Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02512598 2005-07-29
Back rp ound:
This invention relates to the field of renewable source, zero consumption and
zero
emission engines, and in particular it relates to a sequential thermodynamic
method
and system for concurrently extracting work from a plurality of naturally
occurring and
waste heat sources.
Prior art renewable source heat engines such as the Solar Stirling Engine (1 )
harvest
insolent energy by utilizing the expansive energy created by concentrating and
focusing sunlight acquired by an array of mirrors onto a collector containing
hydrogen
working fluid which is then provided to a turbine or piston type engine for
work
generation purposes. Systems such as these must be built to extremely high
pressure and safety tolerances to diminish the explosion hazard associated
with using
hydrogen working fluid (WF).
Other prior art heat engines such as those disclosed by Schwartzman (2), and
Mintovich (3) rely on poly-phase working mediums for their operation
necessitating the
use of expensive materials and high precision machining and construction
techniques.
The employment of explosive working fluids such as LH2 and L02 greatly
diminishes
the attractiveness of use of such systems due to the risk factor.
Still other prior art methods utilizing the expansive energy of steam
generically require
temperatures in excess of 100°C for their operation (unless a typically
energy
consuming means for furnishing a vacuum with which to cause the ebullition of
steam
from lower temperature water is provided). Although this temperature in a non-
polluting heat source is readily available in the form of concentrating solar
energy, this
approach affords no benefit at night or in areas of heavy cloud cover.
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The presently disclosed inventive method diverges from prior art methods and
systems which provide only one mode of heat transfer, require high temperature
differentials for their efficient operation, and which utilize explosive WF.
In contrast,
the disclosed method and system breaks new ground by simultaneously converting
heat acquired through any number of heat transfer methods, dispenses with the
requirement for extremely high system pressures and explosive WF, and brings
to light
the potential of Time Offset Thermal Expansion {TOTE).
Based on first principles it is known that: a gaseous system receiving thermal
energy
input under constant volume will self-compress; that some working fluids have
a high
pressure at low (ie: ambient) temperatures; and that maintaining a pressure
differential
across a prime mover (PM) will allow its continuous operation. The disclosed
Sequential Expansion and Self Compression Engine (SESCE) is a heat engine
which
advantageously extrapolates upon the TOTE method derived from first
principles.
Utilizing an amalgamation of proven existing technologies, the disclosed
inventive
method and system provide a semi-closed loop energy reclamation system
strategically employing heat sinking, jet induction, vortex technology, and an
ultra-
efficient turbine, compressor and blower in conjunction with an alternator to
gainfully
exploit both high and low grade heat sources allowing the conversion of a new
wealth
of previously untapped ambient and waste heat directly into pollution-free, on-
demand
energy.
The disclosed invention, which may operate at pressures less than those
observed in
a backyard barbeque propane cylinder, does away with the perceived need for
the
pollution associated fossil fuel consumption by attaining and maintaining work
output
with zero consumption of fuel. Achieving extremely efficient operation through
the
integration of Nikola Tesla's bladeless turbine (5), and compressor and blower
(4) the
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disclosed invention viably converts heat energy communicated to the system's
heat
accumulation array (HAA) into pressure energy used to develop either
electrical or
mechanical work, or both. The SESCE in conjunction with the TOTE method are
poised to help usher in the era of low cost, permanent, renewable, zero
consumption
and zero emission energy renewal systems.
As per the TOTE method, the SESCE efficiently converts acquired thermal energy
at a
rate sufficient to satisfy the prime mover throughput required to achieve
given power
outputs by applying a batch heat sinking process methodology to pure gases in
isolation. This allows any heat source (even snow or ice if a suitable system
volume is
used) having a temperature above that of the cold expanded prime mover working
fluid (ie: -30 to -50°C, depending on system configuration realized
through different
regulator settings) to be useful as a heat source.
Through the TOTE method, both naturally occurring and waste-heat sources may
be
used as energy-convertible heat sources, affording new opportunities for
recuperation
of natural, residential and industrial heat losses with which to co-generate
useful
electrical or mechanical energy. Figures 1 and 2 represent potential heat
sources for
use with the TOTE method and SESCE heat engine. Noteworthy are the low grade
heat sources disclosed in Figure 1, which represent heat sources previously
not
exploited as a source of power generation to date. It must be understood,
however,
that since any heat source may be used in conjunction with the disclosed
method of
the invention, that these figures represent only a handful of potential heat
sources,
which include and are as diverse as ocean, lake and stream water, ambient
atmospheric air, terrestrial heat sources such as ground and geothermal
sources, and
others including but not limited to factory waste heat, desert heat, building
roof-top and
structure walls, paved driveways, parking lots, roads and park pavement,
factory
effluents, combustion exhausts, and concentrated solar energy.
