the depression generator to suck the working fluid into the working fluid tank when the temperature of the working fluid between the working fluid tank and the pump approaches a freezing point of the working fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.