Recirculating Heat Pump Turbine with Turbocharger and Water Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air engines require internal electric heaters to superheat the working fluid, which limits efficiency and power output, and there is a need for improved designs that can generate high heat without these heaters.
Innovation Solution
An improved air engine with a super-heated, self-compressed rotary turbine featuring a greater number of expansion chambers and an enhanced radial compressor supercharger, utilizing supercharged air flow to superheat the working fluid, eliminating the need for internal heaters, and incorporating a turbocharger and water injection system to enhance power output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If internal electric heaters are used to superheat the working fluid, then the working fluid can be heated, but the efficiency and power output are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electric heating system with a mechanical compression system. The compressor mechanically compresses the working fluid, and the compression process itself generates the heat needed for superheating, eliminating the need for electric heaters and significantly improving power output efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the method of heating from thermal energy input (electric heaters) to mechanical energy input (compression). By changing the physical parameter of how heat is generated - from resistive heating to adiabatic compression heating - the system achieves higher efficiency and power output
2Productivity
If the number of expansion chambers is increased, then the air flow volume and power output increase, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine is divided into multiple expansion chambers (16 chambers as specified in the patent) arranged in a circular pattern. Each chamber independently expands the working fluid, and the segmented design allows for increased total expansion capacity while maintaining a compact rotational structure that doesn't linearly increase overall system complexity
3Power
If a turbocharger and water injection system are added, then the shaft power and torque increase by 250%, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the turbocharger and water injection system into an integrated configuration where the turbocharger compresses intake air and the water injection system adds moisture to the compressed air before it enters the combustion chamber. This combined approach maximizes power output increase (250% as stated) while consolidating components to manage system complexity
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 design increases torque and shaft power by up to 250% and allows for a more efficient steam engine operation, achieving a power output enhancement of up to 1800 times without the need for a boiler, resulting in a highly efficient and clean energy system.
Implementation Method 1
The compression caused by the turbine rotation also increases temperature
Implementation Method 2
A water injection system may be further provided for adding steam to the working fluid reticulation circuit
Implementation Method 3
a power output shaft providing rotation power output generated from a change in entropy of the combines air-steam working fluid through the turbine
Data Source
AI summary
An improved steam engine is provided for operating on a recirculation of superheated air and steam. A gas turbine is including having a first intake, a first discharge and a power output shaft, said power output shaft providing rotation power output generated from a change in entropy of the gas through the turbine. A power turbine superheats the gas discharge and includes a turbocharger in operational communication with an electric DC motor, and a compressor mechanically driven by the turbocharger. The discharge from the compressor forms the turbine steam intake. A water injection system may be further provided for adding steam to the air recirculating circuit. A drive motor operatively coupled to the turbine may be used for startup to bring the turbine up to operational rotation speeds. A DC generator operatively coupled to recharge a battery driving the drive motor or for providing electrical power output.