PRESSURIZED FLUID HYDRO TURBINE POWER PLANT

CENTRALE ELECTRIQUE A TURBINE HYDRAULIQUE A FLUIDE PRESSURISE

English Abstract

Using the temperature difference between the natural sources is known as one
of
the achievable sustainable energy generation methods. To convert this energy
to
electric power a saturated vapor of a low boiling point liquid, which is
heated by a
warm source, runs a turbine. The turbine outlet vapor is -condensed by a low
temperature source and is returned to the high-pressure drum by using a high
power electric liquid feed pump.
In this invention the saturated vapor is not running the turbine, but is
pressurizing
the suitable fluid in the fluid drum/s. The pressurized fluid runs the hydro
turbine
and the turbine outlet of low-pressure fluid is returned to the fluid drum/s
and is
pressurized by using the vapor pressure. The condensed liquid returns to the
high-pressure
liquid drum by using the vapor pressure and circulation pumps.

Claims

Claims:
1- A process that is designed to utilize the high-pressure fluid to run the
hydro turbine, which is more efficient than using saturated vapor to run
the turbine.
2- A process as defined in claim 1, in which the pressurized fluid is used
instead of the pressurized saturated vapor, which eliminates the
considerable deficiency caused by vapor condensation in turbines.
3- A process as claimed in claims1 and 2, in which the hydro turbine used
is
less expensive than steam turbines and due to a very simple technology
needs less operation and maintenance.
4- A process as claimed in claims 1, 2 and 3, in which the high pressure
fluid
is used to run the hydro turbine and the low pressure returned fluid is
pressurized by high pressure saturated vapor periodically with no need
to high pressure electric feed pump.
5- A process as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, and 4, in which the returning
low
pressure condensed liquid is carried to high pressure saturated liquid
drum 1 by utilizing high pressure saturated vapor with no need to high
pressure electric feed pump to increase efficiency.
6- A process as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 is a new design and
could
be used as a reliable sustainable energy generation method to produce

Description

CA 02767781 2012-02-10
Specification:
This invention relates to generation of sustainable energy by using the
temperature
difference between accessible natural sources. These natural sources include
under
ground and ambient air temperature, Tropics Ocean surface and deep-water
temperature, Arctic Ocean deep water and ambient air temperature and hot
spring
water.
The process is designed based on converting the maximum thermal energy to
electrical power, considering the limited available temperature differences of
the
mentioned natural sources or in other words maximum achievable efficiency.
Using the saturated vapor to pressurize the suitable fluid to run the hydro
turbine
is more efficient than using saturated vapor to run the turbine. Also, using
saturated vapor to return the condensed liquid to the high-pressure liquid
drum
saves more electrical power and increases the efficiency of the power plant
compared to using the high power electrical liquid feed pump.

CA 02767781 2012-02-10
As mentioned above, the design comprises three main sections, the first
section, as
the high pressure section comprises high pressure drum/s containing suitable
saturated liquid (liquid Nitrogen, liquid Carbon Dioxide, liquid Ammonia,..)
as
vapor pressure supply. The liquid is heated by transferring the thermal energy
through the heat exchanger/s from the natural warm source to keep the liquid
temperature and consequently vapor pressure in the maximum required level.
The second section, as the fluid section comprises three fluid drums and one
hydro
turbine coupled to an electrical power generator.
The fluid drums, which are periodically filled by the returned fluid, are
pressurized
by saturated vapor to run the turbine continuously.
The third section, as the low pressure section comprises the heat exchanger/s
to
condense the returned vapor, one condensed liquid storage vessel and two
condensed liquid drums being used to return the condensed liquid to the high-
pressure liquid drum by using the saturated high-pressure vapor and two
circulation pumps.
Process description:
Figure 1 illustrates the process flow and main components of the power plant.
The
high-pressure section comprises the high-pressure drum 1, which contains warm
saturated liquid and vapor that works as the pressure supply or an effective
fluid
head to the inlet of hydro turbine 7.
The thermal energy is transferred to this drum by using a circulation pump 2
and a
heat exchanger/s 3 through the warm source.
The fluid section comprises three high-pressure fluid drums 4, 5, 6. The
outlets of
these three drums are connected to the inlet of hydro turbine through check
valves9.
During the operation, the fluid drums are pressurized one after another in a
periodic cycle by the opening of valves 12. In each cycle, one of the fluid
drums,
which is already filled with the returned fluid, is pressurized by connecting
to the
high-pressure vapor by opening of the valve12. The pressurized fluid drum
supplies the high-pressure fluid to the hydro turbine. At the same time
another

CA 02767781 2012-02-10
drum, which is connected to the low-pressure section through vale 11 will be
connected to the outlet of the hydro turbine by opening of the valve 10 to
receive
the low-pressure returned fluid. At the same time the third drum is
depressurizing
by connecting to the low-pressure section to be ready to receive the returned
fluid
from outlet of hydro turbine in the next step.
After a certain time when level of fluid in the first drum reaches the minimum
and
level of fluid in the second drum which was receiving the returned fluid
reaches the
maximum, the second drum will be pressurized by connecting to the high-
pressure
section by opening the valve 12 and closing the valves 10 and 11. Meanwhile
the
first drum will be depressurized by closing the valves 12 that disconnects the
vapor
pressure and opening the valve 11 that connects to the low-pressure section.
In the same time the third drum, which was already depressurized is ready to
receive the returned fluid by opening the valve 10.
This cycle will be repeated continually and hydro turbine works nonstop based
on
pressure difference between warm and cold pressure of saturated liquid.
In each cycle when the fluid of one drum is discharged the drum will be
connected
to the low-pressure section through the valve 11, and one batch of high-
pressure
vapor volume will be discharged to be condensed in low-pressure section.
To prevent the saturated vapor from condensing in fluid drums 4, 5, 6, the
fluid
section is kept warm through heat exchanger 8 by transferring thermal energy
to
fluid from the warm source.
The third or low-pressure section, comprises heat exchanger/s 13 to condense
the
returned vapor by using the cold source, condensed liquid vessel 14 to collect
condensed liquid, circulation pumps 17, 18 and two pressure drums 15, 16 to
pump the condensed liquid to the high pressure saturated drum.
During the operation, one of the drums15, 16, which is connected to the low
pressure section by opening valves 21 is receiving the condensed liquid by
opening
valve 20 and the other drum, which already is filled by condensed liquid is
connected to the high pressure vapor through the valve 22 for balancing the
pressure between two drums. After balancing the pressure, the condensed liquid
is
discharged to the high-pressure saturated drum by using the circulation pump
18.

CA 02767781 2012-02-10
electric power based on any accessible temperature difference to realize
highest achievable efficiency.
Drawings:
1-Figure 1 shows the process flow and main components.
2-Figure2 shows the inside of drums 15, 16.

CA 02767781 2012-02-10
In the next step when the liquid level comes to minimum in discharged drum and
maximum in condensed-liquid-receiving drum, by switching the pressure on drums
15, 16, through the valves 21and 22, this cycle will be repeated and the
condensed
liquid will be pumped to the high-pressure saturated drum 1.
As shown in Figure 2, a low thermal conductive material 1 covers the inner
surface
of drums 15 and 16, and a floating plate 3 with low conductivity material
separates
the warm vapor and cold liquid to decrease the vapor condensation,
Using the high temperature of returned vapor, the condensed liquid will be
preheated by heat exchanger19 before entering to the high-pressure vapor drum
1
to save more energy.

Representative Drawing