System for recovering thermal energy produced in pyrometallurgical process plants or similar, to convert same into, or generate, electrical energy

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for recovering thermal energy produced in pyrometallurgical process plants and converting said thermal energy into electrical energy. The system is characterised in that it comprises at least one heat transfer chamber (1) comprising a gas interface section (1A), for separating the subsystem from the corrosive power of, and incrustation generated by, the gases from the heat source or duct (5). The system also comprises a section (1B) for connecting to a Stirling engine (2), which is a thermal engine and which, by means of the cyclical compression and expansion of a gaseous working fluid, at different temperature levels, produces a net conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy.

Claims

1. A system configured for the recovery and conversion of heat energy produced in puro-metallurgical processing plants into electric energy, the system comprising: a plurality of subsystems, wherein each subsystem comprises: a set of heat transfer chambers; a cylindrical flanged spool, wherein the cylindrical flanged spool contains the set of heat transfer chambers to capture a quantity of heat from a heat source; a set of stirling engines, wherein each stirling engine is connected to a corresponding heat transfer chamber to generate a net conversion of heat energy to mechanical energy; a set of mechanical-electrical converters, wherein each converter is connected to a corresponding stirling engine to transform mechanical energy to electrical energy and further comprises: a section for conversion from mechanical to electrical energy with variable voltage and current levels; and a section of stabilization of electric power configured to provide electricity for commercial use; a concentrator hub; and a set of protected wires, wherein each protected wire connects a corresponding converter to the concentrator hub for distribution of the electric power to an electrical network; wherein each heat transfer chamber comprises a gas interface and a link section with a corresponding stirling engine.

2. The system configured for the recovery and conversion of heat energy produced in puro-metallurgical processing plants into electric energy of claim 1, wherein each subsystem generates more than two kilo watts of electrical power.

3. The system configured for the recovery and conversion of heat energy produced in puro-metallurgical processing plants into electric energy of claim 1, wherein the stirling engine is selected from the group consisting of: alpha, beta and gamma.

4. The system configured for the recovery and conversion of heat energy produced in puro-metallurgical processing plants into electric energy of claim 3, wherein each stirling engine is an internal combustion engine that produces a net conversion of heat energy into mechanical energy by cyclic compression and expansion of a gaseous working fluid at different levels of temperature.

5. The system configured for the recovery and conversion of heat energy produced in puro-metallurgical processing plants into electric energy, of claim 1, wherein the heat source is selected from the group consisting of: a chimney, a smokestack, a vent and any other heat transport device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The following is a brief figure's description for better understanding of the invention System for Recovery of Thermal Energy produced in pyro-metallurgical processes plants or similar to convert it into electrical energy. The description is based on the figures that are an integral part of this invention, without restriction or limitations to the obvious changes that could emerge, where:

(2) FIG. 1, shows a general representative overview of the converter system form thermal energy into electrical energy.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a view with a heat transfer camera from the invention.

(4) FIG. 3, shows a view with the mechanical-electrical converter of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) According to FIGS. 1 to 3, the system for recovery and conversion of thermal energy, produced in the plants of pyro-metallurgical processes or similar, to generate or convert it into electric energy, is comprised of at least one Chamber of (1) heat transfer, which is composed of a section of interface to gases (1A), with appropriate materials and physical design features, to make the subsystem independent of the corrosive power and accretions of the gases from the heat source (5). In addition, it is composed for a section linking (1B) with a type of Stirling engine (2) (Type alpha, beta, gamma or derivatives), which is an internal combustion engine that produces a net conversion of heat energy into mechanical energy by cyclic compression and expansion of a gaseous working fluid at different levels of temperature. The mechanical energy obtained by the Stirling engine, is converted into electrical energy through the use of a mechanical-electrical converter (3), which is composed of two sections: The first section performs the conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy with different variabilities characteristics (3A) and a section of stabilization of electric power (3B) whose function is to provide electricity with the condition to be transported via standard cables and for commercial use.

(6) There is in addition a cylindrical flanged spool that works as a support ring (4) allowing the subsystem to stay mechanically connected with piping thermal energy source and absorbing part of the vibrations inherent to the existing pipelines in the pyro-metallurgical processing plants.

(7) Each subsystem that comprises the system generates more than 2000 Watts, using a heat transfer camera to capture the heat from the gases, a Stirling engine, a converter of movement into electricity and the adjustments of voltages and currents.

(8) The system is composed of subsystems SHR-Stirling (Smelter Heat Recovery with Stirling Engine) characterized to be installed in contact with the source of thermal energy to generate over 2 Kw of power electricity, so that to have it transported via cables to the places where is distributed to loads or connected to the main network.

(9) Each subsystem SHR-Stirling is installed in contact with the hot gases of a pyro-metallurgical processing plant, although the contact interface insulates the rest of the subsystem from both, the corrosion of the gases and the metal accretion or pollution caused for these gases.

(10) The SHR-Stirling subsystems allow the conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy with devices distributed in the metallurgical process and thus, being able to concentrate energy for use by loads or connecting to the power network in the form of electrical energy, which is more efficient and economical than the alternate of concentrate the thermal energy in a sole place. To do it so, the hot gases should be transported through appropriate infrastructure pipelines suited for such purpose.

(11) Each subsystem is composed of four key sections to perform the conversion distributed thermal energy to electrical energy (see FIG. 1) 1. (1) Heat Transfer Chamber consisting of 2 sections; (a) Gas Interface (1A), with characteristics, materials and physical design appropriated for isolating the subsystem form the corrosive power and generation of accretions of gases from the source of heat (5). b) Link (1B) section with the Stirling engine (2) 2. Engine Stirling (2): Thermal heat engine which uses a cyclic compression and expansion of a gaseous working fluidat different levels of temperature-, to produce a net conversion of heat energy to mechanical energy. 3. Mechanical-electrical converter (3) that transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy, whichthrough a duly insulated and canalized cable (7), carries the power to a hub for distribution to the loads or connection to the mains (6). The converter is at the time composed of following two sections: (a) Section for Conversion from mechanical to electrical energy (3A) energy, with variable voltage and current levels and b) Section of stabilization of electric power (3B) whose function is to provide electricity with conditions to be transported via standard cables and for commercial use. 4. Ring or Cylindrical Flanged Spool (4) of one or more cameras (1), which captures the heat from the source (5) such as chimney/smokestack, vent process or other heat transport device. The heat is transferred to a Stirling engine (2), Alpha, Beta, Gamma or derivatives), which is responsible for generating the mechanical movement of the axle.