US20060236698A1 - Waste heat recovery generator - Google Patents
Waste heat recovery generator Download PDFInfo
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- US20060236698A1 US20060236698A1 US11/407,555 US40755506A US2006236698A1 US 20060236698 A1 US20060236698 A1 US 20060236698A1 US 40755506 A US40755506 A US 40755506A US 2006236698 A1 US2006236698 A1 US 2006236698A1
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- waste heat
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- expander
- heat recovery
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- 239000002918 waste heat Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 92
- 238000011084 recovery Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 56
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 94
- 239000003507 refrigerant Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 31
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 29
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims description 24
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 14
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 claims description 13
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000002485 combustion reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 7
- 239000012071 phase Substances 0.000 description 7
- 239000003570 air Substances 0.000 description 5
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 5
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000009987 spinning Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000012080 ambient air Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007599 discharging Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007791 liquid phase Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01K—STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES
- F01K25/00—Plants or engines characterised by use of special working fluids, not otherwise provided for; Plants operating in closed cycles and not otherwise provided for
- F01K25/08—Plants or engines characterised by use of special working fluids, not otherwise provided for; Plants operating in closed cycles and not otherwise provided for using special vapours
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Engine Equipment That Uses Special Cycles (AREA)
Abstract
A low grade waste heat recovery generator system is presented. The system comprises an expander generator set having a compressor rotatably coupled to a generator. The compressor rotates in a reverse direction to operate as an expander. The system also comprises a condenser fluidly coupled to the expander generator set, a refrigerant pump fluidly coupled to the condenser, an evaporator fluidly coupled to the refrigerant pump and the expander generator set, and a working fluid configured to flow from the evaporator to the expander generator set, to the condenser, and to the refrigerant pump in a closed loop Organic Rankin Cycle. The working fluid is heated to a temperature of about 140 ° F. to about 300 ° F.
Description
- This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/673,542, entitled “Waste Heat Recovery Generator”, filed on Apr. 20, 2005 and to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/673,543, entitled “Waste Heat Recovery Generator”, filed on Apr. 20, 2005. The disclosures of each provisional application are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
- The conversion of fuels into electricity has long been the focus of engineers. The supply of the fuel to the generation site as well as the reliability and cost of the supply has factored into the engineering decision process. One area of energy conversion for electrical supply has been to utilize currently converted thermal energy from fuel energy of an unrelated process into electrical energy. Another more specific area of energy conversion is the recovery of discarded thermal energy into electrical energy, i.e., waste heat recovery. With ever increasing electrical power costs for commercial and residential electrical power, customers are expanding the search for alternative sources of reliable electrical power. The increasing need for electricity in areas with limited access to electrical power or even high cost electrical power has fertilized the field of waste heat recovery technologies.
- The thrust of waste heat recovery technology is to make use of thermal energy normally discarded from a primary power conversion process. The discarded thermal energy, i.e., waste heat, can be harnessed to drive additional thermo-fluid processes that can yield additional energy, i.e., electricity.
- The prior art has developed many systems that can convert the waste heat into electrical power. Conventional waste heat systems are designed to recover waste heat and generate electrical power.
- Referring to Prior Art
FIG. 1 , the prior art waste heat recovery system directs a supply of waste heat measured at temperatures between 300° F. to 800° F. from a heat source to an evaporator (see numeral 1). The waste heat is transferred to a working fluid in the evaporator. The working fluid is evaporated; changes from a liquid to a vapor, in the evaporator and expanded through a turbine (see numeral 2). The expansion of the working fluid through the turbine drives the turbine. The turbine, in turn, drives an electric generator coupled to the turbine. The generator produces electrical power. The working fluid flows to a condenser and changes phase from vapor to a liquid (see numeral 3). The liquid working fluid is then pumped back to the evaporator and begins the cycle again (see numeral 4). The above described system employs the closed-loop Rankin cycle to produce electricity from a thermal energy source, such as waste heat. The waste heat can be recovered from engines, gas turbines, gas flares in landfills, industrial manufacturing processes that continuously produce thermal energy, incinerators, boilers, geothermal wells, bio-gas sources, and the like. - The above prior art example waste heat recovery system is large and requires costly turbine-generator sets. The turbine-generator sets are complex, expensive and require considerable maintenance expertise in order to reliably function continuously. These prior art systems also require high temperature heat of above 300° F.