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Referring now to Figure 1, wherein external-to-dwelling HAA heat sink
containing
prime mover working fluid (PMWF) is represented by arrows with dashed lines
and
internal-to-dwelling secondary heating loops circulating a controlled flow of
water are
represented by arrows with solid lines, further domestic heat sources are
disclosed as
follows: 1 the heat of ambient and solar energy influx accumulating in the
walls of
dwellings or buildings are used to heat an HAA segment located behind
preferably
dark, heat-conductive exterior siding which is protected from the wind and
heat
dissipating elements of precipitation and wind by a glazed enclosure; 2
chimney and
furnace discharge gases laden with recoverable heat pass through a wind-
sheltering
HAA segment heat sink comprised of a semi-open coil of pipe or tubing; 3 the
heat of
summer accumulating within dwelling attic or building rooftop areas is
recuperated via
a controllably regulated flow water heating loop (CRFWHL) which discharges
into an
outdoor trough comprising a water-tight glazing having such dimension as to
contain
members of a vertically overlain series of HAA segment heat sinks and having
an
upper volume capable of containing the full load of water issuing from the
dwelling and
which has an upper base from which an array of equidistantly spaced (1 cm
diagonal
centers) 1 mm holes drip feeds downward onto and through the top member of a
HAA
segment heat sink, the runoff of which subsequently downwardly discharges onto
and
through a second vertically overlain HAA segment which in turn downwardly
discharges onto further HAA segments in similar fashion so that a high
percentage of
available heat from the internal-to-dwelling water loop is absorbed by HAA
segments
prior to reaching the bottom of the glazed containment area is reached, where
the
discharge is either piped back to drain, or is led to an irrigation network
about the
property; 4 the heat accumulating in building rooftops during the summer
months is
recoverable via HAA segments comprising black iron pipe (BIP) or refrigeration
grade
tubing run in parallel equidistant paths either on top of (in which case
protection from
heat-dissipation by a glazing capable of withstanding an occasional
maintenance walk
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is advisable), or directly beneath the rooftop shingling or other dark surface
(in which
case, it is preferable to provide recessed channels for the pipe or tubing
over top of
which a layer of heat conductive metal such as tin may be applied prior to
applying the
preferably dark coloured shingles or other surfacing (flat rooftops may
benefit from an
alteration of the design used for the inclined rooftops, wherein a glazed
enclosure
oriented to the declination of the sun is hermetically sealed, and has a black
coloured
tin or other heat-conductive backing, thereby providing shade to the rooftop
while
absorbing insolent energy available); 5 the heat available from cooking and
washing of
dishes is recovered by providing a separate auxiliary drain line leading to an
exterior
trough of the aforementioned configuration however this alternate CRFWHL (as
well
as any subsequent CRFWHLs mentioned herein having soapy content is routed to
the
sanitary sewer path following heat reclamation to prevent soil contamination
which
might otherwise occur through the alternate irrigation bound path of the
alternate HAA
external drip feed arrangement); 6 similarly, the remaining heat contained in
bath and
laundry water may be similarly provided an paths to appropriate exterior
troughs
mentioned whose function and configuration has already been stated; 7 the
recovery
of heat energy from domestic pavement is achievable by encasing a HAA segment
comprising parallel runs of BIP suitably interconnected and piped back to the
SESCE
within a layer of asphalt at the time of construction; 8 similarly, city, town
and township
roads can harvest tremendous quantities of heat by encasing HAA segments
comprising BIP within the asphalt of the road system thereby affording the
side benefit
of providing extra support to the road system as well as provide a moderating
temperature effect to help curb the deformation of road surfaces, decrease
frost
shattering in springtime and promote longer life expectancy; 9 the heat
generated by
hot interior lighting fixtures may be recuperated by providing hollow backing
reflectors
through which a CRFWHL is piped and routed to the exterior HAA member; 10
rejected heat from domestic and commercial air-conditioning is also
recoverable by
surrounding the exterior heat-discharging condenser coils of the AC units with
HAA
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segments into which the discharged heat is absorbed, thereby charging the TOTE
HAA segment; 11 the external troughs) into which CRFWHLs are communicated
should either be located in an area where a parabolic solar reflector may be
placed
with which to focus solar energy onto the CRFWHL liquid discharge, or it may
alternately be located inside the solar greenhouse described in Figure 2).
