Electricity generation using electromagnetic radiation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739473-B2
Application number	US-201013514762-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2010
Priority date	Dec 15, 2009
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a system to create vapor for generating electric power. The system includes a vessel comprising a fluid and a complex and a turbine. The vessel of the system is configured to concentrate EM radiation received from an EM radiation source. The vessel of the system is further configured to apply the EM radiation to the complex, where the complex absorbs the EM radiation to generate heat. The vessel of the system is also configured to transform, using the heat generated by the complex, the fluid to vapor. The vessel of the system is further configured to sending the vapor to a turbine. The turbine of the system is configured to receive, from the vessel, the vapor used to generate the electric power.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system to create vapor for generating electric power, the system comprising:
a vessel;
a fluid;
a complex;
wherein the vessel is configured to:
receive electromagnetic (EM) radiation from an EM radiation source;
apply the EM radiation to the complex, wherein the complex absorbs the EM radiation to generate heat;
transform, using the heat generated by the complex, the fluid to vapor; and
send the vapor to a turbine; and

the turbine configured to receive, from the vessel, the vapor used to generate the electric power,
wherein the complex comprises:
a plurality of particles, and
an encapsulating dielectric layer configured to preserve a plasmon resonance of the complex,

wherein a first particle of the plurality of particles and a second particle of the plurality of particles are aggregated to form an aggregate.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is water.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a first type of complex and a second type of complex are present, wherein the complex is of the first type of complex.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first type of complex absorbs the EM radiation over a first range of wavelengths, wherein the second type of complex absorbs the EM radiation over a second range of wavelengths, and wherein the first range and the second range of wavelengths partially overlap.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises:
a concentrator, wherein the concentrator is a lens, wherein the vessel receives the EM radiation from the concentrator.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises:
a concentrator,
wherein the concentrator is a parabolic trough,
wherein the vessel receives the EM radiation from the parabolic trough, and
wherein the vessel comprises a section of pipe coated with the complex.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the complex is used in a manner selected from at least one of a group consisting of being coated on an interior of the vessel, being coated on the exterior of the vessel, integrated with material from which the vessel is constructed, embedded in a porous matrix, embedded with fiberglass and placed in the interior of the vessel containing the fluid, embedded on a substrate that is in a packed column, coated on rods at least partially submerged in the fluid, and suspended in the fluid in the vessel.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises:
a control system comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure inside the vessel;
a valve that opens to release the vapor from the vessel when the pressure read by the pressure sensor is above a pressure threshold; and
a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature inside the vessel, wherein the valve opens to release the vapor from the vessel when the temperature read by the temperature sensor is above a temperature threshold.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles comprises one selected from a group consisting of copper nanoparticles, copper oxide nanoparticles, nanoshells, nanorods, carbon moieties, encapsulated nanoshells, encapsulated nanoparticles, and branched nanostructures.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vessel has a thermal efficiency of steam formation of 80% or greater.

11. A method to create vapor for generating electric power, the method comprising:
applying electromagnetic (EM) radiation to a vessel;
generating heat, by a complex disposed within the vessel, by absorbing the EM radiation;
transforming, using the heat generated by the complex, a fluid to a vapor; and
sending the vapor from the vessel to a turbine to generate the electric power,
wherein the complex comprises:
a plurality of particles, wherein each particle of the plurality of particles is one selected from a group consisting of copper nanoparticles, copper oxide nanoparticles, nanoshells, nanorods, carbon moieties, encapsulated nanoshells, encapsulated nanoparticles, and branched nanostructures, and
an encapsulating dielectric layer configured to preserve a plasmon resonance of the complex,

wherein a first particle of the plurality of particles and a second particle of the plurality of particles are aggregated to form an aggregate.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving the fluid in the vessel; and
concentrating the EM radiation sent by an EM radiation source to the vessel,
wherein the fluid is received in the vessel from a condenser adapted to convert the vapor to the fluid after the vapor flows through the turbine.

Assignees

• Halas Nancy J
• Nordlander Peter
• Neumann Oara
• Univ Rice William M

Inventors

• Halas Nancy J
• Nordlander Peter
• Neumann Oara

Classifications

• F24S80/20

  Working fluids specially adapted for solar heat collectors · CPC title

• F22B1/02 Primary

  by exploitation of the heat content of hot heat carriers · CPC title

• F22B1/28

  in boilers heated electrically · CPC title

• F01K3/186

  using electric heat · CPC title

• Y02B10/20

  Solar thermal · CPC title