Power generation apparatus and power generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9618020-B2
Application number	US-201414154344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 25, 2013
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A power generation apparatus according to the present invention includes: an expander; a generator that includes a generator rotor driven by the expander and a stator disposed outside the generator rotor in the radial direction; and a casing that includes an expander chamber accommodating the expander and a generator chamber accommodating the generator. The casing includes a first communication portion that causes an expansion chamber which gradually expands a working medium by the expander in the expander chamber to communicate with a front generator portion which is located nearer the expansion chamber than the generator in the generator chamber and a second communication portion that causes a portion which is a downstream portion from the expansion chamber and is located near the expansion chamber with respect to the generator to communicate with the front generator portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power generation apparatus, comprising:
a generator that includes a rotor and a stator disposed radially outside the rotor;
an expander through which a working medium flows in a working medium flow direction, while the working medium is expanded in an expansion chamber of the expander to gradually increase the volume of the expansion chamber, the expander having a movable element that is moved by the expansion of the expansion chamber and whose movement drives the rotor; and
a casing that includes an expander chamber accommodating the expander and a generator chamber accommodating the generator therein,
a first communication portion that extracts a portion of partially expanded working fluid being expanded in the expansion chamber and discharges the partially expanded working fluid into the front generator portion of the generator chamber, where the front generator portion is located nearer the expansion chamber than is the generator in the generator chamber, and
a second communication portion that communicates the partially expanded working fluid in front generator portion with a downstream portion located near the expansion chamber with respect to the generator, wherein the downstream portion is a portion downstream from the expansion chamber in the working medium flow direction whereby the working medium has been fully expanded in the downstream portion.

2. The power generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a coil of the stator faces a flow passage in which the partially expanded working medium flows inside the front generator portion of the generator chamber.

3. The power generation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the casing includes a step portion that is located at a rear side of the stator and protrudes inward in the radial direction, and wherein a stator core of the stator includes a radial contact portion that contacts an inner peripheral surface of the casing in the radial direction and an axial contact portion that contacts the step portion in the axial direction.

4. The power generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the portion downstream from the expansion chamber is a discharge chamber of the expander.

5. A power generation system comprising:
an evaporator that evaporates a working medium traveling to the expander of power generation apparatus according to claim 1 ;
a condenser that condenses the working medium expanded by the expander of the power generation apparatus; and
a pump that introduces the working medium condensed by the condenser into the evaporator.

6. The power generation system according to claim 5 , wherein the power generation system is an on-vehicle system.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Tsuboi Noboru

Classifications

• H02K99/10

  Generators · CPC title

• F01C13/00 Primary

  Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of engines with devices driven thereby · CPC title

• F15B15/20 Primary

  Other details {, e.g. assembly with regulating devices} · CPC title

• F01C1/16 Primary

  with helical teeth, e.g. chevron-shaped, screw type {(for non-parallel axes of movement F01C3/00)} · CPC title

• F01C21/06

  Heating; Cooling (of machines or engines in general F01P); Heat insulation (heat insulation in general F16L) · CPC title