Power generation system and method to generate power by operation of such power generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11585245-B2
Application number	US-202017600424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2020
Priority date	Apr 5, 2019
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

A power generation system comprising
a liquid pump section ( 4 ) comprising a rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) with an impeller in which a working fluid is pressurised and which is driven by a drive shaft ( 8 ); an evaporator section comprising an evaporator ( 9 ) in which the in the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) pressurised working fluid is at least partly evaporated by addition of heat from a heat source; an expander section ( 3 ) comprising a rotary expander ( 11 ) with an inlet port ( 16 ) and a rotary expander element in which the in the evaporator section at least partly evaporated working fluid is expanded; and a generator section ( 5 ) comprising a rotary power generator ( 13 ) with a rotor,

whereby the expander section ( 3 ), the liquid pump section ( 4 ) and the generator section ( 5 ) are rotably connected in such a manner that relative rotational speed ratios between the rotary expander element of the rotary expander ( 11 ), the impeller of the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) and the rotor of the rotary power generator ( 13 ) are mechanically upheld, characterised in that the drive shaft ( 8 ) which drives the impeller of the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ), is configured to be provided with a throttling device allowing a controlled portion ( 15 ) of the working fluid entering the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) to pass from the liquid pump section ( 4 ) to the expander section ( 3 ) and/or the generator section ( 5 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power generation system comprising
a liquid pump section ( 4 ) comprising a rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) with an impeller in which a working fluid is pressurised and which is driven by a drive shaft ( 8 );
an evaporator section comprising an evaporator ( 9 ) in which the in the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) pressurised working fluid is at least partly evaporated by addition of heat from a heat source;
an expander section ( 3 ) comprising a rotary expander ( 11 ) with an inlet port ( 16 ) and a rotary expander element in which the in the evaporator section at least partly evaporated working fluid is expanded; and
a generator section ( 5 ) comprising a rotary power generator ( 13 ) with a rotor,
whereby the expander section ( 3 ), the liquid pump section ( 4 ) and the generator section ( 5 ) are rotably connected in such a manner that relative rotational speed ratios between the rotary expander element of the rotary expander ( 11 ), the impeller of the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) and the rotor of the rotary power generator ( 13 ) are mechanically upheld,
wherein
the drive shaft ( 8 ) which drives the impeller of the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ), is configured to be provided with a throttling device allowing a controlled portion ( 15 ) of the working fluid entering the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) to pass from the liquid pump section ( 4 ) to the expander section ( 3 ) and/or the generator section ( 5 ).

2. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the power generation system ( 1 ) is a Rankine cycle, wherein the working fluid circulates.

3. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet port ( 16 ) of the rotary expander ( 11 ) is in a higher position than an outlet port ( 17 ) of said rotary expander.

4. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) is in a lower position than the inlet port ( 16 ) of the rotary expander ( 11 ).

5. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary power generator ( 13 ) in the generator section ( 5 ) is a synchronous generator.

6. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the working fluid is an organic working fluid.

7. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the working fluid comprises a lubricant or acts as a lubricant.

8. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary expander element is mounted on the drive shaft ( 8 ) which drives the impeller of the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ).

9. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary expander element is mounted on a drive shaft ( 12 ) which drives the rotor of the rotary power generator ( 13 ).

10. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft ( 8 ) which drives the impeller of the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ), is different from the drive shaft ( 12 ) which drives the rotor of the rotary power generator ( 13 ).

11. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotor of the rotary power generator ( 13 ) is driven by the drive shaft ( 8 ) which drives the impeller of the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ).

12. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the power generation system ( 1 ) further comprises a semi-hermetically closed housing ( 6 ) which encloses all rotating parts of the rotary expander ( 11 ) and the rotary power generator ( 13 ).

13. The power generation system according to claim 12 , wherein the semi-hermetically closed housing ( 6 ) encloses all rotating parts of the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ).

14. The power generation system according to claim 13 , wherein the position of the expander section ( 3 ) in the semi-hermetically closed housing ( 6 ) is in between the liquid pump section ( 4 ) and the generator section ( 5 ).

15. The power generation system according to claim 13 , wherein the position of the generator section ( 5 ) in the semi-hermetically closed housing ( 6 ) is in between the liquid pump section ( 4 ) and the expander section ( 3 ).

16. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary expander ( 11 ) is a positive displacement rotary expander.

17. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) is a positive displacement rotary pump.

18. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary expander ( 11 ) and/or the rotary power generator ( 13 ) are mounted in a vertical position.

19. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary expander ( 11 ) and/or the rotary power generator ( 13 ) are mounted in a horizontal position.

20. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the throttling device is an opening between the drive shaft ( 8 ) on which the impeller of the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) is mounted and a sealing ( 18 ) of this drive shaft ( 8 ) between the liquid pump section ( 4 ) and one of the expander section ( 3 ) and generator section ( 5 ).

21. A method to generate power by operation of a power generation system ( 1 ), the power generation system ( 1 ) comprising:
a liquid pump section ( 4 ) comprising an inlet and a rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) with an impeller in which a working fluid is pressurised and which is driven by a drive shaft ( 8 );
an evaporator section comprising an evaporator ( 9 ) in which the in the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) pressurised working fluid is at least partly evaporated by addition of heat from a heat source;
an expander section ( 3 ) comprising a rotary expander ( 11 ) with a rotary expander element in which the in the evaporator section at least partly evaporated working fluid is expanded; and
a generator section ( 5 ) comprising a rotary power generator ( 13 ) with a rotor,
whereby the expander section ( 3 ), the liquid pump section ( 4 ) and the generator section ( 5 ) are rotably connected in such a manner that relative rotational speed ratios between the rotary expander element of the rotary expander ( 11 ), the impeller of the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) and the rotor of the rotary power generator ( 13 ) are mechanically upheld,
wherein
a controlled portion ( 15 ) of the working fluid entering the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) is allowed to pass from the liquid pump section ( 4 ) to the expander section ( 3 ) and/or the generator section ( 5 ) by means of a throttling device, which the drive shaft ( 8 ) by which the impeller of the rotary liquid pump ( 7 ) is driven is provided with,
whereby the rotary expander ( 11 ) and/or rotary power generator ( 13 ) is cooled by the controlled portion ( 15 ) of the working fluid which passes from the liquid pump section ( 4 ) to the expander section ( 3 ) respectively the generator section ( 5 ).

22. A method to generate power according to claim 21 , wherein the at least partly evaporated working fluid which is fed to an inlet port ( 16 ) of the rotary expander is in a gaseous or vapour state.

23. A method to generate power according to claim 21 , wherein the working fluid which is fed to an inlet port ( 16 ) of the rotary expander ( 11 ) is a mixture of liquid and gaseous or vaporous working fluid.

24. A method to generate power according to claim 21 , wherein the rotor of the rotary power generator ( 13 ) is exposed to a pressure exerted by the working fluid which is higher than a working fluid pressure at the inlet of the liquid pump section ( 4 ) and lower than a working fluid pressure at an outlet of th

Assignees

• Atlas Copco Airpower Nv

Inventors

• Öhman Henrik
• GOETHALS Anton Jan

Classifications

• F01K13/025

  Cooling the interior by injection during idling or stand-by · CPC title

• F01K25/08 Primary

  using special vapours · CPC title

• F01D25/08

  Cooling (of machines or engines in general F01P); Heating; Heat-insulation (of blade-carrying members, of blades F01D5/00) · CPC title

• F01D25/12

  Cooling · CPC title