An Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) device and method for transforming heat from a heat source into mechanical energy. The ORC includes a closed circuit containing a two phase working fluid. The circuit comprises a liquid pump for circulating the working fluid consecutively through an evaporator which is configured to be placed in thermal contact with the heat source; through an expander for transforming the thermal energy of the working fluid into mechanical energy; and through a condenser which is in thermal contact with a cooling element. The expander is situated above the evaporator. The fluid outlet of the evaporator is connected to the fluid inlet of the expander by a raiser column which is filled with a mixture of liquid working fluid and of gaseous bubbles of the working fluid, which mixture is supplied to the expander.

The present invention is a system and method of power medium expansion that functions with a rate of efficiency higher than systems found in prior art. Novel features of the system increase the overall efficiency with the use of a power medium that begins the cycle in the liquid state and enters the gaseous state. An additional novel feature is the use of additional heat that may also increase the overall cycle efficiency. Another additional novel feature is recuperating energy that can supplement the phase change of the power medium along with isolating the components from the ambient.

A system includes a waste heat recovery heat exchanger configured to heat a heating fluid stream by exchange with a heat source in a crude oil associated gas processing plant. The system includes a modified Goswami cycle energy conversion system including a first group of heat exchangers configured to heat a first portion of a working fluid by exchange with the heated heating fluid stream and a second group of heat exchangers configured to heat a second portion of the working fluid. The modified Goswami cycle energy conversion system includes a separator configured to receive the heated first and second portions of the working fluid and to output a vapor stream of the working fluid and a liquid stream of the working fluid; a first turbine and a generator are configured to generate power by expansion of a first portion of the vapor stream of the working fluid; a cooling subsystem including one or more cooling elements configured to cool a chilling fluid stream by exchange with a cooled second portion of the vapor stream of the working fluid; and a second turbine configured to generate power from the liquid stream of the working fluid.

A power generation system and method including a first heat exchanger, a first thermal engine, and a first power generator on a first working medium line L1 that circulates a first working medium W1, a second heat exchanger, a third working medium supply device that supplies a third working medium W3, and a mixing device for mixing a second working medium W2 and the third working medium. A second thermal engine, and a second power generator are included on a second working medium line L2 that circulates the second working medium. On both of a downstream side of the first thermal engine on the first working medium line and a downstream side of the second thermal engine on the second working medium line, a third heat exchanger is included. Also included is a third working medium discharge device for discharging the third working medium to the third heat exchanger.

This invention relates generally to hydro-turbine drive methods and systems and, more particularly, to hydro-turbine drive methods and systems such as for application for various rotary machineries including producing a high pressure fluid with at least one fluid pump by utilizing a fluid heater to create a fluid and vapor mixture for producing mechanical shaft power.

An improved efficiency method and device for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy, and then, preferably, into electricity and/or refrigerating energy. A partially liquid stream f.sup.c0 of fluid FC is implemented; thermal energy is transferred to the stream f.sup.c0; the heated stream f.sup.c0 is sprayed to generate a fragmented stream f.sup.c1 of fluid FC. Simultaneously a partially liquid stream f.sup.t0 of fluid FT is implemented; thermal energy is transferred to the stream f.sup.t0 to generate a stream f.sup.t that may be in liquid form or a saturated liquid/vapor mixture; stream f.sup.1 is expanded in a chamber which also receives fragmented stream f.sup.c1 to form a two-phase mixed stream f.sup.c1/t whose kinetic energy is converted into mechanical energy which is optionally transformed into electrical energy or into refrigerating energy.

A system includes a waste heat recovery heat exchanger configured to heat a heating fluid stream by exchange with a heat source in a crude oil associated gas processing plant; and an Organic Rankine cycle energy conversion system. The Organic Rankine cycle energy conversion system includes a heat exchanger configured to heat a first portion of a working fluid by exchange with the heated heating fluid stream; and a cooling subsystem including one or more cooling elements each configured to cool one or more of a process stream from the crude oil associated gas processing plant and a cooling water stream for ambient air cooling by exchange with a second portion of the working fluid. The Organic Rankine cycle energy conversion system includes an ejector configured to receive the second portion of the working fluid from the cooling subsystem and a third portion of the working fluid; a turbine and a generator configured to generate power by expansion of a fourth portion of the working fluid; and a cooling element configured to cool a stream of working fluid including an output stream of working fluid from the ejector and the expanded fourth portion of the working fluid from the turbine and generator.

In the present invention, a recuperator is used in a refrigerant cycle to make a heat exchange between a refrigerant generated in a condenser and a refrigerant before flowing into a compressor, thereby supercooling the refrigerant to minimize the quality of the refrigerant introduced into an evaporator, elevating temperatures at an inlet and an outlet of the compressor, and increasing condensed heat of the condenser. In the present invention, a recuperator is used to increase condensed heat of the condenser, leading to increasing the heat which circulation water circulating in a steam producing cycle receives from the condenser, whereby steam production efficiency can be improved.

A combined cooling, heating, and power system, including a working fluid cycling between a compressor and a turbine in combination with a power generator. A humidifying regenerator is disposed between the compressor and the turbine, and in combination with the working fluid upstream and again downstream of the turbine to humidify and then dehumidify the working fluid. A working fluid heat exchanger is in combination with the working fluid between the turbine and the humidifying regenerator for further heat the working fluid. The heat exchanger is in combination with a heat source that heats both the working fluid and provides a separate heating medium. A cooling device is in combination with the working fluid between the humidifying regenerator and the compressor, wherein the cooling device cools the working fluid before entering the compressor and provides a separate cooling medium.

The present invention discloses a magnetohydrodynamics power system which utilizes low temperature heat source. Variable control of the operation of the system, along with determining configurations for specific cases, are made possible by selecting the refrigerant, liquid metal circuit geometry, and by adjusting the system condensing pressure and/or temperature. Adjustable condensing pressure and/or temperature allows the system to react to changing ambient temperature and maximize power output. Adjusting condensing pressure and/or temperature of the system is made possible with a variable condenser pressure controller. The variable condenser pressure controller allows utilization of the physical properties of the refrigerant over a wide range of condensing temperatures/pressures, including pressures in the vacuum range. Meanwhile rare earth permanent magnets in paired Halbach arrays are used in the magnetohydrodynamics generator to augment the magnetic field, and a series electrode connection is made possible to achieve a high voltage output.