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Refrigerant powered valve for a geothermal power plant

A refrigerant and pneumatic valve technology, applied in refrigerators, refrigeration and liquefaction, mechanisms for generating mechanical power, etc., can solve problems such as damage to turbine rotors

Inactive Publication Date: 2011-08-24
UNITED TECH CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Further, with such a supplemental pressure source, it is possible to operate the valve at times, when conditions are not conducive to normal turbine operation, thus possibly causing damage to the turbine rotor due to entrained fluid
There are currently no electric actuators available that fulfill such functional requirements

Method used

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  • Refrigerant powered valve for a geothermal power plant
  • Refrigerant powered valve for a geothermal power plant
  • Refrigerant powered valve for a geothermal power plant

Examples

Experimental program
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Embodiment Construction

[0011] figure 1 Shown is a geothermal power plant 11 comprising a turbine 12 , a condenser 13 , a pump 14 , and an evaporator / boiler 16 . The power station 11 is designed to operate using an organic refrigerant, such as R245fa or the like, as a working fluid in the form of refrigerant vapor that passes from the evaporator 16 to the evaporator 17 for driving a generator 17 to generate electricity. The turbines are cycled through the system in series. The resulting low-energy vapor is then passed to a condenser 13 and the resulting condensate is then pumped by a pump 14 to an evaporator 16 .

[0012] The heat source 18 for the evaporator 16 may be of any suitable type such as a naturally occurring geothermal source, or a heat source such as a gas turbine exhaust. Similarly, a heat sink 19 such as a cooling tower or chiller is provided for the purpose of supplying cooling water to the condenser 13 .

[0013] A turbine inlet valve 21 is provided on the main flow line 15 between...

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Abstract

A vapor expansion system includes a normally closed pneumatic valve between the evaporator and the turbine inlet, with the valve being selectively actuated by the flow of refrigerant vapor from the evaporator so as to enable opening the valve only during periods in which sufficient pressure has built up in the evaporator to properly operate the turbine. A bypass line has a normally open pneumatic valve with an actuator that is similarly caused to operate by pressurized refrigerant vapor from the evaporator. Both actuators are vented to the condenser such that the refrigerant vapor vented from the actuator does not escape to ambient.

Description

technical field [0001] The disclosure of the present application relates generally to geothermal power plants, and more particularly, the disclosure of the present application relates to a method and apparatus for operating a turbine inlet and its bypass valve. Background technique [0002] In order to effectively utilize geothermal energy such as naturally occurring at various locations on the earth, a closed-loop vapor expansion system is employed, which includes an evaporator / boiler, turbine, condenser and pump, and heat from a geothermal source is used in the evaporator / Boilers to heat the working fluid before it goes to the turbines used to generate electricity. Most commonly, a refrigerant is used as the working fluid, and the system is called an Organic Rankine Cycle System. One such system is shown and described in US Patent 7,174,716, assigned to the prior assignee of this patent application. [0003] During the evaporator / boiler either on-line or off-line, such ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(China)
IPC IPC(8): F03G7/06F01K25/08F25B15/00
CPCF01K25/10
Inventor P·S·马特森M·D·阿纳
Owner UNITED TECH CORP