Moving on to Figure 2, a heat-retentive structure such as a solar greenhouse 1
having
flared appendages 2 attached to the exterior of the structure are surfaced
with a highly
reflective material to reflect into the structure a greater quantity of
insolent energy than
would have otherwise been available to the TOTE array segments 3 thereby
providing
greater energy for conversion. Insolent energy entering the structure directly
through
the glazing of the structure either warms the heat sinks of the HAA directly
or parabolic
forms surfaced with highly reflective material redirect otherwise stray solar
rays toward
the heat sinks which are painted black to increase the energy absorption rate.
Also,
the interior of the structure is lined with heat retentive materials such as
brick or water
bottles to store a portion of the solar energy for later release to the TOTE
array during
the night-time. Note that the whole of the solar greenhouse structure is
optimally
glazed and insulated to retain a maximum of heat for direct conversion via the
SESCE
prime mover.
The general operating premise of the invention may be understood by the
following
description, in which a TOTE heat accumulation array (HAA) comprising n
branches,
has individual branches of such minimum internal heat-sink and reservoir total
volume
as to be capable of sustaining the prime mover for a one minute period at full
rated
load. Note: the equality of branch volumes and time constants need not be
adhered to
in actual practice, and is in no way a limitation on the system which may
employ any
size configuration of individual branch volumes and time constants while in
multiplexed
sourcing mode; it is implied herein solely for clarity of process
illustration.
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In keeping with the TOTE premise, a HAA with segments of similar heat sinking
time
constant x minutes (from the time their respective branch fill valve closes
post
chamber pressurization to compressor discharge pressure} to achieve PM source-
replenishment pressure is assumed. In this configuration, a minimum of x
branches
must be constantly in heat-sink mode in order to provide a continuous supply
of
PMWF. Once PM source replenishment pressure is attained, further heat added to
the isolated working fluid from the external heat sources) causes thermal
compression of the working fluid (as it attempts to expand under constant
volume due
to the thermal energy influx). Array branches thereby achieve a WF pressure
greater
than the prime mover supply reservoir, at which time a check valve opens,
permitting
flow of the WF into the supply reservoir of the PM to which the branch
contributes for a
one minute period, after which time the WF pressure in the array branches
stabilize at
that of the prime mover supply reservoir, the check valve closes, and no
further
contribution is possible.
According to the TOTE premise of the invention, HAA-branch heat-sinking period
start-
times are offset from each other in the array by one minute. Assuming a
uniform
thermal absorption profile across the HAA, a minimum of the required number of
isolated branches contiguously cycle through branch-open, branch-fill, branch-
closure,
branch-heat-sinking, branch-PM-sourcing (discharge), and branch-draw-down in
order
to continuously maintain the required prime-mover throughput.
For example, if array segments individually take ten minutes to achieve prime-
mover
replenishment pressure, and are thereby able to provide one minute of PMWF,
then a
system designed to accommodate ten or more segments simultaneously in heat-
sinking mode would be capable of contiguously sourcing a one-minute volume of
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working fluid from the HAA-branch-sources reaching PM working pressure every
minute, thereby continuously sourcing the work output of the prime mover.
Following the above train of thought to conclusion is the realization that the
limiting
factor to maintaining a given work output by this inventive, renewable heat
recovery
engine is simply volume of heat sink in conjunction with virtually any
terrestrial heat
source, hot or warm. Although embodiments of the disclosed type of heat engine
will
necessarily occupy a somewhat larger volumetric footprint than prior art
systems
designed for higher temperature differential of operation (ie: polluting
combustion
engines), the economic tradeoffs to the acceptance of the TOTE method and
SESCE
engine technology include: no fuel consumption other than the initial system
charge
amounting to a few dollars per array segment as well as a small amount of WF
leakage over time amounting to a few dollars per year; no extreme pressures or
explosive WF requirement (therefore a lower system manufacturing cost is
possible
due to many commonly recycled parts being useful in the method; and as with
any
zero emission zero consumption rated technology, the reduction of greenhouse
gas
by thousands of kg per year per system in use will help Canada's air to be
cleaner and
healthier to breathe; also, Canada's commitment to develop new technologies
toward
meeting or exceeding the requirements of the Kyoto Accord would be well
complemented by the technology presented herein, which could make new and
retrofittable homes energy self sufficient, furnish a large amount of the
power required
to operate buildings, be adapted to automobile and other forms of
transportation, tool,
and power generation service.