- What is needed in the art is a waste heat recovery electrical generator system that includes simple and reliable cost efficient components at low cost and high efficiency that can be scaled for residential to industrial use.
- The following presents a simplified summary of the present invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the present invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the present invention or to delineate the scope of the present invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the present invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented herein.
- A simple, reliable, high efficiency low cost waste recovery generator system is disclosed. The system uses low temperature waste heat of about 140° F. to about 300° F. The system is easy to install and requires little maintenance. The system operates at low revolutions per minute (rpms), from about 800 rpms to about 10,000 rpms. The system can control vapor wetness through sensors connected to a microprocessor. The microprocessor controls the speed of the refrigerant feed pump using a VFD controller and can be scaled for residential to industrial use.
- A low grade waste heat recovery generator system is presented. The system comprises an expander generator set having a compressor rotatably coupled to a generator. The compressor rotates in a reverse direction to operate as an expander. The system also comprises a condenser fluidly coupled to the expander generator set, a refrigerant pump fluidly coupled to the condenser, an evaporator fluidly coupled to the refrigerant pump and the expander generator set, and a working fluid configured to flow from the evaporator to the expander generator set, to the condenser, and to the refrigerant pump in a closed loop Organic Rankin Cycle. The working fluid is heated to a temperature of about 140° F. to about 300° F.
- A method of operating a waste heat recovery generator system to generate electrical power from low grade waste heat is disclosed. The method comprises transferring thermal energy from a waste heat source to a working fluid in an evaporator. The working fluid is heated to a temperature of about 140° F. to about 300° F. The method also comprises expanding the working fluid through an expander generator set fluidly coupled to the evaporator. The expander generator set having a compressor rotatably coupled to a generator, in which the compressor rotates in a reverse direction to operate as an expander. The method also comprises rotating the expander to generate the electrical power in the generator and condensing the working fluid in a condenser fluidly coupled to the expander generator set. The method also comprises flowing the working fluid to a refrigerant pump fluidly coupled to the condenser and pumping the working fluid to the evaporator fluidly coupled to the refrigerant pump in a closed loop Organic Rankin Cycle.
- Referring now to the figures, wherein like elements are numbered alike:
-
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a prior art waste heat recovery system; -
FIG. 2 is an illustration of an exemplary waste heat recovery generator system; -
FIG. 3 is an illustration of an exemplary waste heat recovery generator system; -
FIG. 4 is an illustration of an exemplary scroll compressor; -
FIG. 5 is an illustration of an exemplary single screw compressor; and -
FIG. 6 is an illustration of yet an exemplary double screw compressor. - Persons of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following disclosure is illustrative only and not in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure.
