Battelle Memorial Institute

Gas Research Institute

Battelle Development Corporation

Energetix Micropower Limited

Donald Anson

Paul E George, Ii

William H Wilkinson

Timothy J Sullivan

William Thompson Hanna

Steve Grimes

David A Ball

Douglas Dickson

Michael J Grassi

John Gordon Coll

George Henry Stickford, Jr

Kurt Creamer

An integrated system to provide both heat and electric power. The integrated, or cogeneration, system operates with an organic working fluid that circulates in a Rankine-type cycle, where the organic working fluid is superheated by a heat source, expanded through an involute spiral wrap (scroll) expander such that the organic working fluid remains superheated through the expander, cooled in a condenser, and pressurized by a pump. Heat exchange loops within the system define hot water production capability for use in space heating and domestic hot water, while the generator is coupled to the scroll expander to generate electricity.

Integrated micro combined heat and power system

An involute spiral wrap scroll-type device uses two pairs of spiral wrap members connected together at opposite ends of a common rotational shaft. The device can be operated in either an expansion mode or a combination hybrid mode where each pair of spiral wrap members functions as a compressor and expander, respectively. In an expansion mode, electric current is produced via generator electrically responsive to shaft rotation. In hybrid mode, a first spiral wrap member pair functions as an expander with the second spiral wrap member pair functioning as a compressor. In this mode, the balance of shaft power between that produced by the expander and that absorbed by the compressor is either supplied by the motor/generator functioning as a motor, or converted into electricity by the motor/generator functioning as a generator. The housing can be hermetically sealed, thus promoting contamination-free operation. A throttle valve is used to control shaft rotational speed and to regulate the electric current output of the motor/generator. A differential pressure valve is used to control adverse pressure conditions in the spiral wrap members. At least one of the orbiting scrolls can be used to drive a pump. A heat exchanger is used in conjunction with a stator on the motor/generator.

Involute spiral wrap device

An open steam generator system is disclosed which comprises a substantially enclosed vessel having an opening for exhausting steam generated and an opening for draining residual water from the vessel. Within the vessel also is a heat exchange coil having a heat transfer fluid circulating through its runs. The vessel also includes an injector for spraying water onto the heating coil to form steam. The disclosed steam generator achieves tolerance for low water quality by minimizing surface areas in contact with water. In addition, the system promotes self-cleaning of heat exchange surfaces using thermal shock to dislodge scale deposits.

Steam generator

A perforated drum (10) rotates in a coaxial cylindrical housing (18) having three circumferential ports (19,22,23), and an axial outlet (24) at one end. The axis (11) is horizontal. A fibrous filter medium (20) is fed through a port (19) on or near the top of the housing (81) by a distributing mechanism (36) which lays a uniform mat (26) of the desired thickness onto the rotating drum (10). This mat (26) is carried by the drum (10) to a second port (23) through which dirty fluid (13) enters. The fluid (13) passes through the filter (26) and the cleaned stream (16) exits through the open end (15) of the drum (10) and the axial port (24) in the housing (18). The dirty filter material (20) is carried on to a third port (22) near the bottom of the housing (18) and drops into a receiver (31) from which it is continuously removed, cleaned (30), and returned (32) to the charging port (36) at the top. To support the filter mat, the perforated cylinder may carry a series of tines (40), shaped blades (41), or pockets, so that the mat (26) will not fall from the drum (10) prematurely. To minimize risk of mat failure, the fluid inlet port (23) may be located above the horizontal centerline (11).

Rotating drum filter

An entrained bed combustor may provide constant temperature, superheated steam to a power generating steam turbine independent of the load on the turbine. In a conventional utility boiler heat is transferred in series to the steam generator, superheater and reheater. With the present invention these components may be run in parallel with heat transfer from the entrained bed particles enabling faster start-up and a turn-down capability without a reduction in the superheated steam temperature.

Controlling steam temperature to turbines

Growing community of inventors

Worthington, OH, United States of America

Donald Anson