U.S. patent application number 13/203230 was filed with the patent office on 2012-07-26 for high temperature sensible heat recovery system.
Invention is credited to James Charles Juranitch, Thomas R. Juranitch.
Application Number | 20120186783 13/203230 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42665815 |
Filed Date | 2012-07-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120186783 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Juranitch; James Charles ;
et al. |
July 26, 2012 |
High Temperature Sensible Heat Recovery System
Abstract
Heat is reclaimed from a high temperature gasifier exhaust gas
of between 250.degree. C. and 20000C. A first duct receives the
exhaust gas, and outputs it at a reduced temperature. A second duct
receives a heat transfer fluid and outputs it at an elevated
temperature. A heat transfer arrangement conducts heat extracted
from the product gas to the heat transfer fluid (steam), thereby
elevating the temperature of the heat transfer fluid. A heat pipe
formed of sodium, potassium, rubidium, or lithium, has a first end
for communicating with the high temperature exhaust gas and a
second end for communicating with the heat transfer fluid. The heat
pipe has an envelope formed of a selectable combination of
stainless steel, Inconel, nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, niobium,
carbon, carbon composite, and Hastelloy X, and a safety valve that
ensures safe operation. An adiabatic zone is interposed between the
first and second ducts.
Inventors: |
Juranitch; James Charles;
(Ft. Lauderdale, FL) ; Juranitch; Thomas R.;
(DelRay Beach, FL) |
Family ID: |
42665815 |
Appl. No.: |
13/203230 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
February 24, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US10/00566 |
371 Date: |
April 9, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61271336 |
Jul 20, 2009 |
|
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61208483 |
Feb 24, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.19 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02P 20/124 20151101;
F22B 1/165 20130101; C10J 3/86 20130101; F28D 21/0001 20130101;
Y02E 20/30 20130101; C10J 2300/1238 20130101; C10J 2300/1884
20130101; F23J 15/06 20130101; Y02E 20/363 20130101; Y02P 20/10
20151101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.19 |
International
Class: |
F28D 15/00 20060101
F28D015/00 |
Claims
1. A system for reclaiming heat, the system comprising a heat
transfer arrangement for transferring heat from a high temperature
exhaust gas of a gasifier to a working fluid, and thereby
reclaiming high temperature sensible heat from the high temperature
exhaust has of the gasifier.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gasifier is a plasma
gassifier.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the high temperature exhaust gas
is characterized by a temperature of approximately between 250 C
and 2000 C.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said heat transfer arrangement
comprises: a first duct having an inlet for receiving the high
temperature exhaust gas, and an outlet for exhausting the high
temperature exhaust gas at a reduced temperature; a second duct
having an inlet for receiving a heat transfer fluid and an outlet
for exhausting the heat transfer fluid at an elevated temperature;
and a heat transfer arrangement for conducting heat extracted from
the product gas in said first duct to the heat transfer fluid in
said second duct, to elevate the temperature of the heat transfer
fluid.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the heat transfer fluid is
steam.
6. The system of claim 4, wherein said heat transfer arrangement
comprises a heat pipe formed of a selectable combination of sodium,
potassium, rubidium, and lithium, said heat pipe having a first end
for communicating with the high temperature exhaust gas in said
first duct, and a second end for communicating with the heat
transfer fluid in said second duct.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein said heat pipe further comprises
an envelope formed of stainless steel.
8. The system of claim 6, wherein said heat pipe further comprises
an envelope formed of Inconel.
9. The system of claim 6, wherein said heat pipe further comprises
an envelope formed of nickel.
10. The system of claim 6, wherein said heat pipe further comprises
an envelope formed of molybdenum.
11. The system of claim 6, wherein said heat pipe further comprises
an envelope formed of tungsten.
12. The system of claim 6, wherein said heat pipe further comprises
an envelope formed of niobium.
13. The system of claim 6, wherein said heat pipe further comprises
an envelope formed of a selectable combination of carbon and carbon
composite.
14. The system of claim 6, wherein said heat pipe further comprises
an envelope formed of Hastelloy X.
15. The system of claim 6, wherein there is further provided a
safety valve associated with said heat pipe for ensuring safe
operation.