- The disclosure describes an exemplary waste heat recovery generator system. The waste heat recovery generator system includes a cabinet that can be placed onsite and coupled to a waste heat source. A generator can mount directly in the cabinet. The generator cabinet contains an expander-generator expander set fluidly coupled to a condenser. The expander and condenser use a working fluid. The generator can also include a forced convection unit (i.e., numeral 72 in
FIG. 3 ) fluidly coupled to the condenser for forced convective cooling of the condenser heat exchanger. The expander and condenser are fluidly coupled to an evaporator and a working fluid collector respectively. The evaporator and the working fluid collector are located in the cabinet. The evaporator is thermally coupled to the waste heat source. The waste heat is thermally transferred to the working fluid in the evaporator. The evaporated working fluid is expanded through the expander thereby rotating the generator. The expander drives the generator and generates electricity. The working fluid is condensed in the condenser and returned by gravity to the working fluid collector in liquid phase and is delivered and metered to the evaporator. The expander can be a single screw compressor, a double screw compressor, or a scroll compressor modified to run in reverse, as described further herein. - Referring to
FIGS. 2 and 3 , exemplary waste heatrecovery generator systems 10 are illustrated. InFIG. 2 , the waste heatrecovery generator system 10 comprises acabinet 12 mounted on top of arecovery cabinet 14. The waste heatrecovery generator system 10 inputs waste heat and ambient air and outputs warm air and electrical power. Thecabinet 12 includes anenclosure 16 that houses and supports the components of thecabinet 12. A scroll compressor running in reverse becomes an expander generator set 18 and is mounted in thecabinet 12. The expander generator set 18 includes an expander and a generator. -
Waste heat 34 is controlled through a refrigerant feed pump (not shown), which can control vapor wetness through at least one sensor (not shown) connected to at least one microprocessor (not shown). The microprocessor (not shown) controls the speed of the refrigerant pump (not shown) using a variable frequency drive (VFD) controller (not shown). Thewaste heat 34 is directed to an evaporator 30 located in therecovery cabinet 14.Waste heat 34 is a term that generally covers various sources ofthermal energy 32 in a transfer medium (such as a fluid, a hot gas, hot water, and the like). Thewaste heat 34 can be supplied from a wide variety of sources including but not limited to: internal combustion engines, gas turbines, gas flares in landfills, industrial manufacturing processes that continuously produce thermal energy, incinerators, boilers, water heaters, geothermal wells, bio-gas sources, and the like. The waste heatrecovery generator system 10 of the present invention can convert low temperature waste heat 34 (i.e., waste heat at temperatures as low as about 140° F. to about 300° F.) into usable mechanical energy for conversion to electricity. - The evaporator 30 exchanges the
thermal energy 32 from thewaste heat 34 to the workingfluid 20. The evaporator 30 can be any variety ofheat exchanger 36 and fashioned to operate with thewaste heat 34. For example, if thewaste heat 34 is in the form of an internal combustion engine exhaust, theheat exchanger 36 can comprise a gas heat exchanger. Intermediate heat exchangers (not shown) can be employed to preheat the workingfluid 20 prior to entering the evaporator. - The working
fluid 20 heats in the evaporator 30 and changes phase from a liquid to a vapor or a gas. The workingfluid 20 can be any refrigerant (e.g., Honeywell refrigerant R-124 and R-245) compatible with the expander. The workingfluid 20 having gained thethermal energy 32 and having reached a higher energy state (i.e., vapor or gas), flows from the evaporator 30 to the expander generator set 18 and expands through the expander transferring the higher thermal energy into mechanical energy (or mechanical rotation). The workingfluid 20 expands through the expander spinning the generator and produces electricity. The generator is driven by the expander and rotates. By rotating the generator, electrical power is created. Although not specifically shown, the generator may run in parallel with the electrical grid, or run standalone. The generator can be electrically coupled to an electrical power supply and peripheral electronics to provide additional electrical power for use on-site or sent to the electrical utility grid. - As the working
