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US 9,708,978 B2Granted
Heat engine
OwnerMurray R. K. Johnsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat engine for use in conjunction with a power generating plant, including a turbine section having a number of turbines, a heat exchanger section having a number of modules through which the expanded working fluid of the power generating plant and other sources of heat are circulated, a laminar flow inducing section, and a tower section for providing a pressure differential across the turbines of the turbine section. In use, the heat engine provides the dual function of: heating air to generate an updraft such that air forces its way into the turbine sections to drive the turbines and generate additional electricity; and using incoming colder air to condense the expanded working fluid and cool other sources of heat.
Claims35
A heat engine for generating power from heat sources, said heat engine comprising:
- a turbine section, said turbine section having at least one air inlet and at least one rotor, wherein said at least one rotor is positioned to be rotated by air flowing through said at least one air inlet;
- at least one generator coupled to said at least one rotor for generating power as the at least one rotor is rotated;
- at least one tower section, said at least one tower section having an air outlet, wherein said at least one tower section is positioned above the turbine section and arranged to receive air flowing from said turbine section and to deliver the air flowing from said turbine section to said air outlet;
- a heat exchanger section positioned between said turbine section and said at least one tower section and comprising a heat exchanger, wherein said heat exchanger is adapted to be connected to at least one of the heat sources and configured to transfer heat from the at least one of the heat sources to air flowing from said turbine section into said at least one tower section;
- said heat exchanger including a plurality of modules including at least one upper module, and at least one lower module positioned below the at least one upper module, wherein said plurality of modules is arranged to receive heat from the heat sources of heat at different temperatures, wherein said at least one upper module is adapted to receive heat from at least one of the heat sources at a higher temperature than a temperature of heat received by the at least one lower module;
- wherein said plurality of modules is positioned across a transverse cross sectional area of said heat exchanger section;
- wherein the transverse cross sectional area of the heat exchanger section is greater than a transverse cross sectional area of the at least one tower section.
4 more elements
A heat engine for generating power from heat from expanded steam from a power plant operating a steam cycle, said heat engine comprising:
- a turbine section, said turbine section having at least one air inlet and at least one rotor, wherein said at least one rotor is positioned to be rotated by air flowing through said at least one air inlet;
- a generator coupled to said at least one rotor for generating power as the at least one rotor is rotated;
- at least one tower section, said at least one tower section having an air outlet, wherein said at least one tower section is positioned above the turbine section and arranged to receive air flowing from said turbine section and to deliver the air flowing from said turbine section to said air outlet;
- a heat exchanger section positioned between said turbine section and said at least one tower section and comprising a heat exchanger,
- a compressor with a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, wherein the compressor inlet of the compressor is adapted to receive expanded steam from the power plant, and wherein the compressor is adapted to compress the expanded steam from the power plant to form water,
- wherein the compressor outlet of the compressor is connected to the heat exchanger;
- wherein said heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from the water to air flowing from said turbine section to said at least one tower section.
4 more elements
A heat engine for generating power from heat from an expanded steam working fluid from a power plant operating a steam cycle, said heat engine comprising:
- a turbine section, said turbine section having at least one air inlet and at least one rotor, wherein said at least one rotor is positioned to be rotated by air flowing through said at least one air inlet;
- a generator coupled to said at least one rotor for generating power as the at least one rotor is rotated;
- at least one tower section, said at least one tower section having an air outlet, wherein said at least one tower section is positioned above the turbine section and arranged to receive air flowing from said turbine section and to deliver the air flowing from said turbine section to said air outlet;
- a heat exchanger section positioned between said turbine section and said at least one tower section and comprising a heat exchanger,
- a compressor with a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, wherein the compressor inlet of the compressor is adapted to receive the expanded steam working fluid from the power plant, wherein the compressor is adapted to compress the expanded steam working fluid from the power plant to form water,
- wherein the compressor outlet of the compressor is connected to the heat exchanger;
- wherein said heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from the water to air flowing from said turbine section to said at least one tower section;
- an adjustment system for adjusting an impedance of the turbine section to air entering through the turbine section and flowing up through the heat exchanger section and into the at least one tower section;
- and
- a control system, said control system including sensors for detecting temperatures of heat sources, the control system altering the adjustment system according to the temperatures of the heat sources so as to control a flow rate of air flowable through the at least one air inlet to the air outlet.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.