Energy recovering equipment as well as a method for recovering energy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161378-B2
Application number	US-201214365678-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2012
Priority date	Dec 20, 2011
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is an energy recovering system having a first pump for pumping a fluid from a first lower level at a first lower potential energy to a second higher level corresponding to a second higher potential energy, and a turbine being located at a third level corresponding to a third potential energy being smaller than said second higher potential energy, wherein the turbine is fluidly connected to the first pump by a connecting pipe such that the fluid can be fed by the first pump via the connecting pipe from the first lower level and via the second higher level to the turbine located at the third level, where the turbine is connected to the first pump in such a way that a recovery-energy recovered from the fluid by passing through the turbine (T) is used for a drive of the concurrently operating first pump.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An energy recovering equipment, comprising:
a first pump for pumping a liquid from a first lower level corresponding to a first lower potential energy to a second higher level corresponding to a second higher potential energy,
a turbine being located at a third level corresponding to a third potential energy being smaller than said second higher potential energy, and
a first tank and a second tank for storing the liquid, wherein the first lower level and the third level are above the first tank and the second tank,
wherein the turbine is in liquid communication with the first pump by a connecting pipe in such a way that, in an operating state, the liquid is fed by the first pump via the connecting pipe from the first lower level and via the second higher level to the turbine located at the third level, wherein the turbine is connected to the first pump in such a way that a recovery-energy recovered from the liquid by passing through the turbine is used to drive the first pump that operates concurrently with the turbine, wherein the first pump and the turbine are in liquid communication via an energy exchange device being provided at the second higher level for exchanging energy between the liquid and an external energy.

2. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the energy exchange device is provided at the second higher level for increasing a thermal energy of the liquid.

3. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , wherein an energy transforming system is provided in such a way that the liquid is fed by the first pump located on the first lower level, via the connecting pipe, via the second higher level.

4. The energy recovering system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the energy transforming system is an heat exchanger being coupled to an electric power plant for producing and feeding electric energy into an electrical national grid.

5. The energy recovering system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the energy transforming system is an heat exchanger being coupled to a long-distance heating power plant for producing and feeding heat energy into an heating national grid.

6. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the liquid is fed by the first pump via the energy exchange device being provided at the second higher level, and the turbine to the energy transforming system.

7. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a recirculation cycle comprising a return pipe is provided in such a way that the liquid is fed by the first pump located on the first lower level from the first tank, via the connecting pipe, via the second higher level.

8. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the recirculation cycle comprises the first tank, the second tank, the return pipe and the energy transforming system in such a way that the liquid is fed by the first pump located on the first lower level from the first tank, via the connecting pipe, via the second higher level.

9. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the liquid is fed by the first pump from the first tank via the energy exchange device being provided at the second higher level, and the turbine to the second tank and via the energy transforming system being connected to the return pipe back to the first tank.

10. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the liquid is fed by the first pump from the first tank via the energy exchange device being provided at the second higher level, and the turbine back to the first pump.

11. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a second pump is provided.

12. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the second pump is located in the first tank.

13. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the second pump is connected in series to the first pump.

14. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a third pump is provided.

15. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the third pump is located in the second tank.

16. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the third pump is connected to and for feeding the liquid to the energy transforming system.

17. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the turbine drives an electrical generator producing the recovery-energy being used to drive the concurrently operating first pump.

18. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the turbine drives an electrical generator producing the recovery-energy being used for an internal grid.

19. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the turbine is mechanically or magnetically coupled to the first pump providing the recovery-energy used to drive of the concurrently operating first pump.

20. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , wherein an output pump-power of the first pump is essentially equal or greater than an output turbine-power of the turbine.

21. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a by-pass-connection pipe provided for bypassing the turbine, wherein the liquid is fed through the by-pass-connection pipe instead through the turbine when the turbine is out of operation.

22. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the turbine is electrically connected to the first pump.

23. The energy recovering equipment in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the third level is equal to or lower than the first lower level.

24. A method for recovering a recovery-energy by means of an energy recovering equipment, the method comprising: providing a first pump for pumping a liquid from a first lower level corresponding to a first lower potential energy to a second higher level corresponding to a second higher potential energy, a turbine being located at a third level corresponding to a third potential energy being smaller than said second higher potential energy, and a first tank and a second tank for storing the liquid, wherein the first lower level and the third level are above the first tank and the second tank, wherein the turbine is in liquid communication with the first pump by a connecting line and the liquid is fed by the first pump via the connecting line from the first lower level and via the second higher level to the turbine located at the third level, wherein the turbine is connected to the first pump in such a way that the recovery-energy recovered from the liquid by passing through the turbine is used to drive the first pump that operates concurrently with the turbine, wherein the first pump and the turbine are in liquid communication via an energy exchange device being provided at the second higher level for exchanging energy between the liquid and an external energy.

Assignees

• Sulzer Pumpen Ag
• Sulzer Management Ag

Inventors

• Rivas Miguel Angel

Classifications

• F03G6/02

  using a single state working fluid · CPC title

• Y02E10/46

  Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines · CPC title

• Y02E60/17

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F01B23/10 Primary

  Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators · CPC title

• F03G6/06

  with solar energy concentrating means · CPC title