摘要 |
A building structure encloses a gaseous mixture of air and a combustible fuel. Air is obtained from the atmosphere, and the gaseous fuel is obtained from natural evolution and diffusion processes associated with rotting of materials, as from landfills, and gaseous digestion products from livestock, etc. A process control system is engaged for drawing off the gaseous mixture, at a selected air-fuel ratio, from the structure. The selected gaseous mixture is drawn from the building, through a compressor and then a pre-heater, into a catalytic combustor where the mixture is burned and directed into a turbine for producing work. This work is preferably converted into electricity by a generator driven by the turbine. A process controller senses process variables such as temperature, pressure, latent heat of fusion, etc. so as to assure that combustion cannot occur prematurely, but does occur most efficiently in the catalytic combustor. Process heat is exchanged for preheating the mixture to be burned.
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