KR20050056941A - Cascading closed loop cycle power generation - Google Patents

Abstract

Cascading Closed Loop Cycle (CCLC) (100) and Super Cascading Closed Loop Cycle (Super-CCLC) systems are described for recovering power in the form of mechanical or electrical energy from the waste heat of a steam turbine system. The waste heat from the boiler (106) and steam condenser (118) is recovered by vaporizing propane or other light hydrocarbon fluids in multiple indirect heat exchangers (110, 114); expanding the vaporized propane in multiple cascading expansion turbines (108, 116) to generate useful power; and condensing to a liquid using a cooling system. The liquid propane is then pressurized with pumps (102) and returned to the indirect heat exchangers to repeat the vaporization, expansion, liquefaction and pressurization cycle in a closed, hermetic process.

Description

Cascading closed loop cycle power generation {CASCADING CLOSED LOOP CYCLE POWER GENERATION}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for generating energy. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of a Cascading Closed Loop Cycle using certain devices and fluids that can be used in conjunction with conventional power generation systems.

The main process used to generate electricity is to burn fossil fuels to heat air. This hot air, ie thermal energy, then heats the liquid power generation medium (typically water) in the boiler to produce a gas (steam) that expands over the steam turbine driving the generator. The unit of thermal energy measurement is the British Thermal Unit (BTU). Other sources of energy used to heat air and / or water to generate electricity in this manner include: heat from nuclear reactions; Heat from exhaust of the gas turbine; It includes heat from the combustion of waste or other combustible materials in an incinerator.

Steam turbine systems used to generate power generally evaporate pressurized water in a boiler or heat exchanger; Expanding in a steam turbine where the pressure level is reduced when power is generated; Condensation with water again in a condenser or cooler; It is a closed loop system that repeats this cycle by pumping back by pressure and returning to the boiler. In the process of generating steam in this closed loop system, there are two main sources of generating waste energy. The first is that in boilers in the form of hot combustion gases (typically heated heat) due to the unique design and thermodynamic properties of the process of converting water into steam, which prevents the use of all the useful thermal energy (heat) of the combustion gases. Waste heat released. The second is the amount of latent heat or energy of evaporation required to convert water that is scattered into the atmosphere into steam during the process of condensing steam back to water.

In a first example of waste heat, the boiler heat source provides not only thermal energy (in the form of hot combustion gases) that delivers 1000 BTU / LB to convert water into steam, but also sufficient heat energy to overheat the steam to a sufficient high energy level. In addition, the steam turbine is driven with sufficient excess energy to generate power. The thermodynamic requirements of the steam cycle limit the temperature difference available to generate superheated steam to the temperature difference between the original heat source temperature and approximately 400 to 500 ° F. This produces a combustion gas of waste heat emitted from the boiler at a temperature of about 400 to 500 ℉. Some of the energy in exhaust gas exhaust may be recovered, for example, to heat the power plant or to preheat the water, or by other known means, but the amount of useful energy recovered is limited.

In a second example for waste heat, the energy in the form of heat required to change the liquid state to a gaseous state is controlled by the thermodynamic properties of the liquid. The pressure that causes the fluid to become vapor and the temperature associated therewith is defined as the vapor pressure of the fluid. In certain liquids, there is a certain range of pressures and temperatures at which the liquid becomes vapor. The BTUs needed to convert a liquid into a gas are defined as "evaporation heat". The heat of evaporation for water is approximately 1000 BTU / LB. At the vapor pressure of converting water into steam, the amount of energy remaining in the steam is only the amount needed to maintain the vaporous state and is defined as "latent heat of evaporation". At the vapor pressure point, when the steam is cooled in the condenser or the pressure is reduced throughout the expansion process, the vapor becomes liquid again by releasing latent heat of evaporation or releasing 1000 BTU / LB to the environment in response to an increase in thermal energy or refrigerant temperature. Will change. As such steam condenses immediately upon expansion in the turbine, it is almost impossible to extract useful energy from steam, which in itself only contains latent heat of evaporation, resulting in very poor turbine efficiency and damage to the turbine. The physical phenomenon of the heat of evaporation generates waste heat in conventional power generation cycles, since this heat must be provided to the water of the liquid before it is changed into a useful gaseous state, but this heat cannot be extracted as useful energy. Upon cooling the medium back to liquid so that it can be pumped to the desired pressure, this latent heat is released without being recovered in the form of useful energy. Thus, the heat energy released to the atmosphere through the cooling medium which returns the water to the liquid state becomes waste heat.

Increasing fuel costs and depletion of energy resources have made it very important to generate fossil fuels by converting heat from combustion into useful power in a more efficient manner. In addition, due to the adverse effects on the environment due to pollutants generated during the combustion of fossil fuels, power plants had to be designed to reduce the pollutants generated per unit of energy generated. These factors have made it necessary to improve the efficiency of the power plant and to recover the energy from the waste heat generated by the power plant and the waste heat generated by the various manufacturing processes and from the renewable energy sources. .

Various methods and processes are used to improve the efficiency of power systems that convert fossil fuels into useful energy. This efficiency improvement system includes a gas turbine combined cycle plant, a waste heat power plant and a waste heat recovery system. Waste heat generation and combined cycle systems generate useful energy from waste heat from other sources of fossil fuel heat, including gas turbine exhaust or low grade heating vlaue fuel soureces. In systems using water as the main power medium, the temperature of the heat source (typically the combustion gas heated by burning the fossil fuel) must be high enough to evaporate water in the heat exchanger (boiler) to generate steam. The resulting steam expands in the steam turbine to generate power. Steam boilers are generally limited to recover thermal energy associated with the temperature difference between the initial temperature of the heat source and about 500 ° F. or higher, because this is the temperature required to deliver efficient thermal energy to the water to generate steam. Because it is. In addition, the heat available to transfer energy to the steam is limited to the temperature difference due to the steam pressure versus temperature characteristics of the steam, and inefficient and minimal steam can be generated by using a heat source having a temperature close to about 500 ° F. In a typical steam power system, the low temperature (~ 500 ° F.) exhaust of the heat source emitted from the boiler can be used to preheat the water supplied to the boiler using a separate heat exchanger. However, only a limited amount of heat can be recovered in the discharged air, and this heat is generally limited to the temperature difference between the above-500 ° F. emission temperature of the heat source exhaust and a temperature above about 300 ° F. due to the water vapor pressure versus temperature characteristics. The use of exhaust heat to preheat the water supplied to the boiler in this way increases the overall efficiency of the system, which in some cases can increase the efficiency by about 10%.

