An apparatus (2) includes an internal combustion engine (4) and an inverted Brayton cycle heat engine (6). Hot exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine (4) contains water. The hot exhaust gas drives the inverted Brayton cycle heat engine. A condenser (22) in a fluid path of the exhaust gas between an inverted-Brayton-cycle turbine and an inverted-Brayton-cycle compressor condenses at least some of the water from the exhaust gas to form condensed water. This condensed water follows a recirculation path (30) so as to be re-introduced as a working fluid into one or more of the heat engines described above, or further heat engines, e.g. the condensed water is heated by the exhaust gas using a steam-generating heat exchanger (20) to generate steam which drives a steam turbine (32).

A single shaft combined cycle power plant includes a shaft on which is sequentially located, a gas turbine, a medium pressure steam turbine, a low pressure steam turbine, a generator, and a high pressure steam turbine, wherein the gas turbine and the high pressure steam turbine are at opposite ends of the shaft.

A single shaft combined cycle power plant includes a shaft on which is sequentially located, a gas turbine, a medium pressure steam turbine, a low pressure steam turbine, a generator, and a high pressure steam turbine, wherein the gas turbine and the high pressure steam turbine are at opposite ends of the shaft.

Disclosed herein is a supercritical carbon dioxide power generation system utilizing a plurality of heat sources, comprising: a pump for circulating a working fluid; a plurality of heat exchangers for heating the working fluid through an external heat source; a plurality of turbines driven by the working fluid heated through the heat exchangers; and a plurality of recuperators that allow the working fluid passed through the turbines and the working fluid passed through the pump to heat exchange with each other to cool the working fluid passed through the turbine, wherein the plurality of heat exchangers are sequentially disposed from a high temperature region at an inlet end into which waste heat gas stream is introduced up to a low temperature region at an outlet end through which the waste heat gas stream is discharged via a mediate temperature region.

Disclosed herein is a supercritical carbon dioxide power generation system utilizing a plurality of heat sources, comprising: a pump for circulating a working fluid; a plurality of heat exchangers for heating the working fluid through an external heat source; a plurality of turbines driven by the working fluid heated through the heat exchangers; and a plurality of recuperators that allow the working fluid passed through the turbines and the working fluid passed through the pump to heat exchange with each other to cool the working fluid passed through the turbine, wherein the plurality of heat exchangers are sequentially disposed from a high temperature region at an inlet end into which waste heat gas stream is introduced up to a low temperature region at an outlet end through which the waste heat gas stream is discharged via a mediate temperature region.

The disclosure concerns a waste heat recovery cycle system and related method in which a Brayton cycle system operates in combination with a Rankine cycle system. The Brayton cycle system has a heater configured to circulate a fluid, namely an inert gas, in heat exchange relationship with a heating source, such as an exhaust gas of a different system, in order to recover waste heat from such different system by heating the inert gas. The Rankine cycle system has a heat exchanger configured to circulate a second fluid, in heat exchange relationship with the inert gas of the Brayton cycle system to heat the second fluid while at the same time cooling the inert gas. The second fluid can be selected among fluids having a boiling point at a temperature lower than the temperature of the inert gas from the expansion unit/group in the Brayton cycle system.

An apparatus (2) includes an internal combustion engine (4) and an inverted Brayton cycle heat engine (6). Hot exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine (4) contains water. The hot exhaust gas drives the inverted Brayton cycle heat engine. A condenser (22) in a fluid path of the exhaust gas between an inverted-Brayton-cycle turbine and an inverted-Brayton-cycle compressor condenses at least some of the water from the exhaust gas to form condensed water. This condensed water follows a recirculation path (30) so as to be re-introduced as a working fluid into one or more of the heat engines described above, or further heat engines, e.g. the condensed water is heated by the exhaust gas using a steam-generating heat exchanger (20) to generate steam which drives a steam turbine (32).

An apparatus (2) includes an internal combustion engine (4) and an inverted Brayton cycle heat engine (6). Hot exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine (4) contains water. The hot exhaust gas drives the inverted Brayton cycle heat engine. A condenser (22) in a fluid path of the exhaust gas between an inverted-Brayton-cycle turbine and an inverted-Brayton-cycle compressor condenses at least some of the water from the exhaust gas to form condensed water. This condensed water follows a recirculation path (30) so as to be re-introduced as a working fluid into one or more of the heat engines described above, or further heat engines, e.g. the condensed water is heated by the exhaust gas using a steam-generating heat exchanger (20) to generate steam which drives a steam turbine (32).

A fluid expander is disclosed as used in conjunction with an air compressor that is driven by a prime mover. The fluid expander is structured to extract useful work from a fluid stream and add that work to the work provided by the prime mover to the compressor. In some embodiments a clutch can be used to decouple the expander from the compressor if insufficient work is developed by the expander. A gear train can also be used to change the rotational speed prior to work being delivered to the compressor.

A fluid expander is disclosed as used in conjunction with an air compressor that is driven by a prime mover. The fluid expander is structured to extract useful work from a fluid stream and add that work to the work provided by the prime mover to the compressor. In some embodiments a clutch can be used to decouple the expander from the compressor if insufficient work is developed by the expander. A gear train can also be used to change the rotational speed prior to work being delivered to the compressor.