Isothermal power system

Abstract

This invention provides means for producing power by using isothermal compressors and isothermal expanders. One embodiment has an isothermal compressor that compresses air (or other gas), passes the air through a counter-flow heat exchanger, which heats the air, uses the heated air to drive an isothermal expander for power generation, and passes the expander exhaust back through the counter-flow heat exchanger to heat the input air to the expander. Another embodiment has a boiler that produces vapor that flows through a counter-flow heat exchanger to superheat the vapor. The vapor then flows through an isothermal expander for power generation. The exhaust from the isothermal expander flows back through the counter-flow heat exchanger to supply heat to super heat the vapor coming from the boiler. The description presents several devices that can perform at near isothermal conditions, including a modified Tesla turbine.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This Continuation in Part application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. patent Utility application Ser. No. 12 / 104,797, filed Apr. 17, 2008, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Most of the heat engines in use today use adiabatic expansion of gases to produce power. The Rankine, Brayton, Otto cycles, and others use adiabatic expansions, and some of them also use adiabatic compressions. This disclosure shows that isothermal expansion and compression have some important efficiency advantages.[0003]The isothermal cycle can use a working fluid such as water, ammonia, or propylene that are boiled and then expanded isothermally in an engine to produce power. The vapors are then condensed back to a liquid to repeat the cycle. It can also use a gas such as air or helium that can be compressed isothermally, heated, and then expanded isothermally in an engine that drives an electr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The patent describes a new type of engine that uses heat to compress and expand gases. This engine has several advantages over traditional engines. First, it can transfer heat quickly to and from the gas, allowing for quicker expansion and compression of the gas. Second, it can produce more output energy because it can compress the gas to a larger volume and then expand it to a higher pressure. The engine uses a heat exchanger to transfer heat from the gas during compression and to the gas during expansion. This allows for isothermal expansion, which means the gas is at the same temperature as the input heat. The engine is designed to use the heat from the gas in a more efficient way than traditional engines. The patent also provides performance calculations for the engine and compares it to a Rankine cycle steam engine. The isothermal engine has better performance and efficiency, especially in applications where the temperature of the gas is high."

Problems solved by technology

This cannot be done with an adiabatic expander, because the vapor exhaust from the adiabatic expander is normally cooler than the superheat temperature.

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