While the process of heat sinking is in itself a slow process in which HAA
segments
take time to achieve prime mover (PM) source replenishment pressure, the
multiplexing of sufficient HAA sources via check valves ensures that WF is
available
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as soon as it is at PMWF pressure, and thereby no excessive system pressures
are
developed.
The SESCE engine and TOTE method utilize very few moving parts other than the
single internal and single external shaft which turn as one rotor, thereby
affording
exceptional economy of compression and work generation. Electrical valves
operating
the fill and discharge cycles of the process in the initial design are
normally closed,
thereby requiring a minimum of power to effect the actuation of the HAA
functions.
Outfitting the disclosed invention with high efficiency prime mover (turbine)
compressor and blower (5) and (4), a two-stage compound alternator, and
supported
by the vast electrical storage capability afforded by today's ultra-
capacitors, the
SESCE system in conjunction with solid state diodes and a suitably rated power
inverter is able to store and deliver high current for on-demand use in both
motive as
well as stationary power consuming and generating devices.
Statements that define method / system operation
1. It is a primary object of this invention to provide a zero emission engine.
2. It is another primary object of the invention to provide an engine that
consumes no
fuel other than the initial system charge and the requirement to replenish a
minor
amount of interior to exterior system leakage over time.
3. It is another object of this invention to provide an efficient Sequential
Expansion
and Self Compression Engine (SESCE) to provide a clean alternative to
polluting
forms of power generation and motive power.
4. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a heat engine capable
of utilizing
carbon dioxide (C02) as its working fluid.
5. It is another goal of this invention to prefer C02 as the working fluid for
the system.
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6. It is another objective of this invention to promote demand for closed-loop
C02
engines by being usable as an automobile prime mover. SESCE's zero-emission
status applied to automotive service would reduce environmental C02 load by
3,000 kg/year per automobile (based on 15,000km/yr x 5L/100km) x (4kg C02 / 1
L
fuel combusted). If these systems were manufactured in large enough quantities
fand if legislation were to force their introduction}, mass SESCE usage would
create economic demand for refined C02 from atmospheric air, industrial or
automotive exhaust sources. In turn, reducing environmental pollution while
producing a marketable reason to separate C02 from the atmosphere, and isolate
it
into beneficial service in an engine as prime mover working fluid for years to
come.
7. It is yet another goal of the invention to convert solar energy collected
during the
daytime into work in the nighttime.
8. It is another goal of the invention to store excess heat input otherwise
provided the
system's HAA for later conversion.
9. It is yet another objective of the invention to convert household waste
heat from
sources such as bath, shower, laundry water and dryer, stove and stove-top
elements, oven, and even lighting fixtures into work generation.
10. It is yet another objective of the invention to utilize the heat
accumulated in building
rooftops to generate work.
11. It is yet another object of the invention to utilize the heat capacity of
the ambient
atmospheric medium to generate work.
12. It is another objective of the invention to utilize the cooling capacity
of the SESCE
system to provide refrigeration and air cooling as a beneficial by-product.
13. It is still another objective of the invention to integrate ground source
piping into the
heat collective capacity of the overall TOTE array to utilize the heat
capacity
provided by the ground warmed by both solar and terrestrial exposure.
14. It is yet another objective of the invention to be constructed at a
minimum of cost,
reusing or recycling components common in industrial or household waste, to
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decrease waste while increasing the energy producing potential and the
lifecycle
typically associated with wasted items of each type.
15. It is still another object of the invention to employ strong permanent
magnets in the
external shaft of the SESCE rotor in conjunction with properly positioned
stator
coils to co-generate the armature current required by the system's alternator,
thereby furnishing the field with which the rotating armature will generate
the
system electrical output, without diminishing the overall system power output.
