APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UTILIZING THERMAL ENERGY

摘要

A transonic two-phase reaction turbine for use with low and high temperature fluid flow mediums includes at least two wheels that are configured to rotate in opposite directions, at least one of the at least two wheels being equipped with one or multiple kinetic energy harvesters.

主权项

1. A transonic two-phase reaction turbine, comprising:
at least one rotor comprising a plurality of kinetic energy harvesters; wherein each kinetic energy harvester is disposed and configured to receive a first heat carrier or heat carriers under pressure into a first nozzle, and to receive a second heat carrier into a second nozzle, the second heat carrier being colder than the first heat carrier, the second nozzle being disposed downstream of the first nozzle at a defined distance based at least in part on a flow, pressure and temperature of the heat carrier or heat carriers; wherein each kinetic energy harvester comprises a mixing chamber between the first nozzle and the second nozzle configured to mix the first heat carrier and the second heat carrier to produce a two-phase mixture, the second nozzle being placed at the defined distance from the first nozzle for producing an elevated discharge thrust; wherein each mixing chamber is configured to cause a pressure drop and deceleration of the heat carriers of the two-phase mixture to a velocity at which the two-phase mixture or at least one of the first heat carrier or the second heat carrier, or both, boils into a homogeneous two-phase medium with small bubbles, being highly compressible medium and with sonic condition of Mach number of more than 1; wherein each second nozzle is configured to converge and compress the two-phase medium flow, collapsing the small bubbles and changing the two-phase mixture into a non-compressible single-phase flow medium having increased kinetic thrust; wherein each kinetic energy harvester further comprises a discharge section disposed downstream of the second nozzle, each discharge section being disposed and configured to discharge the single-phase flow medium having increased kinetic thrust to produce a reactionary pressure, higher than both input pressures of the first and second heat carriers, to drive the rotor in a rotational manner; wherein as a result each kinetic energy harvester produces thermal and kinetic energy.