Some waste heat generation and combined cycle systems also incorporate an ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) that cooperates with the steam turbine system to recover additional power output from the cold exhaust system of the heat source as it exits the boiler. Methods of generating useful power using ORC cycles are known in the art. For example, typical methods are disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 5,570,579 and 5,664,414, which are incorporated herein by reference. These prior art systems use conventional ORC media such as normal pentane, iso-pentane, toluene, fluorinated hydrocarbons and other coolants. These conventional ORC media are pressure and temperature limited and cannot be maintained at high temperatures due to their respective autoignition temperature and vapor pressure versus temperature characteristics. For example, prior art ORC systems using coolants or toluene are limited in operation by heated water, because ORC media are unable to absorb energy at elevated temperatures. Other prior art ORC methods require an ORC medium with vapor pressure close to atmospheric pressure to be efficient. Other prior art systems are limited to specific power output ranges, while another prior art requires spraying the fluid ORC medium into the heat exchanger to operate efficiently. These limitations reduce the effectiveness and efficiency, thereby limiting the environment in which these techniques can be used and limiting the useful energy output that can be obtained from these techniques.

In addition, while most of the energy is generated using a closed loop system (ie, a system that constantly recycles power generation media such as water / steam) as described above, other power generation methods require dogs that require continuous replenishment of the power generation media. Use a loop power source. For example, if the light hydrocarbon feed pressure in a petrochemical plant or on a gas pipeline must be reduced before delivery to the consumer, rather than reducing the gas pressure in the valve where no energy has been recovered, rather, the generator, pump or compressor It is known to generate useful power by expanding a high pressure gas in an expansion turbine operating a. Examples of this type of technology are provided in US Pat. Nos. 4,711,093 and 4,677,827, referenced herein. These systems are open loop systems that require constant replenishment of the generation medium and are dependent on the pressure level of the process design.

1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a cascading closed loop cycle (CCLC) power generation system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a Mollier diagram of the power cycle of the CCLC of FIG.

3 is a schematic diagram of a typical prior art steam generation system.

4 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a super cascading closed loop cycle (Super-CCLC) power generation system of the present invention;

5 is a Moliere diagram of the power cycle of the steam portion of the super-CCLC of FIG.

Figure 6 is a Moliere diagram of the power cycle of the CCLC portion of the super-CCLC of Figure 4;

In a first embodiment, the present invention provides a method of generating energy. The method includes providing a working fluid, increasing the pressure of the working fluid, separating the working fluid into a plurality of streams, including at least a first stream and a second stream, from the energy source. Transferring a first amount of thermal energy to a first stream and then transferring a second amount of heat energy from the first stream to the second stream, extracting a first amount of useful energy from the first stream, the first Extracting a second useful amount of energy from the two streams, merging the first stream with the second stream; And reducing the first stream and the second stream to a minimum pressure. The minimum pressure is approximately equal to or lower than the vapor pressure of the working fluid at ambient temperature.

In this embodiment, transferring a second amount of heat energy from the first stream to the second stream comprises: passing the first stream from the first stream to the second stream prior to merging the first stream with the second stream. Delivering a first portion of the second amount of thermal energy; And transferring the second portion of the second amount of thermal energy from the first stream to the second stream after merging the first stream with the second stream. Also in this embodiment, transferring the first portion of the second amount of thermal energy from the first stream to the second stream may be performed after extracting the first useful amount of energy from the first stream. Can be. Also in this additional embodiment, the sum of the first amount of useful energy and the second amount of useful energy may be equal to at least about 20% of the first amount of thermal energy.

In this and other embodiments of the present invention, the working fluid may be selected from the group comprising propane, propylene, light hydrocarbons and compounds thereof; The minimum pressure may be between about 25 psia and about 300 psia; The ambient temperature may be between about −50 ° F. and about 160 ° F .; The energy source may be selected from the group comprising fossil fuel energy, nuclear energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, waste heat, hydrogen and combinations thereof. Also in this and other embodiments, the working fluid can be pumped from about 300 psia to about 1000 psia.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides an apparatus for generating energy. The apparatus comprises: a plurality of fluid conduits including at least a first fluid conduit, a second fluid conduit and a combined fluid conduit, the fluid conduits adapted to include a working fluid; A pump operatively attached to the plurality of fluid conduits and adapted to pressurize the working fluid; Energy source; A first heat exchanger operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to transfer a first amount of heat energy from the energy source to a working fluid in the first fluid conduit; A second heat exchanger operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit and adapted to transfer a second amount of heat energy from a working fluid in the first fluid conduit to a working fluid in the second fluid conduit A second heat exchanger located below the first heat exchanger with respect to the first fluid conduit; A first fluid expander operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to extract a first useful amount of energy from a working fluid in the first fluid conduit; A second fluid expander operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and adapted to extract a second amount of energy from the working fluid in the second fluid conduit; And a cooling device operatively attached to at least one of the plurality of fluid conduits and adapted to reduce the working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being at least about the vapor pressure of the fluid at ambient temperature. Low, includes a cooling device. The first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit are joined at a merge point to form a combined fluid conduit.

In this second embodiment, the second heat exchanger is operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit and the secondary fluid conduit, positioned between the first fluid expander and the merging point relative to the first fluid conduit. A primary second heat exchanger adapted to transfer a first portion of the second amount of heat energy from a working fluid in the first fluid conduit to a working fluid in the second fluid conduit; and the second fluid conduit and the coupling A second amount of thermal energy from a working fluid in the combined fluid conduit to a working fluid in the combined fluid conduit and operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit and located between the merge point and the pump for the combined fluid conduit It may have a secondary second heat exchanger adapted to deliver a second portion of the. The second heat exchanger may be located next to the first fluid expander with respect to the first fluid conduit. Also in this embodiment, the sum of the first amount of useful energy and the second amount of useful energy may be equal to at least about 20% of the first amount of thermal energy.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of converting heat into useful energy, the method comprising: providing a fluid stream coupled in a liquid state; Pressurizing the combined fluid stream; Separating the combined fluid stream into a primary fluid stream and a secondary fluid stream; Applying thermal energy from a heat source to evaporate the primary fluid stream; Expanding the evaporated primary fluid stream to generate a first useful amount of energy; Transferring heat from the evaporated and expanded primary fluid stream to superheat the evaporated secondary fluid stream; Expanding the evaporated second fluid stream to generate a second useful amount of energy; Mixing the evaporated and expanded primary fluid stream with the evaporated and expanded secondary fluid stream to form a combined fluid stream; Transferring heat from the combined fluid stream to evaporate the secondary fluid stream; And condensing the combined fluid stream in a liquid state.

In this embodiment, transferring heat from the combined fluid stream to evaporate the secondary fluid stream may further comprise maintaining a pressure of the combined fluid stream above the vapor pressure of the fluid. .