16. It is an equally important consideration of this invention to provide
relief to
countries in hot climates where use of the TOTE method would generate by-
product condensation of water from ambient atmospheric source air which would
help to improve or generate soil conditions for agricultural land use or
provide a
potable water source in regions where there is no clean drinking water (SESCE
continuously cools external ambient air while consuming enthalpy from heat
sources in its HAA).
17. It is another valuable objective of this invention to provide an
economical means of
sequencing the actuation of fill and jet induction valve functions without the
need
for great equipment expense or need of electrical energy expenditure, which
would
diminish system work output.
Detailed Descriation
The Sequential Expansion and Self Compression Engine which extracts heat
energy
from a plurality of naturally occurring or strategically exploited heat
sources via the
Time Offset Thermal Expansion method is presently disclosed. This novel
application
of batch heat sinking collectively results in the elevation of a sufficient
volume of prime
mover working fluid to the required working pressure to satisfy the system's
overall
load requirements.
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The principles of operation of the SESCE, which takes the form of a heat
conversion
engine in which WF is maintained in its gaseous state achieving a continuous
multiplexed supply of PMWF may be understood from the following concepts:
a. Gaseous system throughput in the form of continuously sourced pressurized
WF is
sustained at a rate sufficient to drive the PM via the TOTE method, which
allows a
minimum of working fluid in semi-closed loop to remuneratively collect and
deliver
acquired energy to the PM which further drives co-rotating compressor and
electrical or mechanical loads imposed on the system.
b. Provided HAA branch volumes capable of sourcing a one minute supply of
pressurized PMWF, the number of array branches required to maintain the system
self-replenishment throughput is nominally equal to the number of minutes it
takes
the HAA branches to heat up to PM working pressure. For example, if uniformly
sized HAA segments take 5 minutes each to heat up from -40C (post-mechanical-
compression temperature) to +25C (post-heat-sinking temperature) thereby
providing one minute of PM sourcing (note from Figure 6 (8) that there will be
a
correspondingly realized 5 fold pressure gain over that operating temperature
range), then the next contiguous segment required to source the PM (also
having a
minute heat-sinking commencement to PM sourcing pressure time-constant)
would need to be ready to source at the end of the previous segment's sourcing
period for the two segments to be ready in succession. To achieve this each
segment's respective branch-heat-sinking period must be separated from the
next
in succession by one minute to generate contiguously required PM-sourcing.
Similarly third, fourth and fifth segments required to source the PM
continuously
must be separated in time by one minute.
c. Assuming for the moment that the system starts up after greater than a five
minute
shutdown (with all segments at PM source pressure to begin with), there would
be
no lack of WF with which to start the system. However, to accommodate high
load
periods or lower temperature heat sources (ie: ambient temperature drops),
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HAA segments must be scheduled into active in heat-sinking mode to assure
adequate performance as well as start-up capability. Accordingly, segments
numbering those capable of delivering 2 x system throughput requirement should
be provided. Note that the inertia of the turbine once at operating speed is
sufficient to charge at least one segment with WF on a shutdown, thereby
preparing the system in advance for its heat-sinking mode even as it shuts
down.
In this fashion, the system will always be charged and prepared to source
power
on-demand, and the low pressure section of the system will always provide
optimal
differential pressure across the turbine for its optimal performance.
d. SESCE requires more branches than those simply required to satisfy the self-
replenishment function. For example, at least one branch must always be drawn
down ready for re-filling as another is reaching its third-full point. As
avoidance of
system shocks which would be detrimental to smooth efficient operation, it is
advisable to have a number of segments being filled simultaneously for best
operation. Generically, the system will run successfully with 3 segments being
filled while one or more are being discharged.
e. Draw-down of the respective HAA segments in preparation for their next fill-
cycle is
effected via the operation of a secondary discharge valve attached to each
chamber, which is either electrically or hydrostatically actuated in a timed,
or
pressure cued fashion. Actuation of these valves allows HAA segments (which
have already completed their one minute PMWF contribution) to gainfully
continue
to contribute to work generation across the turbine through jet induction of
their
remaining WF into high velocity WF streams such as exists at the discharge of
the
turbine's converging-diverging feed nozzle.
