Man Truck & Bus Ag

Man Truck & Bus Osterreich Ag

Raimund Almbauer

Roland Kalb

Josef Klammer

Roland Kirchberger

Embodiments of the invention relate to a method for operating a steam cycle process performed in an apparatus having an evaporator or steam generator for the evaporation of a liquid working medium and an expander, which is lubricated by a lubricant, for the performance of mechanical work. The method comprises a) supplying the liquid working medium to the evaporator, in which it evaporates and is fed to the expander in the form of steam; b) supplying an ionic liquid, which at room temperature forms two liquid phases with the liquid working medium, to the expander as a lubricant; and c) separating the ionic liquid forming the lubricant for the expander from the working medium upstream of the evaporator.

Method and apparatus for operating a steam cycle process with a lubricated expander

A method of operating a piston expander, including introducing live steam into a cylinder space via an inlet valve; expanding the live steam during a power stroke in which a piston moves from an upper dead center position to a lower dead center position; opening an outlet opening as soon as the piston is in the region of the lower dead center position; after the piston reaches the lower dead center position, conveying the expanded steam out of the outlet opening and into a steam discharge; and subsequently closing the outlet opening before the piston in an exhaust stroke reaches the lower dead center position.

Growing community of inventors

Graz, Austria

Raimund Almbauer