In another embodiment, the present invention provides an apparatus for converting heat into useful energy. The apparatus includes a combined fluid conduit adapted to deliver a fluid stream; A pump operatively attached to the coupled fluid conduit; A stream separator operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit below the pump, the stream separator also being operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit and the secondary fluid conduit; A first heat exchanger operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit below the stream separator, the first heat exchanger also operatively attached to a heat source; A first expander operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit below the first heat exchanger; A second heat exchanger operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit below the first expander, wherein the second heat exchanger is also operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit; A third heat exchanger operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit below the fluid separator, the third heat exchanger also operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit; A second expander operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit below the second heat exchanger; A stream mixer operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit, the primary fluid conduit below the second heat exchanger and the secondary fluid conduit below the second expander; And a cooler operatively coupled to the coupled fluid conduit between the stream mixer and the pump. The third heat exchanger is located between the stream mixer and the cooler with respect to the combined fluid conduit and the second heat exchanger is located between the third heat exchanger and the second expander with respect to the secondary fluid conduit.

In another embodiment, the present invention also provides a method of improving the efficiency of a power system having an energy source and a cooling system. The method includes transferring a first amount of thermal energy from the cooling system to a first loop of a cascading closed loop cycle system; Extracting a first useful amount of energy from the first loop; Transferring a second amount of thermal energy from the energy source to a second loop of a cascading closed loop cycle system; And extracting a second useful amount of energy from the second loop.

In this embodiment, the method includes transferring a third amount of thermal energy from the second loop to a third loop of a cascading closed loop cycle system; And extracting a third useful amount of energy from the third loop. Also in this embodiment, the power system may receive a fourth amount of thermal energy from an energy source to generate a fourth useful amount of energy. The sum of the first useful amount of energy, the second useful amount of energy, the third useful amount of energy and the fourth useful amount of energy may be equal to at least about 30% of the fourth amount of thermal energy.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for improving the efficiency of a power system having an energy source and a cooling system. The method includes providing a working fluid; Increasing the pressure of the working fluid; Separating the working fluid into a plurality of streams including at least a first stream and a second stream; Transferring a first amount of thermal energy from the cooling system to the first stream; Extracting a first useful amount of energy from the first stream; Transferring a second amount of thermal energy from the energy source to a second stream; Extracting a second useful amount of energy from the second stream; And cooling the working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being about equal to or less than the vapor pressure of the working fluid at ambient air temperature.

In this embodiment, the second stream may comprise a primary second stream and a secondary second stream, and transferring the second amount of thermal energy from the energy source to the second stream is from the energy source. Delivering the second amount of heat energy to the primary second stream and transferring a portion of the second amount of heat energy from the primary second stream to the secondary second stream. Also in this embodiment, extracting a second useful amount of energy from the second stream comprises extracting a first portion of the second useful amount of energy from the primary second stream and from the secondary second stream. Extracting a second portion of said second useful amount of energy. In this embodiment, the power system may be a steam generation system.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of generating energy. In this embodiment, the method comprises providing a first working fluid; Increasing the pressure of the first working fluid; Transferring a first amount of thermal energy from an energy source to the first working fluid; Extracting a first useful amount of energy from the first working fluid; Providing a second working fluid; Increasing the pressure of the second working fluid; Separating the second working fluid into a plurality of streams including at least a first stream and a second stream; Transferring a second amount of thermal energy from the first working fluid to the first stream; Extracting a second useful amount of energy from the first stream; Transferring a third amount of thermal energy from the energy source to the second stream; Extracting a third useful amount of energy from the second stream; And cooling the second working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being about equal to or less than the vapor pressure of the second working fluid at ambient air temperature.

In this embodiment, the second stream may have a primary second stream and a secondary second stream, wherein transferring a third amount of thermal energy from the energy source to the second stream comprises: Delivering the third amount of thermal energy to a secondary second stream and transferring a portion of the third amount of thermal energy from the primary second stream to the secondary second stream. Also in this additional embodiment, extracting a third amount of useful energy from the second stream comprises extracting a first portion of the third amount of useful energy from the primary second stream and the second secondary amount. Extracting a second portion of said third useful amount of energy from the stream. In this embodiment, the first working fluid may be water.

In another embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for improving the efficiency of a power system having an energy source and a cooling system. This method of this embodiment comprises the steps of: providing a working fluid; Increasing the pressure of the working fluid; Separating the working fluid into a first stream, a second stream and a third stream; Transferring a first amount of thermal energy from the cooling system to the first stream; Extracting a first useful amount of energy from the first stream; Transferring a second amount of thermal energy from the energy source to the second stream; Extracting a second useful amount of energy from the second stream; Transferring a third amount of thermal energy from the second stream to the third stream; Extracting a third useful amount of energy from the third stream; And cooling the working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being about equal to or less than the vapor pressure of the working fluid at ambient air temperature.

In this embodiment, transferring the second amount of heat energy from the energy source to the second stream transfers the first portion of the second amount of heat energy from the energy source to the second stream in a first heat exchanger. And delivering a second portion of the amount of second heat energy from the energy source to the second stream in a second heat exchanger. Also in this embodiment, extracting the first useful amount of energy from the first stream includes expanding the first stream in a first expander and extracting a second useful amount of energy from the second stream. The step may comprise expanding the second stream in a second expander, and extracting the third useful amount of energy from the third stream may include expanding the third stream in a third expander. Can be. In this embodiment, the power system may be a steam generation system.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides an apparatus for generating supplemental energy from a power system having an energy source and a cooling system. This apparatus of this embodiment comprises: a plurality of fluid conduits including at least a first fluid conduit, a second fluid conduit, and a combined fluid conduit and adapted to include a working fluid; One or more pumps operatively attached to the plurality of fluid conduits and adapted to pressurize the working fluid; A first heat exchanger operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to transfer a first amount of heat energy from the cooling system to a working fluid in the first fluid conduit; A first fluid expander operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to extract a first amount of energy from a working fluid in the first fluid conduit; A second heat exchanger operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and adapted to transfer a second amount of heat energy from the energy source to a working fluid in the second fluid conduit; A second fluid expander operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and adapted to extract a second amount of energy from a working fluid in the second fluid conduit; A cooling device operatively attached to at least one of the plurality of fluid conduits and adapted to reduce the working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being about equal to or lower than the vapor pressure of the fluid at ambient temperature, It includes a cooling device. The first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit are joined at a merge point to form a combined fluid conduit.

In this embodiment, the plurality of fluid conduits may further comprise a third fluid conduit, wherein the device is operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and the third fluid conduit and the operation within the second fluid conduit. A third heat exchanger adapted to transfer a third amount of heat energy from the fluid to the working fluid in the third fluid conduit; And a third fluid expander operatively attached to the third fluid conduit and adapted to extract a third useful amount of energy from the working fluid in the third fluid conduit. In this embodiment, a third heat exchanger may be located next to the second fluid expander with respect to the second fluid conduit. Also in this embodiment, the second heat exchanger may be two heat exchangers. In addition, in this embodiment, the power system may receive a fourth amount of thermal energy from the energy source to generate a fourth amount of useful energy. The sum of the first useful amount of energy, the second useful amount of energy, the third useful amount of energy and the fourth useful amount of energy may be equal to at least about 30% of the fourth amount of thermal energy.

