Method and system for transforming heat into kinetic energy

Abstract

A method and system enabling the efficient use of thermal energy to provide kinetic energy and/or electrical energy. The method uses at least two heat exchangers for heating the working medium, a heat engine and a condenser. The working medium consists of at least two substances. The working medium is partially condensed on the primary side of the first heat exchanger, wherein heat is transferred to the working medium flowing on the secondary side and, subsequently, further condensation heat is transferred to a cooling circuit in a condensation heat exchanger on the primary side of the condensation heat exchanger. Subsequently, the working medium is redirected to the secondary side of the first heat exchanger. A separation of gaseous fractions of the working medium takes place in the condensation heat exchanger on the primary side.

Claims

1. A method to convert heat into kinetic energy using at least two heat exchangers to heat a working medium, a heat engine, and a condenser, the method comprising: the working medium consists of at least two substances, a first thermal energy is supplied in a first heat exchanger to the working medium flowing on a secondary side of the first heat exchanger, wherein the working medium evaporates at least partially and a secondary thermal energy is supplied in a second heat exchanger to the working medium flowing on a secondary side of the second heat exchanger, wherein the working medium continues evaporating, subsequently the working medium is further evaporated using a heat source and is conducted into the heat engine and produces mechanical work using the heat engine, the working medium is then partially condensed on a primary side of the first heat exchanger, heat being transferred to the working medium flowing on the secondary side of the first heat exchanger, and subsequently further condensation heat is transferred to a cooling circuit in a condensation heat exchanger on a primary side of the condensation heat exchanger, and subsequently the working medium is again conducted to the secondary side of the first heat exchanger, and separating gaseous fractions of the working medium in the condensation heat exchanger on the primary side of the condensation heat exchanger, and injecting the separated gas, the injected gas is finally dispersed by a gas blower directly upstream of or in the first heat exchanger, wherein a foaming agent is added to the working medium in the first heat exchanger.

2. The method to implement a cooling circuit according to claim 1, the method further comprises heating a cooling medium in the condensation heat exchanger which is passed into a cooling tower, wherein the cooling medium is displaced by a foaming agent and air is blown in via a cooling tower blower, as a result of which the cooling medium is foamed, and the air trapped in the foam being heated and the foamed cooling medium subsequently rising by thermal lift to a collecting container, wherein the foamed cooling medium is guided by spray jets of a sprayer arranged above a collecting tank, wherein the foam in the cooling tower dissolves by the spray jets and gaseous cooling medium condenses and subsequently liquid is led out of the collecting tank via a water turbine and subsequently is fed again to the condensation heat exchanger.

3. A system to convert heat into kinetic energy comprising: a first heat exchanger on a secondary side is connected to a second heat exchanger on the secondary side and the second heat exchanger on the secondary side is connected to a pressure side of a heat engine, furthermore an expansion side of the heat engine is connected to a primary side of the first heat exchanger the primary side of the first heat exchanger is subsequently connected to a primary side of a condensation heat exchanger, wherein the condensation heat exchanger is connected on a secondary side a cooling circuit and subsequently the primary side of the condensation heat exchanger is connected to the secondary side of the first heat exchanger, and wherein the primary side of the condensation heat exchanger is formed with an air separator, wherein the air separator is connected to a first blower arranged on the secondary side of the first heat exchanger, a heat carrier comprises a foaming agent, and the secondary side of the second heat exchanger is arranged above the secondary side of the first heat exchanger.

4. The system to convert heat into kinetic energy according to claim 3, wherein the working medium is a mixture of at least two substances with different boiling points, preferably water and alcohol and/or CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon)-free refrigerant.

5. The system to convert heat into kinetic energy according to claim 3, wherein the secondary side of the first heat exchanger and the secondary side of the second heat exchanger are formed in a tank.

6. The system to convert heat into kinetic energy according to claim 3, wherein; a cooling medium displaced by the foaming agent is connected to the bottom of a cooling tower by means of the cooling circuit, furthermore a cooling tower injector is arranged at the bottom of the cooling tower, wherein the cooling tower blower is connected to a compressor/blower, a sprayer is arranged in the head of the cooling tower above a collecting tank with an air exhaust, and the collecting tank is connected to a water turbine by a downpipe.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Advantageous arrangement examples of the invention are explained in detail based on drawings. The following is shown:

(2) FIG. 1 a schematic diagram of an arrangement for converting heat into kinetic energy with a cooling tower and

(3) FIG. 2 a schematic diagram of a modified arrangement for converting heat into kinetic energy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(4) FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an arrangement for converting heat into kinetic energy. The arrangement consists of two heat exchangers 1, 2 for heating the working medium composed of two substances with different boiling points, a heat engine 3 and a heat exchanger 4 acting as condenser 4. The heat exchangers 1, 2, 4 are tanks connected with a tube bundle or a spiral tubes for heat transfer. On the primary side 1p, 2p, 4p heat is supplied to the heat exchanger 1, 2, 4. On the secondary side 1s, 2s, 4s, the working medium to be heated and, if necessary, evaporated is connected to the respective heat exchangers 1, 2 by means of pipe assemblies. The heating of the working medium is referred to as the flow. The area downstream of the heat engine 3, in this case the turbine 3, is referred to as the return flow.

