Heat recovery system series arrangements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816402-B2
Application number	US-201213358070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2012
Priority date	Jan 28, 2011
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to heat recovery systems that employ two or more organic Rankine cycle (ORC) units disposed in series. According to certain embodiments, each ORC unit includes an evaporator that heats an organic working fluid, a turbine generator set that expands the working fluid to generate electricity, a condenser that cools the working fluid, and a pump that returns the working fluid to the evaporator. The heating fluid is directed through each evaporator to heat the working fluid circulating within each ORC unit, and the cooling fluid is directed through each condenser to cool the working fluid circulating within each ORC unit. The heating fluid and the cooling fluid flow through the ORC units in series in the same or opposite directions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first organic Rankine cycle unit comprising a first closed loop, a first organic working fluid, a first preheater, and a first evaporator, the first organic Rankine cycle unit configured to circulate the first organic working fluid within the first closed loop through a first turbine and a first pump;
a second organic Rankine cycle unit comprising a second closed loop, a second organic working fluid, a second preheater, and a second evaporator, the second organic Rankine cycle unit configured to circulate the second organic working fluid within the second closed loop through a second turbine and a second pump, wherein the first organic working fluid and the second organic working fluid have the same composition;
a heating fluid circuit comprising a heating fluid, wherein the heating fluid circuit is directly coupled to the first preheater of the first organic Rankine cycle unit, the first evaporator of the first organic Rankine cycle unit, the second preheater of the second organic Rankine cycle unit, and the second evaporator of the second organic Rankine cycle unit to vaporize the first organic working fluid and the second organic working fluid; and
a cooling fluid circuit comprising a cooling fluid and configured to circulate the cooling fluid through the first organic Rankine cycle unit and the second organic Rankine cycle unit to cool the first organic working fluid and the second organic working fluid;
wherein the first organic Rankine cycle unit and the second organic Rankine cycle unit are disposed in series with respect to the heating fluid circuit and the cooling fluid circuit, wherein the heating fluid circuit and the cooling fluid circuit are configured to direct the heating fluid and the cooling fluid, respectively, through the first organic Rankine cycle unit and the second organic Rankine cycle unit in a series counterflow arrangement, and wherein the heating fluid circuit is configured to direct the heating fluid in series through the first evaporator of the first organic Rankine cycle unit, the first preheater of the first organic Rankine cycle unit, the second evaporator of the second organic Rankine cycle unit, and the second preheater of the second organic Rankine cycle unit.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first turbine is coupled to a first generator and the second turbine is coupled to a second generator, wherein the first turbine coupled to the first generator and the second turbine coupled to the second generator are configured to produce electricity as the first organic working fluid is circulated through the first organic Rankine cycle unit and as the second organic working fluid is circulated through the second organic Rankine cycle unit.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first organic working fluid and the second organic working fluid each comprise a single-component refrigerant.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first organic working fluid and the second organic working fluid each comprise a hydrocarbon based refrigerant.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first organic working fluid and the second organic working fluid have no direct heat exchange with one another.

6. A system comprising:
a first organic Rankine cycle unit comprising a first organic working fluid, a first evaporator configured to vaporize the first organic working fluid to provide an at least partially vaporized first organic working fluid, a first turbine configured to expand the at least partially vaporized first organic working fluid to provide an expanded first organic working fluid, a first condenser configured to condense the expanded first organic working fluid to provide a condensed first organic working fluid, a first pump configured to pressurize the condensed first organic working fluid to provide a pressurized first organic working fluid, and a first preheater configured to preheat the pressurized first organic working fluid;
a second organic Rankine cycle unit comprising a second organic working fluid, a second evaporator configured to vaporize the second organic working fluid to provide an at least partially vaporized second organic working fluid, a second turbine configured to expand the at least partially vaporized second organic working fluid to provide an expanded second organic working fluid, a second condenser configured to condense the expanded second organic working fluid to provide a condensed second organic working fluid, a second pump configured to pressurize the condensed second organic working fluid to provide a pressurized second organic working fluid, and a second preheater configured to preheat the pressurized second organic working fluid, wherein the first organic working fluid and the second organic working fluid have the same composition;
a heating fluid circuit comprising a heating fluid, wherein the heating fluid circuit is directly coupled to the first evaporator, the first preheater, the second evaporator, and the second preheater in series to provide heat to the first evaporator, the first preheater, the second evaporator, and the second preheater; and
a cooling fluid circuit comprising a cooling fluid, wherein the cooling fluid circuit is directly coupled to the first condenser and the second condenser in series to provide cooling to the first condenser and the second condenser; and
wherein the heating fluid circuit comprises a heat source and is configured to direct the heating fluid from the heat source through the first evaporator, the first preheater, the second evaporator, and then through the second preheater, and wherein the cooling fluid circuit comprises a cooling source and is configured to direct the cooling fluid from the cooling source through the second condenser and then through the first condenser.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first organic Rankine cycle unit comprises a first generator coupled to the first turbine and the second organic Rankine cycle unit comprises a second generator coupled to the second turbine.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first organic Rankine cycle unit and the second organic Rankine cycle unit employ the same size of first and second evaporator, first and second turbine, first and second condenser, or first and second pump, or any combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first organic working fluid and the second organic working fluid comprise HFC-245fa.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first organic working fluid and the second organic working fluid have no direct heat exchange with one another.

11. A system comprising:
a plurality of organic Rankine cycle units each comprising an organic working fluid, an evaporator configured to vaporize the organic working fluid to provide an at least partially vaporized organic working fluid, a turbine configured to expand the at least partially vaporized organic working fluid to provide an expanded organic working fluid, a condenser configured to condense the expanded organic working fluid to provide a condensed organic working fluid, a pump configured to pressurize the condensed organic working fluid, and a preheater configured to preheat the pressurized organic working fluid, wherein the organic working fluid of each of the plurality of organic Rankine cycle units have the same composition;
a heating fluid circuit comprising a heating fluid, wherein the heating fluid circuit is directly coupled to the evaporator and the preheater of each of the plurality of organic Rankine cycle units in series to provide heat to the evaporator and the preheater of each of the plurality of organic Rankine cycle units; and
a cooling fluid circuit comprising a cooling fluid, wherein the coo

Assignees

• Kauffman Justin P
• Welch Andrew M
• Dawson Gregory R
• Minor Eric N
• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Kauffman Justin P
• Welch Andrew M
• Dawson Gregory R
• Minor Eric N

Classifications

• F01K17/02

  for heating purposes, e.g. industrial, domestic (F01K17/06 takes precedence; domestic- or space-heating systems, e.g. central-heating systems, in general F24D1/00, F24D3/00, F24D9/00) · CPC title

• F01K25/103

  Carbon dioxide (F01K25/065 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01K25/10 Primary

  the vapours being cold, e.g. ammonia, carbon dioxide, ether · CPC title

• F01K23/04

  condensation heat from one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle · CPC title

• F01K23/065

  the combustion taking place in an internal combustion piston engine, e.g. a diesel engine · CPC title