In another embodiment, the present invention also provides a device for converting thermal energy into useful energy. The apparatus includes a primary power system and a secondary power system. The primary power system comprises: an energy source; A primary fluid conduit adapted to include a primary working fluid; A primary fluid pump operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit and adapted to pressurize the primary working fluid; A primary fluid heat exchanger operatively attached to said primary fluid conduit and adapted to transfer said first amount of heat energy from said energy source to said primary fluid conduit comprised within said primary fluid conduit; And a primary fluid expander operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit and adapted to extract a first useful amount of energy from the primary working fluid in the primary fluid conduit. The secondary power system comprises: a secondary fluid conduit system including a first fluid loop, a second fluid loop, and a third fluid loop and adapted to include a secondary working fluid; One or more secondary fluid pumps operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit system and adapted to pressurize the secondary working fluid; The primary fluid within the primary working fluid conduit and operatively attached to the first fluid loop and the primary fluid conduit and positioned between the primary fluid expander and the primary fluid pump with respect to the primary fluid conduit; A first heat exchanger adapted to transfer a second amount of heat energy to the secondary working fluid in the first fluid loop; A first fluid expander operatively attached to the first fluid loop and adapted to extract a second amount of energy from a secondary working fluid in the first fluid loop; A second heat exchanger operatively attached to the second fluid loop and adapted to transfer a third amount of heat energy from the energy source to the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop; A second fluid expander operatively attached to the second fluid loop and adapted to extract a third useful amount of energy from the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop; The third fluid loop operatively attached to the second fluid loop and the third fluid loop and positioned next to the second fluid expander with respect to the second fluid loop and from the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop. A third heat exchanger adapted to transfer a fourth amount of heat energy to the secondary working fluid in the chamber; A third fluid expander operatively attached to the third fluid loop and adapted to extract a fourth amount of useful energy from the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop; And a cooling device operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit system and adapted to reduce the secondary working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being approximately equal to the vapor pressure of the secondary working fluid at ambient temperature or Lower than this, it includes a cooling device.

In this embodiment, the primary working fluid can be water. Further, in this embodiment, the sum of the first useful energy amount, the second useful energy amount, the third useful energy amount and the fourth useful energy amount is equal to at least about 30% of the first thermal energy amount. can do.

The invention may be more readily understood through the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below.

It is very important to generate electricity in a more efficient way because energy sources are depleted and pollutants generated by the burning of fossil fuels continue to harm the environment. The cascading closed loop cycle of the present invention provides a closed loop power generation system used as the primary power source. Due to the CCLC, the efficiency is improved by reducing the amount of energy loss exceeding the latent heat of evaporation of the power generation medium, recovering heat from the available heat source more efficiently and converting this heat into useful energy. The Super Cascading Closed Loop Cycle (Super-CCLC) of the present invention is used in cooperation with a conventional power system to generate useful energy from heat lost in the process of generating power using a steam turbine or other conventional power system. Provide secondary power supply to improve power generation efficiency. In super-CCLC, efficiency is improved by recovering energy from the two waste heat sources mentioned in the background of the present invention. The first source is the recovery of waste heat released from the boiler and the second source is the recovery of waste heat released during the condensation process.

It can be thermodynamically indicated that the conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy is particularly well performed by ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle). Super CCLC systems are ORCs designed to convert heat losses in processes that generate steam turbine power. U.S. Patent Application No. 10 / 199,257, filed on July 22, 2002, incorporated herein by reference, discloses propane, propylene, or equivalent or similar light hydrocarbon media as fluid media in a cascading closed loop cycle (CCLC). A method of using an ORC cycle to generate useful power is disclosed. As used herein, the term "fluid" means any material in liquid, gas and / or gaseous state. In general, the materials described herein as "fluids" are always in liquid, gaseous and / or gaseous state, although such fluids may solidify under certain circumstances, but typically during operation of the invention described herein You will recognize that it does not solidify. The present invention uses multiple integrated CCLC systems to simultaneously recover waste heat from steam boilers (or other heat sources) and waste heat from steam condensation processes (or similar processes).

Various preferred embodiments of the invention are now described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In one embodiment, the present invention uses specific apparatus and methods to operate a cascading closed loop cycle (CCLC) to draw additional efficiency from an energy source. Cascading closed loop cycle (CCLC) is a hermetically sealed closed loop process. As shown in FIG. 1, the CCLC 100 has a primary fluid stream, a secondary fluid stream B, and a combined fluid stream C, designated generally by the letter (A). The combined fluid stream (C) essentially comprises a totally supplied power generation medium, which preferably comprises a light hydrocarbon material and more preferably comprises propylene, propane or a compound of these materials. The primary fluid stream (A) and the secondary fluid stream (B) comprise a combined fluid stream (C) portion separated by a stream separator (104).

CCLC 100 begins with a high pressure pump 102 which pumps the combined fluid stream C in the liquid state to the desired initial pressure. (This is a closed loop system in which the cycle is continuously recycled, so technically there is no point at which the system "starts"; choosing this point as a starting point is arbitrary and done just for clarity). At this point, the combined fluid stream C has certain physical properties (pressure, temperature and mass flow rate) defined herein as state C ₁ . The states C ₁ and other states of the fluid stream at various points in the process are described in more detail elsewhere herein. The combined fluid stream C is then separated by a stream separator 104 into a primary fluid stream A having state A ₁ and a secondary fluid stream B having state B ₁ . . The various states described herein are approximated, and some of these devices are intended to have a single state, which can be varied in temperature, pressure, etc. by friction, local heating or cooling, hydrodynamics, and the like.

Primary fluid stream A is routed to primary indirect heat exchanger 106 in which primary fluid stream A is evaporated by exposure to a heat or energy source. The heat or energy source may be any available heat source such as fossil fuel or combustion of hydrogen, nuclear reactions, solar heat, fuel cells, geothermal energy, waste heat and the like. In addition, the heat source may be excess heat from other industrial operations. Such heat sources include, but are not limited to, heat from furnaces, chemical treatment and purification systems, drying systems, furnaces and ovens, boilers, heaters and furnaces, gas turbines, and the like. The amount of heat delivered to the primary fluid stream is identified as Q ₁₀₆ . In Fig. 1, the heat source is an air (combustion gas) stream that is heated by burning fossil fuels and is generally designated by the letter H. Combustion gas (H) will enter the state (H ₁₎ in the first indirect heat exchanger 106 is discharged in a state (H _2). The combustion gas H from the primary indirect heat exchanger 106 is discharged to the atmosphere through the chimney or the like. Of course, any type of heat exchanger can be used for the primary indirect heat exchanger 106 or any other heat exchanger, cooler, condenser, etc., other than those described herein. The choice of specific heat exchanger device depends on the type of heat source used. For example, in various embodiments, the heat exchanger can be an air-liquid heat exchanger, a water tube boiler, a shell (fire tube boiler), or the like. The selection and use of such devices is known in the art.