(5) The working medium is preferably a mixture of about 50% water and about 50% alcohol. In the first heat exchanger 1, the working medium flowing in on the secondary side is heated, whereby it partially evaporates. In particular, the part of the working medium with the lower boiling temperature evaporates. Part of the working medium with the higher boiling temperature also partially evaporates.

(6) First the flow of the working medium is described.

(7) On the primary side 1p, heat is supplied to the first heat exchanger 1. For this purpose, the first heat exchanger 1 is connected on the primary side with the return flow from the heat engine 3 designed as turbine 3. The working medium flowing on the secondary side is partially evaporated. In particular, the part of the working medium with the lower boiling temperature evaporates.

(8) In a second heat exchanger 2 connected in series to the first heat exchanger 1, heat from a heat source flow 10 is supplied to the working medium. The heat source flow 10, for example, is a combustion system 10. With the supplied heat, the working medium is further evaporated and, if necessary, superheated. The working medium is then led to a steam turbine 3 in which it expands and performs work which is used here to drive a generator 11.

(9) The return flow is described below. The released steam is passed on the primary side 1p over the first heat exchanger 1, where it partially condenses. In particular, the working medium condenses with the higher boiling temperature. As described above, the heat is provided to heat the working medium flowing on the secondary side 1s.

(10) Subsequently, the working medium is conducted from the primary side 1p of the first heat exchanger 1 to the primary side 4p to the condensation heat exchanger 4. The condensation of the working medium occurs in the condensation heat exchanger 4. For this purpose, the condenser heat exchanger 4 is connected to a cooling circuit 5 on the secondary side 4s. Here the cooling circuit 5 is coupled with a cooling tower 20, in which the cooling water partially condenses and may thus partially be reused for the cooling of the condenser heat exchanger 4. Subsequently, the condensed working medium is fed via a feed pump to the secondary side 1s of the first heat exchanger 1. The feed pump 12 is preferably used to increase the pressure of the working medium.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a modified and improved arrangement for converting heat into kinetic energy. Essentially, the arrangement shown here corresponds to the arrangement known from FIG. 1. In the following, the differences compared to FIG. 1 are described in particular.

(12) Here the secondary side 1s of the first heat exchanger 1 and the secondary side 2s of the second heat exchanger 2 are structurally combined in one tank, which here form the steam generator. Furthermore, a gas blower 6 is arranged at the bottom of the tank in the area of the secondary side 1s of the first heat exchanger 1.

(13) The gas blower 6 is intended to inject gaseous heat carrier and/or air into the working medium by means of a compressor/blower 27. This foams the working medium, supported by a foaming agent added to the working medium. Foaming increases the surface area and thus improves the heat transfer to the working medium. At the same time, the foam rises to the second heat exchanger as a result of heating, where it continues to evaporate. The second heat exchanger 2 is connected on the primary side 2p to a heat source 10, such as a heating device. Foaming improves the efficiency of the evaporation of the working medium.

(14) The gas added to the working medium with the first blower 6 is separated in an air separator 7. Here, the air separator 7 is arranged on the primary side 4p in the condenser heat exchanger 4 and separates gaseous components such as air and/or non-condensed working medium. The gaseous components are fed to the first blower 6 via a compressor 13. The turbine 3 can be designed for operation with a mixture of liquid and gaseous components of the working medium. In particular, the turbine 3 is preferably designed as a foam turbine or displacement machine also to be able to work with foam components.

(15) The FIG. 2 shows also on the right side an advantageous arrangement of the cooling tower 20. The cooling water of the cooling circuit 5 fed into the cooling tower 20 is foamed by a cooling tower blower 21. At the same time, a corresponding foaming agent is added to the cooling water. By means of the cooling tower blower 21, outside air is supplied to the cooling water finely dispersed by a compressor 13 to form foam. In addition to water vapor, foam rises through the air heated in the foam bubbles and the total air flow in cooling tower 20. This causes the bubble envelope to transport liquid upwards in the cooling tower 20. The rising air flow with the foam is guided by a spray mist generated by a sprayer 23. The spray mist dissolves the foam and ensures partial condensation of the water vapor. The liquid cooling medium is collected by the arrangement of the sprayer 23 above a collecting tank 22. Air and gaseous parts of the cooling medium can escape via the air exhaust 26. The cooling water collected in collecting tank 22 is led through a downpipe 25 to a water turbine 24. Thus the potential energy of the cooling water may be used to generate electrical energy by means of a generator coupled to the water turbine 24 (not shown). The cooling water is then fed back to condenser 4.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(16) 1first heat exchanger 1pPrimary side of the first heat exchanger, 1sSecondary side of the first heat exchanger 2second heat exchanger 2pPrimary side of the second heat exchanger, 2sSecondary side of the second heat exchanger 3Heat engine, turbine, steam turbine, foam turbine 4Condensation heat exchanger, condenser 4pPrimary side of the condensation heat exchanger 4sPrimary side of the condensation heat exchanger 5Cooling circuit 6Gas blower 7Air separator 10Heat source, combustion device 11Generator 12Feed pump 13Compressor 20Cooling tower 21Cooling tower blower 22Collection tank 23Sprayer 24Water turbine 25Downpipe 26Air exhaust 27Compressor, blower