16. The system of claim 6, wherein there is further provided a heat
transfer fin in said first duct for enhancing the transfer of heat
from the high temperature exhaust gas to said heat pipe.
17. The system of claim 6, wherein there is further provided an
adiabatic zone interposed between said first and second ducts.
Description
RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/208,483, filed Feb. 24, 2009, and further
claims the benefit of United States Provisional Patent Application
Ser. No. 61/271,336 filed on Jul. 20, 2009 (Foreign Filing License
Granted), Confirmation No. 7614. The disclosures of these
provisional patent applications are incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates generally to power generation
systems, and more particularly, to a system for reclaiming high
temperature sensible heat from the gaseous exhaust of a
conventional or plasma gasifier arrangement.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] In the current energy environment there is increasing desire
to use renewable, or carbon neutral, energy sources. In the process
of using these energy sources gasification processes are commonly
used to produce syngas. Sometimes plasma is used for the
gasification heat source, resulting in syngas exit temperatures
that routinely reach 1250.degree. C. Occasionally, higher exit
temperatures are achieved depending upon the characteristics of the
feedstock being consumed and other process variables. It has been a
challenge to reclaim this high temperature sensible heat energy
without resorting to complex systems of the type presently used in
the nuclear power industry.
[0006] It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a
simple, low cost, highly efficient system of reclaiming high
temperature sensible heat energy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The foregoing and other objects are achieved by this
invention which provides a system for reclaiming heat, the system
comprising a heat transfer arrangement for transferring heat from a
high temperature exhaust gas of a gasifier to a working fluid, and
thereby reclaiming high temperature sensible heat from the high
temperature exhaust gas of the gasifier.
[0008] The invention provides a method and system for converting
high temperature heat energy into a useful product for processes
such as electricity production, while minimizing the process carbon
footprint.
[0009] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the high
temperature exhaust gas is characterized by a temperature of
approximately between 250.degree. C. and 2000.degree. C.
[0010] In one embodiment of the invention, the heat transfer
arrangement is provided with a first duct having an inlet for
receiving the high temperature exhaust gas, and an outlet for
exhausting the high temperature exhaust gas at a reduced
temperature. Additionally, a second duct has an inlet for receiving
a heat transfer fluid and an outlet for exhausting the heat
transfer fluid at an elevated temperature. A heat transfer
arrangement conducts heat extracted from the product gas in the
first duct to the heat transfer fluid in the second duct, thereby
elevating the temperature of the heat transfer fluid. In a highly
advantageous embodiment of the invention, the heat transfer fluid
is steam.
[0011] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the
heat transfer arrangement includes a heat pipe formed of a
selectable combination of sodium, potassium, rubidium, and lithium.
The heat pipe has a first end for communicating with the high
temperature exhaust gas in the first duct, and a second end for
communicating with the heat transfer fluid in the second duct. In
respective embodiments, the heat pipe has an envelope formed of a
selectable combination of stainless steel, Inconel, nickel,
molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, carbon, carbon composite, and
Hastelloy X.
[0012] A safety valve ensures safe operation in some embodiments.
In one embodiment, there is provided a heat transfer fin in the
first duct for enhancing the transfer of heat from the high
temperature exhaust gas to the heat pipe. Also, in other
embodiments, an adiabatic zone is interposed between the first and
second ducts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0013] Comprehension of the invention is facilitated by reading the
following detailed description, in conjunction with the annexed
drawing, in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic representation of a system
for recovering sensible heat in accordance with the principles of
the invention; and
[0015] FIGS. 2a and 2b are simplified schematic plan and side
representations of a high temperature heat reclamation arrangement
constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic representation of a heat
reclamation system 100 that is useful for recovering sensible heat
in accordance with the principles of the invention. Heat
reclamation arrangement 100, in some embodiments of this invention,
is provided with a first duct having an inlet 125 for receiving a
product gas from a conventional or plasma gasifier 110. An outlet
125a exhausts the product gas at a reduced temperature.
