Waste heat solar energy system

摘要

Electric power may be recovered from low-grade waste heat/solar energy via a closed-cycle charged refrigerant loop. Pressurized refrigerant fluid is pumped at ambient temperature through a heat exchanger (14) connected to a waste heat/solar source to extract heat energy during conversion to a high pressure gas. Heated/pressurized refrigerant gas is input into an expander (20) to power an output shaft (26) during the expansion of the gas to a cooled gas at approximately 0 psig . Cooled gaseous refrigerant is condensed to a liquid at low pressure and ambient temperature, and recycled under pressure to the heat exchanger. The expander is a reverse-plumbed gas compressor; the pressurized, hot refrigerant gas is input at what is ordinarily the outlet of the compressor, and the normal inlet becomes the expander end. The refrigerant gas mass flow pressure/temperature drop spins the expander shaft for direct mechanical power take-off, or coupling to a synchronous or inductive generator to produce electricity.