Recirculating Noble Gas Power Cycle for High Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current power conversion cycles, such as those in gas turbines and internal combustion engines, are limited by the specific heat ratio of air, leading to inefficiencies, and existing energy storage methods like batteries and compressed air storage are costly or inefficient, while carbon capture technologies face challenges with carbonaceous fuels.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of recirculating noble gas combustion power cycles with features like high intake/exhaust pressure, late or early intake valve closure, direct injection of fuel and oxidizer, sensible heat recovery, and carbon dioxide separation, allowing for high thermal efficiency and low energy costs, as well as integration with existing engines or new designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ambient air is used as working fluid in combustion cycles, then the system is simple and inexpensive, but the thermal efficiency is limited by the specific heat ratio of air (1.4)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the working fluid from diatomic air (specific heat ratio 1.4) to monoatomic noble gases (specific heat ratio 1.66), thereby fundamentally altering the thermodynamic parameters of the cycle to achieve higher thermal efficiency while maintaining system operability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces inert noble gases (argon, helium, neon, krypton, or xenon) as the working fluid instead of reactive air, creating an inert atmosphere that enables superior thermodynamic performance through higher specific heat ratio while avoiding combustion-related issues with oxygen
2Use of energy by moving object
If recirculating monoatomic gas cycles are implemented, then thermal efficiency increases by factor of 1.3-1.4, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the recirculating noble gas system to serve multiple functions: the noble gas acts as both the working fluid for power generation and the oxidizer for combustion, eliminating the need for separate air intake and exhaust systems, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite the advanced thermodynamic cycle
Solution Approach 2:
The recirculating noble gas system uses the exhaust gases to preheat the incoming noble gas through a heat exchanger, enabling sensible heat recovery that improves thermal efficiency while reducing the energy required for heating, making the system self-sufficient in thermal management
3Object-generated harmful factors
If hydrogen is used as fuel with oxygen as oxidizer, then combustion byproduct is water which is easy to remove, but nitric oxide emissions occur in gas turbines and efficiency is limited by material strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces reactive oxygen from air with inert noble gas as the oxidizer, eliminating the formation of nitric oxide emissions that occur in conventional gas turbines burning hydrogen in air, while the noble gas atmosphere prevents unwanted chemical reactions and enables higher operating temperatures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the oxidizer from oxygen (which limits temperature due to material strength and NOx formation) to noble gases that allow higher combustion temperatures and pressures, thereby increasing thermal efficiency without the constraints of material strength or emissions
4Productivity
If carbonaceous fuels are burned in air, then combustion is efficient, but carbon capture is difficult and energy costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses inert noble gas instead of air as the oxidizer for carbonaceous fuel combustion, creating a controlled atmosphere where the only combustion products are water and carbon dioxide, making carbon capture significantly easier and less energy-intensive compared to burning in air where nitrogen must also be separated
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a carbon dioxide separation unit that extracts CO2 from the combustion exhaust stream, enabling efficient carbon capture because the noble gas atmosphere ensures CO2 is the only carbon-containing product, simplifying the separation process and reducing energy costs
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach achieves high thermal efficiency, low costs, and efficient carbon capture, enabling effective energy storage and conversion, particularly in hydrogen energy storage systems, with improved load-following and frequency regulation, and integration with variable generation portfolios.
Implementation Method 1
intake preheating using exhaust gases, sensible heat recovery
Implementation Method 2
a condenser to remove combustion products and dissolved trace contaminant gases
Data Source
AI summary
The present technology provides embodiments of recirculating noble gas combustion power cycles and systems including engines utilizing these power cycles. Embodiments of the cycles may include a combination of a high intake/exhaust pressure, very late or early intake valve closure, late exhaust valve opening, intake preheating using exhaust gases, sensible heat recovery, direct injection of fuel and/or oxidizer, and a condenser to remove combustion products and dissolved trace contaminant gases. An engine operating on these principles could provide motive force for electrical production, for example at power plants, or for transit, for example for ship engines. An engine operating with the cycles disclosed herein has high thermal efficiency and low cost. For example an argon power cycle using natural gas feedstock and cryogenic oxygen air separation could exceed 60% overall efficiency.