fluid 20 leaves the expander, the workingfluid 20 flows to thecondenser 22. Thecondenser 22 is fluidly coupled to the expander of the expander generator set 18. Thecondenser 22 hascondenser plates 24 arranged within thegenerator cabinet 12, such that coolingair 26 can flow over thecondenser plates 24 removing thermal energy and discharging the thermal energy from thegenerator cabinet 12. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, thecondensers 22 are arranged along theenclosure 16 in a vertical orientation. Incorporating a means for convection 28 (e.g., a fan) can enhance the cooling ability of thecondenser 22. Thefan 28 can draw coolingair 26 across thecondenser plates 24 to provide a forced convective air current through thegenerator cabinet enclosure 16. Thefan 28 can also function to discharge the heated cooling air to the atmosphere. Thecondensers 22 can be any variety of condensers including, but not limited to, water-cooled, plate, tube and shell, tube and fin, and the like. - In the
condenser 22, the workingfluid 50 is returned to a liquid state and flows to a workingfluid receiver 38. The workingfluid receiver 38 includes at least onecollector container 40 configured to contain theliquid working fluid 20. In one embodiment, at least one three-way valve 42 is coupled to thecollector container 40 inlet,collector container 40 outlet and a workingfluid conduit 43. - In operation, the waste heat
recovery generator system 10 converts thethermal energy 32 supplied from a source ofwaste heat 34 into mechanical energy and then into electrical energy. The workingfluid 20 flows through the waste heatrecovery generator system 10 in a closed-loop Organic Rankin Cycle (ORC) system. The workingfluid 20 gainsthermal energy 32 in the evaporator 30 and undergoes a phase change from liquid to vapor (or gas). The workingfluid 20 expands through the expander, which transforms the thermal energy into mechanical energy. The mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy by the expander generator set 18. The workingfluid 20 flows to thecondenser 22 and again changes phase from a vapor (or a gas) back to a liquid. Theliquid working fluid 20 flows to the workingfluid collector 38 and is retained as a supply ofliquid working fluid 20 for the operation of the waste heatrecovery generator system 10. - In another embodiment presented in
FIG. 3 ,waste heat 44 is directed through piping 46 to anevaporator 48 of the waste heatrecovery generator system 10. As indicated above,waste heat 44 is a term that generally covers various sources of thermal energy in a transfer medium (such as a fluid, a hot gas, hot water, and the like). Thewaste heat 44 can be supplied from a wide variety of sources including but not limited to: internal combustion engines, gas turbines, gas flares in landfills, industrial manufacturing processes that continuously produce thermal energy, incinerators, boilers, water heaters, geothermal wells, bio-gas sources, and the like. The waste heatrecovery generator system 10 of the present invention can convert low temperature waste heat 44 (i.e., waste heat at temperatures as low as about 140° F. to about 300° F.) into usable mechanical energy for conversion to electricity. - A working
fluid 50 is pumped via a high pressurerefrigerant pump 52. Therefrigerant pump 52 can control vapor wetness of the workingfluid 50 utilizing at least one sensor (not shown) connected to at least one microprocessor (not shown), which controls the speed of therefrigerant pump 52. The workingfluid 52 is directed to theevaporator 48. Theevaporator 48 transfers the thermal energy fromwaste heat 44 to the workingfluid 50. In thepreheater 54, the workingfluid 50 is preheated to a temperature of about 180° F.; the resulting workingfluid 50 is directed to theevaporator 48. In theevaporator 48, the workingfluid 50 is heated to a temperature of about 300° F. Theevaporator 48 transfers thermal energy from thewaste heat 44 to the workingfluid 50. Theevaporator 48 can be any variety of heat exchanger and fashioned to operate with thewaste heat 44, including, but not limited to, plate, tube and shell, tube and fin, and the like. - The heated working
fluid 50 changes phase from a liquid to a vapor or a gas, preferably, a high pressure gas. The workingfluid 50 then flows to theexpander 56. The workingfluid 50 expands through theexpander 56 transferring the thermal energy into mechanical energy. Theexpander 56 can be a single screw compressor, a scroll compressor or a double screw compressor as illustrated inFIGS. 4, 5 , and 6. In the present invention, the single screw compressor, the scroll compressor or the double screw compressor are operated in reverse in order to become anexpander 56. InFIG. 4 , a scrollcompressor type expander 74 uses the workingfluid 50 to create mechanical rotation. The workingfluid 50 expands through thescroll compressor 74 in reverse, and transfers the mechanical energy to the generator also creating mechanical energy. InFIG. 5 , a single screwcompressor type expander 76 also uses the workingfluid 50 to create mechanical rotation. The workingfluid 50 expands through thesingle screw compressor 76 in reverse, and transfers the mechanical energy to the generator also creating mechanical energy. InFIG. 6 , a double screwcompressor type expander 78 also uses the workingfluid 50 to create mechanical rotation. The workingfluid 50 expands through thedouble screw compressor 78 in reverse, creating mechanical energy, which is transferred to the generator. - The