Once evaporated, primary fluid stream A enters state A ₂ . The primary fluid stream is then expanded in the primary expansion turbine 108 (preferably turbo-expander) until the state A ₃ is reached, thereby generating the first useful energy W ₁₀₈ supplied. . Once expanded, primary fluid stream (A) is routed to secondary indirect heat exchanger (110), where primary fluid stream (A) adds heat to secondary fluid stream (B) and state (A ₄ ) is released. Heat transfer between the primary and secondary fluid streams is identified as Q ₁₁₀ . Finally, the primary fluid stream A is discharged to the stream mixer 112 in which the primary fluid stream is combined with the secondary fluid stream B. The combined primary and secondary fluid streams are combined fluid streams C, which are in state C ₂ .

The secondary indirect heat exchanger 110 overheats the secondary fluid stream B by using the heat remaining in the evaporated fluid of the primary fluid stream A after it is discharged from the primary expansion turbine 108. Secondary fluid stream B enters secondary indirect heat exchanger 110 in state B ₂ and exits to state B ₃ . Then, the secondary fluid stream B with state B ₃ generates a second useful energy W _{116 which} is fed towards the secondary expansion turbine 116. The secondary fluid stream changes to state B ₄ as it passes through the secondary expansion turbine 116. Secondary fluid stream B is then combined with primary fluid stream A in stream mixer 112 to form a combined fluid stream C as described above. The combined fluid stream (C) is then directed to a third indirect heat exchanger (114), in which heat of the combined fluid stream (C) is transferred to the secondary fluid stream (B) to provide a secondary fluid stream. (B) changes from state B ₁ to state B ₂ and changes the combined fluid stream from state C ₂ to state C ₃ . The amount of heat transferred from the combined fluid stream to the secondary fluid stream is identified as Q ₁₁₄ . After exiting the third indirect heat exchanger 114, the combined fluid stream C is directed to the condenser 118, where the combined fluid stream C condenses into a liquid having a state C ₄ . do. The heat Q ₁₁₈ is extracted from the fluid stream C coupled by the condenser 118 and absorbed by any suitable cooling medium, such as water or air. When the fluid in the combined fluid stream C condenses back to the liquid state, it starts a new cycle towards the high pressure pump 102. The pump 102 requires a specific amount of power P ₁₀₂ to pressurize the combined fluid stream C to the desired state C ₁ .

The primary expansion turbine 108 and the secondary expansion turbine 106 are connected in series or parallel to the energy generating device using any speed change means to generate mechanical or electrical energy. Alternatively, one or two turbines of the expansion turbine can be attached to a compressor, pump, generator or other device that can be used to provide additional useful energy or work. In addition, the CCLC of FIG. 1 is modified within the basic concept to include additional heat exchangers, condensers, pumps or expansion turbines. Pumps, stream separators, heat exchangers, expansion turbines, turbine expanders, condensers and the like and alternative arrangements are known in the art. In addition, techniques and devices for attaching these various devices are also known in the art.

The cascading closed loop cycle of the present invention is now further described with reference to Figure 2, which is a Moliere (i.e. pressure versus enthalpy) Mollier diagram for the CCLC power generation cycle. In FIG. 2, the pressure is represented by the vertical axis 250, the enthalpy (ie, BTU per pound) is represented by the horizontal axis 252 and numerous isotherms 254 are shown with the saturation curve 256 of the working fluid. . In the embodiment of Figure 2 the working fluid is preferably propane. Also in FIG. 2, the combined fluid stream C of FIG. 1 is shown as a double line C, the primary fluid stream A is shown as a single line A, and the secondary fluid stream B is a dashed line. It is shown as (B). For brevity, the lines representing the fluid streams are separated in some places so that they can clearly identify each other. Also, for brevity, each point on FIG. 2 represents the temperature and pressure of one or more states described above with respect to FIG. 1 as symbols (e.g., state C1, state C2, state A1, state B1, etc.). . For the sake of brevity, one point is used, but one skilled in the art will recognize that the various states represented by each point may in fact be located away from each other.

The CCLC of FIG. 2 begins at this point 201 (corresponding to states A ₁ , B ₁ , C ₁ ) for this description, where the combined fluid stream C is pressurized by a high pressure pump 102. Separated into a separate stream. The states C ₁ , A ₁ , and B ₁ are almost identical, but there are some differences due to pumping losses, friction, and the like. Starting at point 201, the first fluid stream A and the second fluid stream B are processed along separate paths. The first fluid stream A is heated to a substantially constant pressure to point 202 (state A ₂ ) by absorbing heat from the combustion gas H in the primary indirect heat exchanger 106. The first fluid stream then expands along an essentially constant entropy line (not shown) in the primary expansion turbine 108 until it reaches point 203 (state A ₃ ). The first fluid stream A is then cooled to a substantially constant pressure to point 204 (state A ₄ ) by dissipating heat from the secondary indirect heat exchanger 110 to the secondary fluid stream B. At this point, the primary fluid stream A is mixed with the secondary fluid stream B to become a combined fluid stream C again.

Secondary fluid stream B also starts at point 201 (denoted as state B ₁ ) and absorbs heat from fluid stream C coupled at third indirect heat exchanger 114 ( Up to state B ₂ ) at a substantially constant pressure. Secondary fluid stream B is then heated to a substantially constant pressure to point 206 (state B ₃ ) by absorbing heat from primary fluid stream A in secondary indirect heat exchanger 110. The secondary fluid stream B is mixed with the primary fluid stream A in the secondary expansion turbine 116 until it reaches point 204 (state B ₄ ) that forms a combined fluid stream C. It expands along a essentially constant entropy line (not shown).

Once combined, the combined fluid stream C releases heat to the secondary fluid stream B in the third indirect heat exchanger 114 as described above, thereby providing a substantially constant pressure to point 207 (state C ₃ ). To cool. Thereafter, the combined fluid stream C is further cooled by the condenser 118 until it reaches point 208 (state C ₄ ). Again, cooling from point 207 to point 208 occurs at a relatively constant pressure. After the combined fluid stream has cooled to the liquid state, the high pressure pump 102 pumps it to a relatively constant temperature to point 201 (state C1) to start a new cycle.

