Power plants – Motive fluid energized by externally applied heat – Power system involving change of state
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-15
2003-02-11
Nguyen, Hoang (Department: 3748)
Power plants
Motive fluid energized by externally applied heat
Power system involving change of state
C060S677000, C060S653000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06516617
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of heat transformation by means of a vortex unit, in which a steam flow and in particular a saturated steam flow is divided in the vortex unit into a heated partial flow and into a cooled partial flow and condensation takes place in the cooled partial flow.
2. Discussion of Background Information
German laid-open application (DE-OS) No 43 43 088 discloses a condensation-type vortex tube which serves for drying, separating and superheating saturated or wet steam. That vortex tube is characterised by the following features:
a) the saturated steam or wet steam is introduced by way of an intake nozzle tangentially to the cross-section of a vortex tube portion, forming a swirl flow, partially condensed there, and separates under the effect of the force of gravity into a hot flow which flows away upwardly and which comprises superheated dry steam and a cold flow which flows away downwardly through a tapering funnel-like tube, the cold flow comprising condensate and cold steam; and
b) the cold steam is passed through a rib-type cooling tube, collected in a condensated collecting container therebeneath and discharged by way of a condensate discharge.
The article ‘
Woher nehmen Tornados ihre Energie
?’, the journal ‘Implosion’ issue 30, 1968, pages 11 to 20, explains the relationships and conditions involved in the case of cyclones and tornadoes in such a way that in cyclones or tornadoes the flowing medium circles at an increasing angular speed in ever tighter turns around a so-called suction funnel and in so doing rolls in, in which case the vapor-air mixture is so-to-speak wrung out, the humidity in the air condenses and precipitates in the form of rain. In that situation the heat of condensation which is liberated is in part converted into kinetic and electrical energy and urged outwardly from the center where it precedes the tornado for example in the form of a wave of heat. That heat can be used in order to evaporate the condensate, after a rise in pressure, at a higher temperature level, in order to achieve working gradients.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention reduces exhaust steam losses and thus losses in respect of efficiency, in particular in the case of condensation power plants. The present invention also improves the utilization of heat in relation to district heating heat production, desalination installations, the production of water or the like.
Based on the heat transformation described in the opening part of this specification by means of a vortex unit in accordance with the invention, the condensate, after an increase in pressure by a pump, absorbs the heat of the heated partial flow and evaporates, and the steam, after work is done in a turbine, is recycled to the vortex flow.
The article ‘Die Expansion von Gasen im Zentrifugalfeld als Kälteprozess’ by Rudolf Hilsch in the Zeitschrift für Naturforschung 1946, pages 208-214, describes the structure and the mode of operation of a vortex tube operated with air. If the vortex tube is charged with vapor, in particular steam, then condensation of the cold partial flow is to be expected, in which case the increase in pressure of the condensate by means of a pump is much more energy-advantageous than the increase in the air pressure in the vortex tube by means of compressors. The pressure drop can now also be made economical by virtue of saturated steam production. In that case the heat of the hot flow component of the edge zone is transmitted to the condensate of the core flow whose evaporation temperature is set by means of the saturated steam pressure to the highest possible level in order to achieve a maximum pressure drop which is worked off in a turbine to the intake pressure of the vortex tube. There, the process can begin afresh. In that case the condensate is passed on the outside around the heated edge zone of the vortex tube, absorbs the heat thereof and evaporates.
Other vortex units and so-called rolling-in units are known from a number of Schauberger patents. These are predominantly intended for gaseous media or water without a change in the state of aggregation of the medium. The use of steam, preferably saturated steam, leads to the expectation of a much greater change in volume due to condensation and a higher level of conversion of heat than when using compressed air. A higher temperature rise will occur and it is of advantage in regard to the level of the attainable saturated steam pressure on the secondary side.
The steam intake is effected approximately tangentially into a vessel which tapers downwardly and whose shape corresponds to an egg or a funnel. The condensate is carried away downwardly. The speed of rotary movement with which the steam flow, advancing in spiral vortices, passes through the longitudinal axis of the rolling-in unit, is of major influence. In order to achieve the optimum effect of separation into a core flow with condensation and into an external flow with the highest possible temperature rise, it is necessary to try out the effect of a slight inclined positioning of the tangential intake tube, as well as the magnitude of the intake speed with or without nozzle.
The apparatus dimensions are to be designed for relatively large amounts of steam. It can be ascertained by means of tests whether in basic use the Schauberger unit with the same flow direction for hot and cold partial flows or the vortex tube principle with opposite directions in respect of the discharge flow of the core zone and the edge zone exhibits the better effect.
If the basic starting point adopted is existing condensation power plants, preferably wet steam is to be used therefrom, from the vacuum area, for example 0.2 bar (ts~60° C.) at about 0.7 bar (ts~39° C.) condensation pressure. That gives a pressure ratio of almost 3 for relief in the rolling-in unit. The aim here is a maximum level of topping power of the existing turbine whose power would only be limited in the vacuum area.
The following turbine procedure is to be designed in accordance with the respectively attainable secondary steam pressure of about 15 bars (ts~198° C.) or higher, for example 60 bars (ts~275° C.). If the secondary steam were to convert 20% of the transformed heat of condensation transmitted thereto, then about 5 through-passages would be required in order to convert that heat transmitted in that situation completely into electrical energy.
This simplified representation takes no account of the fact that, when the steam flow is divided up, in terms of the proportions involved, only the path of the cold flow is involved, by way of condensate and secondary steam. In the case of the vortex tube however consideration is to be given to the ratio of the cold flow to the total flow. Which division results in the optimum temperature increase is to be ascertained experimentally.
The vortex tube measurements exhibit a residual increased pressure at the hot end of the tube, whereas relief of the cold air component is to atmospheric pressure. The remaining temperature of the hot flow is substantially dependent on the extent to which that hot flow is cooled down in production of the secondary steam. Conduction of the heat is effected continuously by way of the hot flow.
In regard to the further path of the hot flow component, simply working off the pressure drop which is obtained at the dynamic pressure pi will be of less use. Therefore it is repetition of the described process in the vortex unit that presents itself. It will be appreciated that for that purpose the pressure of the first through-passage must be raised from about 0.2 bar to about 0.6 bar so that for a second subsequent through-passage there still remains a sufficient pressure drop with which the hot flow component which is relieved from 0.6 bar to 0. 2 bar—in addition to dynamic pressure—can continue to be relieved to 0.07 bar.
If in both cases a division factor of 0.5 is assumed to apply, then after division twice after the second passage 25% remains as the hot flow component
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Nguyen Hoang
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