f. A vortex tube (6) positioned in the path of WF being drawn down from HAA
segments references the remnant HAA array segment pressure to the Venturi
suction pressure generated at the turbine feed nozzle due to the extreme
velocity
and stream-aligned outlet hole pattern provided about the nozzle through which
the
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WF being drawn down flows. Therefore, the post regulated HAA segment draw-
down pressure (which is initially equal to PM WF pressure) has sufficient
pressure
ratio to develop a significant temperature rise at the hot discharge of the
vortex
tube (in the absence of a higher temperature HAA heat source, this fluid
stream
may be piped to a chamber surrounding the pressurized WF about to enter the
turbine feed nozzle prior to its approach to the jet induction ports of the
nozzle,
thereby giving up some of its heat energy to the molecules of WF to the
gainful
acceleration of WF exiting the nozzle). The jet induction or entrainment of a
large
volume of draw-down WF into the turbine feed stream adds greatly to the volume
and mass-flow entering the turbine at high speed which in turn adds to the
torque
developed by the prime mover.
g. The SESCE engine uses a two stage electrical power generating scheme which
develops an alternating current (AC) output waveform whose frequency and
amplitude depend upon: the speed of the rotor; the magnetic field strength of
the
permanent magnets in the stator; the width of the air gap; the induction
developed
in the coils adjacent the permanent magnets; the magnetic field strength
developed
by the rotor windings of the alternator due to the current supplied by the PM
stage
current developed; and the magnetic induction developed in the stator windings
of
the alternator.
The method by which the Sequential Expansion and Self Compression engine in
conjunction with the Time Offset Thermal Expansion method concurrently
extracts
work from various grade heat sources may be understood from Figure 3, which
depicts
a schematic representation of the SESCE invention. Choosing the PMWF high
pressure reservoir 1 as an arbitrary point of commencement for the description
of the
method, the working fluid exits the reservoir at 2 and enters a pipe section 3
after
which it enters pressure regulator 5 via its high pressure inlet port 4.
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Upon exiting the regulator 5 via its low pressure discharge port 6 at slightly
above PM
design working pressure, the regulated WF enters pipe section 7 through which
it is
conducted to a bored-through connector 8 which is engaged in a two part
connection
block 9.
Moving now to Figure 4 for greater detail, the pipe 7 which extends through
and is
sealed by connector 8 is seated on gasket 11 a thereby admitting WF at
slightly above
design WF pressure to the central cavity 15a of jet inducting nozzle 15. A
second pipe
12 conducts lower pressure draw-down WF, is mated via connector 13 to flange
9b
thereby providing access via channel 14 for WF to reach the low pressure
concentric
jet induction hole pattern 15b of nozzle 15. The connection block 9 is mated
via bolts
(not shown, in holes 10) through gasket 11 b to the flange 9b housing and
orienting the
jet induction nozzle 15. The nozzle 15 being compressed against the face of
gasket
11 c thereby restricts access of WF into the housing 22 of turbine 18 by any
other
paths than those provided by the nozzle 15.
As shown, the nozzle is fixed in precise tangential relation to the outer
circumference
of turbine 18 (of which only one disc is visible). WF at slightly above design
working
pressure exits the converging-diverging nozzle 15 at high velocity into the
jet induction
area 16 where it entrains the lower pressure working fluid conveyed by
passages 15b
of nozzle 15. A high velocity coherent stream at design working pressure is
thus
developed 17 which tangentially approaches the outer periphery of the turbine
18, and
by nature of the low pressure existing at the axial discharge holes 20 of the
turbine 18
(developed by the co-rotating compressor, which expels the same mass of WF as
discharges from the turbine), the adhesion of WF to the boundary layer of the
disc
surface(s), and the viscosity of the WF itself, the shaft 21 of turbine 18 is
dragged along
with the WF at high speed as it makes its way to the central exhaust holes 20
(note
that the turbine will attempt to reach the native temperature dependent
velocity of the
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provided WF (ie: in the order of 300m/s). While generating rotation of the
shaft and
co-mounted appendages (ie: compressor 30, alternator 94 and optional blower
95) on
its path to exhaust 20, the WF is resisted by the centrifugal acceleration
communicated to the it by boundary layer adhesion of the closely spaced discs
of
turbine 18, thereby causing the WF to experience forces both inward and
outward at
the same time. The resulting effect is that WF gives up a high degree of its
energy to
the rotor of the turbine in spiraling through the passageway between the
turbine discs.
According to patent disclosures (4), and further research done (7) the turbine
proposed for use in the SESCE approaches that of an ideal prime mover capable
of
reaching efficiencies in a single stage higher than conventional bladed
turbines can
develop in multiple stages.