By carefully selecting and controlling the various conditions of the fluid stream, the present invention can be used to provide extremely efficient power generation compared to conventional steam power generation systems. Table 1 provides an approximation to the preferred embodiment of the various states identified in FIG. 1 as well as other data related to the operation of the preferred embodiment. In Table 1 the working fluid is propane. Although the data provided in Table 1 and elsewhere herein indicate certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, these values may be significantly altered or adapted to particular operating systems or operational requirements without departing from the scope and principles of the present invention. I will understand.

Table 1 CCLC (FIG. 1)

The efficiency of the embodiment of the CCLC provided in Table 1 is calculated as the net power (W ₁₀₈ + W _116- P ₀₂ ) divided by the amount of heat entering the system from the heat source Q ₁₀₆ . It has been found that the efficiency of the present invention greatly exceeds the efficiency of conventional power systems. The greater efficiency provides significant benefits to the environment by increasing power output, reducing resource consumption, reducing emissions (both of thermal contaminants and the amount of contaminants due to hot exhaust gases) and increasing resource conservation. Other benefits of this improved efficiency are too numerous to describe, but those skilled in the art will readily appreciate such advantages. In a preferred embodiment, the efficiency of the CCLC is at least about 17%, more preferably at least about 20%. In addition, as shown in Table 1, it has been found that the efficiency of one preferred embodiment of the present invention is almost 22%. This efficiency is greater than that obtained by prior art steam generation systems of similar cost and complexity. An example of such a steam power generation system is provided in FIG.

In the prior art vapor system of FIG. 3, the water fluid flow, generally designated by the letter S, is circulated through the system 300. Pump 202 pressurizes the water fluid flow to state S ₁ . The pump 202 requires a certain amount of power P ₂₀₂ to pressurize the water. The pressurized water is then heated and evaporated to steam having state S ₂ in indirect heat exchanger 204 by combustion gas 220 or some other conventional heat source. Combustion gas 220 is provided in a state (H ₁₎ by indirect heat exchange (204) into a state (H ₂₎ is released by, (Q ₂₀₄₎ fluid flow (S) of the water, the amount of heat. This steam is then directed to expansion turbine 206 where it is expanded to state S ₃ to generate useful energy W ₂₀₆ supplied. This vapor is cooled in the condenser 208 or other cooler until it is a liquid having state S ₄ . During this cooling process, the calorific value Q ₂₀₈ is removed from the vapor and condenses it into a liquid. Table 2 shows typical optimized approximations and other parameters for various states of the prior art steam system 300 of FIG.

Table 2 Steam Cycle (Figure 3) (Prior Art)

As shown in Table 2, the conventional steam cycle accepts the same heat input as the CCLC shown in Figures 1 and 2 and Table 1, both systems being 833,300 lb / s supplied at 750 ° F and 24.7 psia as the heat source. hr accept combustion gas. However, conventional steam cycles have an efficiency of 16.0% ((W _206- P ₁₀₂ ) / Q ₀₄ ) compared to 21.9% of CCLC. Thus, CCLC increases the efficiency by about 33% over conventional steam systems. This high efficiency is provided despite the additional pumping energy required by the CCLC system due to the somewhat compressible nature of liquid propane or equivalent light hydrocarbons.

The present invention can also increase efficiency significantly in part, because it operates using propane or other light hydrocarbons rather than water as the working fluid. It has been found that propane has certain properties that offer numerous advantages over water when used in a power generation cycle. In some power generation cycles, the working fluid (typically water) is pumped during the liquid state, heated to convert it into a gas, heated to provide more energy to the gas, and expanded to obtain useful energy. decompress) and must be cooled with liquid to be pumped back into the cycle. As mentioned elsewhere herein, the amount of energy required to change the fluid from liquid to gas is lost without converting it into fundamentally useful energy. Propane has a relatively low latent heat of evaporation (about 1/7 of water), which results in less energy being used to convert liquid propane to gaseous propane. This substantially saves energy compared to conventional steam based power systems.

The present invention also has other features that allow for obtaining a relatively high efficiency. For example, it has been found that propane can actually be used in high temperature power generation systems by maintaining propane at a minimum pressure of about 200 psia. This is an approximate pressure to condense propane at room temperature (ie, vapor pressure of propane). By keeping the minimum pressure at or below the vapor pressure of the working fluid, the system operates in typical climatic conditions without requiring active cooling (ie, refrigeration) to condense the working fluid into the liquid. In practice, this will be sufficient to set the minimum pressure to approximate the vapor pressure of the working fluid at a given ambient temperature. Any change in this pressure is allowed to accommodate the predicted or unpredicted fluctuations in ambient temperature, maximizing the overall efficiency of the system, other reasons being apparent to those skilled in the art. The maximum pressure of propane can also be preferably adjusted. The pressure of the propane released from the pump is varied to optimize the expansion ratio of the turbo-expander with the work needed to pump the fluid at a specific pressure and the energy available from the heat source. In a preferred embodiment, the maximum pressure of propane is about 300 psia to about 1000 psia, although other pressures may be used depending on the environment. One skilled in the art can optimize the propane pressure to achieve this or other purposes.

Another advantage of propane, which is provided due to lower heat of evaporation than water, is that the propane is overheated (ie, it can recover more heat) and thus produces greater excess expansion energy in the turbine in the temperature range between 100 ° F and 1000 ° F. It is generated. Indeed, propane uses CCLC to recover available heat at temperatures close to the standard ambient temperature to generate power from low temperature heat sources. As such, the CCLC of the present invention may be suitably used in steam systems or other high temperature systems or in low temperature ORC systems.

The high efficiency of the present invention is also provided, in part, by certain cascading turbine devices that operate a continuous turbine by "cascading" the energy obtained as a heat source from one fluid stream to the next. In addition, the high efficiency of the present invention is also provided, in part, by a particular third indirect heat exchange device that preheats the secondary fluid stream to increase the efficiency even more.

In addition to increased efficiency, CCLC offers additional performance advantages over conventional steam systems. For example, the efficiency of CCLC is not adversely affected by changes in altitude or pressure in the heat source (when the heat source is at a temperature sufficient to evaporate propane) because the working fluid is welded and sealed in its environment. Because there is. Of course, the heat source powering the CCLC can be adversely affected by altitude, which can reduce the corresponding power output, but the efficiency of the CCLC remains substantially the same.