expander 56 is mechanically coupled to agenerator 58. Theexpander 56 creates mechanical rotation which is used by thegenerator 58 to generate electricity. The workingfluid 50 expands through theexpander 56 spinning thegenerator 58 to the generate electricity. Although not specifically shown, thegenerator 58 may run in parallel with the electricity grid, or run standalone. Thegenerator 58 can be electrically coupled to an electrical power supply and peripheral electronics to condition the electrical power for use on-site or in the electrical utility grid. - Upon exiting the
expander 56, the workingfluid 50 has been converted to a low pressure gas that flows to thecondenser 60 where it is cooled back to a liquid state and then flows by gravity to areceiver tank 62. Utilizing a refrigerant can enhance the cooling capabilities of thecondenser 60. Thereceiver tank 62 feeds the liquid to the high pressurerefrigerant pump 52. This is a closed loop ORC system. There is a modulatingcontrol valve 64 on a bypass/equalization line for workingfluid 50 flow rate control. Several three-way valves 66 are coupled throughout the system to control the flow through the system. Additionally, a safety bypass valve andsafety solenoid 68 can be installed in the system. - In operation, the waste heat
recovery generator system 10 converts the thermal energy supplied from a source ofwaste heat 44 into mechanical energy and then into electrical energy. The workingfluid 50 flows through the waste heatrecovery generator system 10 through a workingfluid conduit 70 in a closed-loop ORC system. The workingfluid 50 gains thermal energy in thepreheater 54 and theevaporator 48 and undergoes a phase change from a liquid to a vapor or a gas. The workingfluid 50 expands through theexpander 56 and transforms the thermal energy into mechanical energy. The mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy by thegenerator 58. The workingfluid 50 flows to thecondenser 60 and changes phase again from a vapor or a gas back to a liquid. Theliquid working fluid 50 flows to the workingfluid collector 62 and is retained for a supply ofliquid working fluid 50 for the continuation of the cycle in the waste heatrecovery generator system 10. - In each of these embodiments, the
expander 56 is created by operating the specific type of compressor in reverse. A conventionalexemplary scroll compressor 74 is presented inFIG. 4 . In conventional operation, a scroll compressor employs two identical,concentric scrolls first scroll 80 remains stationary as theother scroll 82 orbits around it. This movement draws fluid (i.e., liquid, gas or vapor) into the compression chamber and moves it through successively smaller “pockets” formed by the rotation of the scroll, until it reaches maximum pressure at the center of the chamber. At that point the fluid is released through a discharge port in the fixed scroll. In the present invention, when thescroll compressor 74 is operated in reverse, the function causes the fluid to expand thus becoming anexpander 56. - Referring now to
FIG. 5 , asingle screw compressor 76 has arotor 84. As therotor 84 rotates, fluid (i.e., liquid, gas or vapor) is forced through the grooves. The fluid expands through the compressor to expand, thus becoming anexpander 56. - Referring now to
FIG. 6 , adouble screw compressor 78 is illustrated. Themale rotor 86 and thefemale rotor 88 rotate counter to each other. As the lobes of each rotor travel past each inlet port, the fluid (i.e., liquid, gas or vapor) is trapped between consecutive lobes and the cylindrical casing. The fluid moves axially (forward) throughout the case towards the discharge port. The fluid expands through thedouble screw compressor 78 to expand, thus becoming anexpander 56. - The waste heat
recovery generator system 10 is self-contained and fully scalable for use in residential and commercial applications. The waste heatrecovery generator system 10 can be coupled to a cogenerator including an internal combustion engine and waste heat recovery unit, such that electrical power can be generated in the cogenerator as well as a portion of the thermal energy captured in the hot/jacket water subsystem and from the engine exhaust. The engine exhaust can then be used as the waste heat source for the waste heatrecovery generator system 10 to produce further electrical power. The waste heatrecovery generator system 10 of the present invention can convert low temperature waste heat (i.e., waste heat at temperatures as low as about 140° F. to about 300° F.) into usable mechanical energy for conversion to electricity. Ideally, the waste heat recovery generator system can be scaled to produce from about 3 kilowatts to about 1.5 megawatts of power. - While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention.