[0017] A second duct has a working fluid inlet 170 that receives
spent steam or heat transferring fluid, and a heat energy outlet
150 that exhausts heated steam or heat transferring fluid. There is
provided a heat transfer arrangement 135 that conducts heat
extracted from the product gas in the first duct to the spent steam
in the second duct, to form the heated steam. A specific
illustrative embodiment of the invention of transfer arrangement
135 will be described in detail below in relation to FIGS. 2a and
2b.
[0018] In one embodiment of the invention, heat transfer
arrangement 135 includes at least one sodium, potassium, rubidium,
or lithium heat pipe or pipe that has a first end for communicating
with the product gas in the first duct, and a second end for
communicating with the spent steam in the second duct. The sodium,
potassium, rubidium, lithium heat pipe or pipe has, in a specific
illustrative embodiment of the invention, an envelope formed of
stainless steel, Inconel, molybdenum, nickel, tungsten, niobium, a
selectable combination of carbon and carbon composite; or Hastelloy
X. A safety valve ensures safe operation.
[0019] In some embodiments of the invention, a heat transfer fin is
disposed in the first duct for enhancing the transfer of heat from
the product gas to the heat pipe. Additionally, an adiabatic zone
is in some embodiments of the invention interposed between the
first and second ducts.
[0020] In the practice of an illustrative embodiment of the
invention, product gas 125 exits gasifier 100, or a plasma reactor
(not shown) in some embodiments, at approximately 1250.degree. C.
Approximately 27% of the total energy that is present in product
gas 125 from gasifier 110 is primarily in the form of sensible
heat. Due to the extreme temperature and composition of product gas
125, most of the heat energy has heretofore been wasted. In
accordance with the invention, the heat contained in product gas
125 is recovered in high temperature heat reclamation system
135.
[0021] FIGS. 2a and 2b are simplified schematic representations of
an illustrative high temperature heat reclamation system 135a
constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention.
Elements of structure that have previously been discussed are
similarly designated. Referring for the moment to FIG. 2a, which is
a side representation of high temperature heat reclamation system
135, product gas 125 is shown to flow along outlet duct 130.
[0022] In this embodiment, there is provided high temperature heat
reclamation system 135a that uses heat pipes, such as sodium,
potassium, rubidium, or lithium heat pipes 140, 142, 144, and 146.
The heat pipes are designed to transfer and capture the energy in
product gas 125. Basic heat pipes are known in the prior art, and
are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,350,348 that issued to R. S.
Gaugler on Jun. 6, 1944, and assigned to General Motors.
[0023] At approximately 1250.degree. C., product gas 125 impinges
upon the heat pipes. These very efficient heat transfer devices
have no moving parts and are optimized to operate at different
temperatures depending upon the characteristics of the working
(phase change) material and the envelope material that are employed
in a practicable embodiment. For example, in embodiments of the
invention that employ sodium (not shown) as the working material,
and one of a number of possible envelope materials (not
specifically designated), such as stainless steel, Inconel,
molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, carbon - carbon composite, or
Hastelloy X, heat is transferred in the pressure range necessary
for super heated or super critical steam (i.e., 3,200 PSI) which is
designated as heated/super critical steam 150 in FIGS. 1 and 2a.
Heated/super critical steam 150 constitutes, in this embodiment, an
energy elevation of return steam 170.
[0024] Referring once again to FIG. 2a, an adiabatic zone 152 is
interposed between each of the heat pipes 140, 142, 144, and 146.
There is additionally provided a finned heat transfer zone 155 to
enhance heat transfer to the steam. A plurality of rupture discs
157 are associated with respective ones of the heat pipes and are
provided to enable fail safe operation of the heat pipes. FIG. 2b
is a top view representation of high temperature heat reclamation
system 135 showing the arrangement of heat pipes 140, 142, 144, and
146, as well as additional heat pipes that are not specifically
designated.
[0025] Although the invention has been described in terms of
specific embodiments and applications, persons skilled in the art
may, in light of this teaching, generate additional embodiments
without exceeding the scope or departing from the spirit of the
invention described herein. Accordingly, it is to be understood
that the drawing and description in this disclosure are proffered
to facilitate comprehension of the invention, and should not be
construed to limit the scope thereof.
* * * * *