Ambient temperature thermal adapter for supercritical carbon dioxide power cycle

Abstract

A refrigeration cycle is connected to a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycle by incorporating a CO2 condenser which is also the refrigeration cycle evaporator. The heat rejected by the carbon dioxide is absorbed by the refrigerant in the CO2 condenser. Work is done on the refrigerant to raise its temperature above the local ambient temperature. The heat absorbed from the power cycle and the work required to raise the refrigerant temperature is rejected to the ambient environment, which may be either air, earth, or water. This results in improved efficiencies in carbon dioxide power cycles without regard to the ambient temperature by forcing a transcritical phase change even when ambient temperatures are above the carbon dioxide critical point. A two-phase heat transfer on both sides of the CO2 condenser further improves efficiency of the sCO2 power cycle.