Claims (19)
1. A low grade waste heat recovery generator system comprising:
an expander generator set having a compressor rotatably coupled to a generator, said compressor rotates in a reverse direction to operate as an expander;
a condenser fluidly coupled to said expander generator set;
a refrigerant pump fluidly coupled to said condenser;
an evaporator fluidly coupled to said refrigerant pump and said expander generator set; and
a working fluid configured to flow from said evaporator to said expander generator set to said condenser and to said refrigerant pump in a closed loop Organic Rankin Cycle, wherein said working fluid is heated to a temperature of about 140° F. to about 300° F.
2. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 1 , wherein said compressor is selected from the group consisting of a single screw compressor, a scroll compressor, and a double screw compressor.
3. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 1 , wherein said working fluid changes state in said evaporator to at least one of liquid to gas and liquid to vapor; and wherein said working fluid changes state in said condenser to at least one of gas to liquid and vapor to liquid.
4. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 1 , wherein said working fluid expands through said expander.
5. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one sensor coupled to said refrigerant pump, said at least one sensor configured to detect vapor wetness; and
at least one microprocessor coupled to said refrigerant pump, said at least one microprocessor configured to control operation of said refrigerant pump.
6. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a working fluid collector coupled between said condenser and said refrigerant pump.
7. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 1 , wherein said expander rotates said generator to generate electricity.
8. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a forced convection unit fluidly coupled to said condenser configured to provide forced convective cooling of said condenser.
9. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a preheater fluidly coupled to said evaporator and said refrigerant pump.
10. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 1 , wherein said evaporator is thermally coupled to a waste heat source and configured to transfer thermal energy from said waste heat source to said working fluid.
11. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 10 , wherein said waste heat source is selected from the group consisting of internal combustion engine, gas turbines, gas flares in landfills, industrial manufacturing processes, incinerators, boilers, geothermal wells and bio-gas.
12. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 1 , wherein said expander operates at about 800 rpms to about 10,000 rpms.
13. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 1 , wherein said expander generator set is disposed in a generator cabinet and is fluidly coupled to a recovery cabinet housing at least said condenser and said evaporator.
14. The low grade waste heat recovery generator system of claim 13 , wherein said generator cabinet is mounted on top of said recovery cabinet forming an integrated enclosure.
15. A method of operating a waste heat recovery generator system to generate electrical power from low grade waste heat comprising:
transferring thermal energy from a waste heat source to a working fluid in an evaporator, said working fluid is heated to a temperature of about 140° F. to about 300° F.;
expanding said working fluid through an expander generator set fluidly coupled to said evaporator, said expander generator set having a compressor rotatably coupled to a generator, said compressor rotates in a reverse direction to operate as an expander;
rotating said expander to generate the electrical power in said generator;
condensing said working fluid in a condenser fluidly coupled to said expander generator set; and
flowing said working fluid to a refrigerant pump fluidly coupled to said condenser; and
pumping said working fluid to said evaporator fluidly coupled to said refrigerant pump in a closed loop Organic Rankin Cycle.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said compressor is selected from the group consisting of a single screw compressor, a scroll compressor, and a double screw compressor.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
coupling at least one microprocessor to said refrigerant pump, said at least one microprocessor configured to control operation of said refrigerant pump.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said refrigerant pump comprises at least one sensor configured to detect vapor wetness.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
cooling said condenser with a forced convection unit.
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US11/407,555 US20060236698A1 (en) | 2005-04-20 | 2006-04-19 | Waste heat recovery generator |
PCT/US2006/015027 WO2006113902A2 (en) | 2005-04-20 | 2006-04-20 | Waste heat recovery generator |
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US67354205P | 2005-04-20 | 2005-04-20 | |
US11/407,555 US20060236698A1 (en) | 2005-04-20 | 2006-04-19 | Waste heat recovery generator |
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