Method and apparatus for implementing a thermodynamic cycle using a fluid of changing concentration

Patent · Tue May 06 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5625936

Kalina, A I

A method is described of generating usable energy comprising the steps of: vaporizing, at an upper intermediate pressure, only part of an initial multi-component working fluid stream having lower and higher temperature boiling components to form a first vapor fraction, the first vapor fraction being enriched with the lower boiling temperature component; mixing the first vapor fraction with a part of the initial working fluid stream and absorbing it therein to produce a rich solution enriched relatively to the initial working fluid stream with respect to the lower temperature boiling component, and using a remaining part of the initial working fluid stream as a lean solution which is impoverished relatively to the rich solution with respect to the lower temperature boiling component; increasing the pressure of the rich solution to a charged high pressure level and evaporating the rich solution to produce a charged gaseous main working fluid; expanding the charged gaseous main working fluid to a spent low pressure level to transform its energy into usable form; cooling and condensing the spent main working fluid by absorbing it in a lean solution at the spent low pressure level to form a distillation fluid; increasing the pressure of the condensed fluid to a lower intermediate pressure; forming from a part of the lean solution a second vapor fraction enriched with the lower boiling temperature component with respect to the condensed fluid; mixing the second vapor fraction with the distillation fluid to form a mixture; and increasing the pressure of the mixture to upper intermediate pressure to form the initial multicomponent working fluid stream.

• Assignee: NOV; EDB-86-120687; NOV-85-013138
• Patent Number(s): US 4586340
• OSTI ID: 5625936
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
425000* -- Engineering-- Power Cycles-- (1980-)
BOILING POINTS
CONTROL
COOLING
DISPERSIONS
DISTILLATION
EVAPORATION
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GASES
MIXING
MIXTURES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PRESSURE CONTROL
PRESSURE EFFECTS
QUANTITY RATIO
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
VAPORS
WORKING FLUIDS