In addition, the power output of the CCLC increases as the ambient temperature decreases because the pressure to start condensation also decreases when the ambient temperature decreases. As such, when operating in a colder environment, the lower limit of propane pressure can be reduced while maintaining the pressure of the remaining propane at the same level. When this is done, the pressure differential of propane is increased and the expansion ratio of the turbo-expander is increased to take advantage of the additional amount of energy available over a wider pressure range. This advantage can also be realized by using a condensation medium that is colder than the ambient air. For example, if cold water (eg 40 ° F.) is used as a refrigerant to condense propane into a liquid, the system operates the turbo-expander at a lower backpressure to condense propane at the corresponding lower pressure. Can be modified to take advantage of the fact. In contrast, most conventional steam systems are temperature independent. This feature allows the CCLC system to be used even more desirably in cold climates. While it can be expected that the present invention will be efficient when used at a wide range of ambient temperatures without actual modification, the minimum pressure of propane (or other medium) is about equal to or lower than the vapor pressure of propane at a specific ambient temperature of the power plant. It is desirable to modify it as much as possible. Preferably the ambient temperature is between about -50 ° F. and about 160 ° F. and the minimum pressure can be adjusted from about 25 psia to about 300 psia. Of course, these range limits are not so limited, and the present invention can be easily modified to have pressures below or above these ranges to take advantage of the specific operating conditions expected for the system.

The CCLC of the present invention provides another advantage. For example, the CCLC system of the present invention can be built at or less than the cost of a conventional steam power generation system. This is because propane can be expanded using relatively inexpensive turboexpanders rather than expensive steam turbines. However, even when the cost of building a CCLC exceeds the cost of building a conventional power system, the high efficiency of the CCLC also allows any excess manufacturing cost to be recovered by lower operating costs and / or higher power output. Typical turbo-expanders that can be used in the present invention include turbo-expanders available on the market from GE Power Systems, ABB Alstom, Atlas Copco, Mafi Trench and GHH-Borsig. The turbo-expander can be arbitrarily designed, in one embodiment the turbo-expander is a centrifugal expander.

CCLC also provides many service advantages. Conventional steam systems required periodic cleaning and chemical treatment to prevent or reduce the buildup of scale caused by minerals in the water. Steam systems can also be implemented to allow steam to gain a negative vaccum to the atmosphere, which causes air and other contaminants to enter the system, reducing the efficiency of the system. This consumes a lot of valuable water resources. In contrast, propane CCLC systems are weld sealed with relatively pure propane, requiring very little cleaning or maintenance.

In addition, CCLC operates at a waste heat emission temperature (ie, temperature in state C ₃ ) that is lower than the vapor system (ie, temperature in state S ₃ ), which minimizes the amount of thermal contamination that occurs and allows CCLC to Allow to cool by water resources. CCLC also operates in excess of atmospheric pressure as a whole, eliminating the possibility of contaminants leaking from the system and eliminating the need to consume water resources to maintain the system. Since CCLC also operates in the same pressure range as conventional systems, it can be manufactured using conventional construction techniques and plumbing techniques.

In another embodiment, the present invention can be used in cooperation with conventional steam systems or any other heat source. In this embodiment, the present invention includes a super cascading closed loop cycle (Super-CCLC) that converts waste heat into usable power. In one embodiment, by converting waste heat from the boiler exhaust and waste heat from the condensation process into useful outputs while the temperature of the heat source is high enough to evaporate propane, the super-CCLC system uses propane or an equivalent light hydrocarbon medium. To generate power in the cascading expansion turbine device. The present invention includes one or more indirect heat exchangers, expansion turbines, stream mixers, condensing units, pumps, and stream separators operating in cooperation with steam boilers and steam turbines. If the steam turbine is designed as a vacuum, the steam turbine is modified to operate as a back pressure steam turbine with a back pressure controlled at about 25 psia, which vacuum condensation system is modified, removed or bypassed. Propane-to-steam heat exchangers are suitably installed in a vacuum condenser to absorb latent heat of evaporation from the steam as it condenses into water.

Air exhaust from the steam boiler is directed to the air-to-propane heat exchanger and exhaust from the steam turbine is directed to the steam-to-propane condenser. The waste heat released from the steam boiler evaporates the propane that is pressurized using one or more pumps. Heat from the steam turbine exhaust evaporates the liquid propane stream that is pressurized using one or more pumps. The pressurized liquid propane stream is evaporated in multiple indirect heat exchangers and expanded in multiple turbo-expanders. The exhaust heat from the turbo-expander can be used to recover additional heat using a propane-to-propane heat exchanger. The turbo-expander can be connected in series or in parallel to a number of power generation devices such as generators, pumps, or compressors using any speed change means. Power generating devices such as generators and equipment used to attach these devices to turboexpanders, turbines and the like are known in the art.

One embodiment of a super-CCLC system is shown schematically in FIG. The super-CCLC system 400 of FIG. 4 comprises a vapor loop shown in double lines and generally designated by the letter S and a multi-loop CCLC system shown in single lines and designated generally by the letters A through E. As shown in FIG. Although the super-CCLC 400 of FIG. 4 is shown as operating with a vapor loop, the super-CCLC device of the present invention can also be operated with other types of power generation systems and heat sources. Indeed, various embodiments of super-CCLC are adapted to generate power from the waste heat generated by any number of devices or systems, including the heat sources described above or any other heat source described above. In addition, embodiments of the super-CCLC (or CCLC) of the present invention can be manufactured in a variety of different sizes and can be large enough to be used for practical power generation, function as a portable generator or be used as a car, truck, train, ship And can be miniaturized enough to provide maneuver and / or auxiliary power for, for example, airplanes and the like.

Operation of the steam loop of FIG. 4 begins when the water pump 402 pressurizes the water stream S to state S ₁ . The water pump 402 requires a certain amount of power P ₄₀₂ to pressurize the water stream S. The pressurized water stream S is heated in the boiler 404 from state S ₁ to state S ₂ by a heat source, such as combustion gas (generally designated by the letter H), to a state H ₁ . It enters the boiler and is discharged in the state (H ₂ ). The amount of heat absorbed by the water stream S is designated herein as Q ₄₀₄ . The water stream S, which is steam superheated in state S ₂ , is then directed to the steam turbine 406, where the water stream S is expanded to state S ₃ , so that a certain amount in the process Generates useful energy of W ₄₀₆ . The water stream then passes through a first indirect heat exchanger 408 where heat Q ₄₀₈ passes (as described below) the first loop stream C of the CCLC portion of the super-CCLC system 400. Is passed). Heat transfer outside the water stream S in the first indirect heat exchanger 408 partially or completely condenses the water stream S into the liquid from the gaseous state (state S ₃ ) to the state S ₄ , Less heat transfer can also be used. A supplemental condenser (not shown) is provided next to the first indirect heat exchanger 408 to further cool the water stream S to condense it more completely into the liquid. At this time, the water stream S is directed back to the water pump 402 to start a new cycle.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the steam loop may be provided with a bypass system to operate like a conventional steam power system. This may be desirable, for example, when updating, modifying or servicing the CCLC portion of the system. In such an embodiment, the one or more bypass valves 434 restart the cycle by directing the water stream back through the condenser 408 'to the water pump 402 instead of the first indirect heat exchanger 408. In this embodiment, the condenser 408 'extracts heat Q ₄₀₈ ' from the water to be in state S ₄ '. Of course, other valves (not shown) may be provided to sufficiently reroute the water stream S, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. This bypass route can also be used during the initial start of CCLC.