Returning now to Figure 3, WF exits axially from the turbine where it is free
to exit the
turbine housing at 23 and move via pipe 24 through an inlet 25 into the
reservoir 26 of
large volume, which is included in the system for shock absorption purposes,
and later
exiting reservoir 26 through port 27, WF travels via pipe 28 to re-enter the
common
housing of turbine 18 and compressor 30 at inlet 29. Joining with the WF
exiting the
turbine 18 and directly transiting the common housing 22, the turbine WF
throughput,
buffered by the capacity of reservoir 26, enters the inlet holes of compressor
30 shown
in Figure 5 where it experiences centrifugal acceleration owing to the
boundary layer
adhesion and viscosity now applied to the WF by a shaft which is already in
motion,
thereby efficiently entraining cold WF as it develops increasing pressure
toward the
discharge of port 31 of compressor 30. This stage of mechanical compression
occurs
without shock, redirection or other destructive loss of centrifugally
developed velocity
and is realized as pressure developed in pipe 32 exiting the compressor
discharge
connection 31.
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It should be understood that WF molecules imparting torque to the discs of the
turbine
have given up a high percentage of their energy in doing so, thereby causing
the WF
to lose a great deal of its vibrational energy. In this state WF molecules are
cold and
very much easier to compress. Also, the discs of co-rotating compressor 30
which are
also fixed to shaft 21, are spaced further apart axially than the discs of
turbine 18 so
that (although the co-rotation of turbine 18 and compressor 30 already affords
economical compression due to the compressor already being in motion) the work
required to perform partial compression of the turbine's WF throughput is very
much
less than the work gained through the energetic expansion of the higher
temperature
WF across the turbine by the same mass of working fluid, thereby affording a
net
positive work output across the turbine compressor pair, which is then applied
to the
derivation of electrical output from the co-rotating two-stage alternator 94
via the
transmission of torque through the magnetic shaft coupling 91 and 92, and of
external
shaft 93.
Cold expanded PMWF of equivalent mass as that passing through the turbine 18
thereby issues into pipe 32, and enters a jet induction block 34 (of similar
design to
that previously described for use at the turbine feed jet induction block 9),
and is joined
by a cold low pressure WF stream entering the jet inductor block at 35. The
jet
inductor 34 allows the entrainment of WF entering at 35 into a relatively high
velocity
jet exiting into pipe 36.
Looking upstream of port 35, WF conducted via pipe 86 originates at port 85,
the cold
fraction discharge 84, of vortex tube 88. Those experienced in the field of
vortex
theory will recognize sufficient pressure differential to develop and maintain
a steady
vortex, owing to the regulated feed into the vortex spin chamber 87 combined
with
both the cold 84 and hot fraction 89 discharges of vortex tube 88 being
referenced to
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and entrained by independent jet induction paths via the Venturi suction
effect realized
through the jet induction application).
The fluid stream at 36 then proceeds to inlet 37, of reservoir 38 included in
the system
for shock (pressure surge) absorption, and then exits via port 39 into pipe
40, where it
is conveyed to the inlet pipes) 41 of the HAA segments. Entering port 42 of
normally
closed solenoid valves 43 in either a time or pressure characteristic
scheduled
actuation effected by a programmable logic controller, partially compressed WF
is then
admitted via port 44 of valve 43 into pipe 45, where it is freely conducted
into pipes 46,
and 47, reservoir 48, as well as through pipes 49 and 51 into heat sink 50. WF
is also
free to move via pipe 52 up to connector 53 of check valve 54, however at the
partially
compressed pressure of the WF entering the HAA segment, there is not enough
pressure to crack open the check valve 54, and so WF simply pressurizes the
HAA
segment until such time as the segment is deemed to be full, at which time the
solenoid operating the fill valve de-energizes, thereby isolating the WF into
the HAA
segment.
Meanwhile, at least one other HAA segment is open also, and is consuming the
partially compressed WF exiting the reservoir 38 communicated by pipe 40, so
that
although there are pressure variances, the net effect is that the turbine 18
and
compressor 30 experience no detrimental (to work output) pressure-induced
shocks.
The isolated WF is left in situ in the HAA segment. Due to thermal energy
influx
entering through the heat sink and other heat-conductive elements of the HAA
segment, WF under constant volume heating, initially brought into the HAA
segment at
below PM source pressure, experiences self-pressurization owing to the net
thermal
energy absorption in the WF which increases with time {which is provided by
heat
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sources described in Figures 1 and 2, as well as throughout the body of this
disclosure).
At a system-design-critical time in the future, the densely compacted WF
molecules
will reach significant enough internal energy to crack open the check valve
54, at
which time a flow of WF will begin to exit the check valve 54 through port 55
into pipe
56, and will enter the high pressure part 57 of pressure regulator 58. This
high
pressure stream which is maintainable above the PM design working pressure via
regulator 58, is then regulated and exits via the low pressure discharge port
59 of
regulator 58, entering pipe 60, through which it is communicated to port 61 of
yet
another jet induction block 62.
Entering the central high pressure channel of jet induction block 62 in
similar fashion to
the other jet induction processes already mentioned, the higher pressure WF
entrains
lower pressure WF entering the jet induction block 62 through port 63, and
together,
the combined WF discharge exits the jet induction block 62 via jet-discharge
port 64.
Leaving port 64, WF traverses pipe 65 and passes through port 66 to re-enter
the high
pressure supply chamber of the prime mover, thereby completing one circuit of
the
SESCE heat engine.
In order to maintain differential pressure across the combined turbine-
compressor pair,
as well add to the mass-flow across the turbine, HAA segments are drawn down
in
preparation for the successive cycles following their last possible
contribution to the
PM supply reservoir 1. When further heat sinking does not keep the HAA segment
check valve 54 open any longer as detected either in timed, or pressure sensed
fashion, discharge valve 68 will open at which time WF referenced to the
suction
pressure of the various jet induction devices employed will exit the HAA
segment via
port 69 of valve 68, and is communicated into pipe 70.
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Entering through port 71 of reservoir 72 (which is used in the system to
buffer the jet
induction and vortex supply paths from pressure disturbances), WF is then free
to exit
reservoir 72 via port 73, and entering pipe 74 it is then free to either enter
the high
pressure inlet port 75 of regulator 76, or separate from that stream and enter
into pipe
79, where it is communicated to the high pressure inlet port 80 of regulator
81.
Choosing the path through regulator 76 as a first course of description, WF
exits
regulator 76 via low pressure discharge port 77, and is then communicated via
pipe 78
to the low pressure jet induction port 63 of jet inductor block 62 whose
function has
already been described. Now returning to the path described up to the point of
pressure regulator 81, WF exits via low pressure discharge port 82 and is
conducted
via pipe 83 to the vortex tube spin chamber via port 87 of the vortex tube 88.
WF
admitted to the vortex spin chamber at 87 is rapidly expanded and spins at
high
velocity, and in gradually making its way to the hot fraction discharge 89,
develops a
temperature gradient which becomes hotter until discharge at 89 allows the hot
WF to
exit into pipe 90, which communicates the WF to port 12 of the turbine's jet
induction
block 9 whose function has already been described.
A magnetic coupling which has both internal 91 and external 92 complementing
components which are comprised of alternating polarity permanent magnets
arranged
circumferentially about the interior surface in the case of 91 (of a larger
diameter
cylindrical rotor located internally to the housing 22) and about the exterior
surface in
the case of 92 (of a smaller diameter cylindrical rotor located externally to
the housing
22). The magnetic coupling 91 and 92 act on each other through the wall of
housing
22, thereby allowing the external shaft 93 to extract work from the prime
mover system
via the compound alternator 94 previously described while maintaining
isolation from
its working fluid.
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Appendages mounted on the external shaft 95 take the form of a blower (5)
whose
discs are widely separated, and which impel ambient air warmed next to the
provided
heat sources) through the heat-sinks wherein the working fluid of the prime
mover
system is isolated, thereby transferring a component of the heat source energy
to the
prime mover working fluid. The blower function is useful in ambient
atmospheric air
HAA sourcing where boundary layer disturbance provided by circulating the air
across
the heat sinks of the HAA aids in thermal transmission through the walls of
the heat
sinks, thereby increasing the rate of thermal absorption.
Paths indicated on Figure 3 indicate connections to further HAA segments as
follows:
97 is the fill path, 98 is the jet induction path to draw down HAA segments,
and 99 is
the respective high pressure HAA segment discharge path leading to the turbine
replenishment reservoir. As disclosed, virtually any heat source may be
employed for
use in adding to the HAA array.
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