The multi-loop CCLC portion of the super-CCLC system 400 includes three loops generated from the main combined fluid stream A or the plurality of combined streams. In a preferred embodiment, the working fluid comprising the fluid stream is propane or another light hydrocarbon. The main combined fluid stream (A) is separated into a secondary combined fluid stream (B) and a first loop stream (C). The secondary combined fluid stream B is then separated into a second loop stream D and a third loop stream E. The useful energy is extracted from each of the first, second and third loop streams (C, D and E), and these streams are then recombined to re-form the main combined fluid stream (A) and start a new process. It is desirable to mix the fluid in the loop stream when the loop streams are combined, but this loop stream (or various streams of any other embodiment of the present invention) is always separated from each other, so in this case a separate It can also be predicted that a pump is needed. The process by which the first, second and third loop streams produce useful energy is now described in more detail.

The first loop stream C begins in state C ₁ , wherein it is preferred that this stream is a liquid. The first loop stream C is compressed to state C ₂ by the first high pressure pump 414. This pumping process requires a certain amount of work input (P ₄₁₄ ). The first loop stream C then directs to a first indirect heat exchanger 408 in which the stream absorbs Q ₄₀₈ of energy causing the vapor to enter state C ₃ . The first loop stream C then enters a first turbo-expander 416 which expands to state C ₄ and drives the turbo-expander ₄₁₆ to generate useful energy W ₄₁₆ . Thereafter, the expanded first loop stream C is mixed with the second and third loop streams D and E respectively present at the end of each cycle as described above in the stream mixer 418 to be the main combined fluid stream. (A) is formed. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the first loop stream C mainly receives heat from the waste heat Q ₄₀₈ from the stream loop S. As shown in FIG. Typically, this heat is lost entirely without performing any useful work, but due to super-CCLC, this heat is partially converted into useful energy, thereby improving the efficiency of the unmodified system.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the secondary coupled fluid stream B is pressurized from state B ₁ to state B ₂ by a second high pressure pump 420. This process requires the input of a certain amount of work (P ₄₂₀ ). After being pressurized, the secondary combined fluid stream B is separated into a second loop stream D and a third loop stream E by a second stream separator 422. Using this illustrated apparatus, a single pump can be used to pressurize both the second and third loop streams. In other embodiments, the second and third loop streams may be pressurized separately, or the first, second and third loop streams may be pressurized by a single pump or set of pumps before being separated into each loop stream. Of course, other pump configurations can be used. Ideally, the pumping configuration is chosen to reduce the overall cost of the system by minimizing the amount of work required to pump the fluid. This pump configuration can be based on factors such as the desired flow rate of the stream, pumping efficiency of pumps of various capacities, and cost of pumps of various capacities. This pumping configuration can also be influenced by the desired pressures of the various loop streams, where streams having the same or similar desired pressures are pumped by the same pump or pump set. One skilled in the art can optimize the various embodiments of the present invention without undue experimentation.

The second loop stream D is preferably started in state D ₁ as pressurized fluid as it exits the stream separator 422. As shown in FIG. 4, the second loop stream D is heated by the combustion gas H (or any other heat source) exiting the steam loop boiler 404. As mentioned above, in prior art systems, the energy included in the combustion gas exhaust is typically lost without obtaining any substantial benefit. However, in super-CCLC, one or more heat exchangers can be used to transfer heat from the combustion gas (H) to the second loop stream (D). In the embodiment of Figure 4, two heat exchangers are used. The second loop stream (D) is preheated in a second indirect heat exchanger (428), in which the stream is in the state (D ₁ ) when it absorbs an amount of Q ₄₂₈ of heat from the combustion gas (H). Is changed to (D ₂ ). This heat transfer cools the combustion gas H from the state H ₃ to the state H ₄ . The second loop stream (D) is also heated by the combustion gas (H) in the third indirect heat exchanger (430), which receives Q ₄₃₀ amount of heat and releases it to the state (D ₃ ). do. This heat exchange cools the combustion gas H from the state H ₂ to the state H ₃ . The second loop stream D is then directed to a second turbo-expander 432, which expands to state D ₄ to generate useful energy W ₄₃₂ . The expanded second loop stream D then passes through a fourth indirect heat exchanger 424 that transfers heat to the third loop stream E, thereby cooling from state D ₄ to state D ₅ . do. Finally, the second loop stream D is mixed with the first and third loop streams C and E in the stream mixer 418.

The third loop stream E is discharged from the stream separator 422 in state E ₁ . The third loop stream E passes through a third indirect heat exchanger 424 which absorbs Q ₄₂₄ amount of heat from the second loop stream D. This heat exchange causes the third loop stream E to evaporate into state E ₂ . Once evaporated, the third loop stream E is directed to a third turbo-expander 426 which expands to state E ₃ , thereby generating useful energy W ₄₂₆ . Finally, the third loop stream E is mixed with the first and second loop streams C and D in the stream mixer 418.

As shown in Fig. 4, the first, second and third loop streams C, D and E are combined in their respective states (states C ₄ , D ₅ and E ₃ ) to combine with state A ₁ . To form a first combined fluid stream (A) which becomes identical. Primary coupled fluid stream A passes condenser 410 to release Q ₄₁₀ amount of heat to any suitable refrigerant, changing primary coupled fluid stream A to state A ₂ . State A ₂ is preferably in a liquid state to facilitate pumping. After cooling in the condenser 410, the first combined fluid stream A is in the first stream separator 412 the second combined fluid stream B in state B ₁ and the _{first in} state C ₁ . It is separated into one loop stream (C). From this, the process starts anew. As mentioned above, various different pump configurations can be used in the present invention, and other configurations of stream separators can be used for these different pump configurations.

One or more turbo-expanders 416, 426, 432 and steam turbine 406 may be connected in series or in parallel to a number of generators, pumps or compressors, such as generators, using any speed change means. Generating devices such as generators and equipment used to attach them to turbo-expanders, turbines and the like are well known in the art.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, the super-CCLC process is described in more detail. 5 and 6 are Moliere plots for each of the vapor and CCLC portions of the super-CCLC. In FIG. 5, the pressure is represented by the axis 550, the enthalpy is represented by the horizontal axis 552, and many isotherms 554 ) Is shown along with the saturation curve 556 for water. Similarly, in FIG. 6, the pressure is represented by the vertical axis 650, the enthalpy is represented by the horizontal axis 652, and many isotherms 654 are shown with a saturation curve 656 for propane. In FIG. 5, the water stream S of FIG. 4 is shown by the line S. In FIG. In FIG. 6, the primary combined fluid stream A of FIG. 4 is shown as triplet A, the secondary combined fluid stream B is shown as double dashed line B, and the first loop stream ( C) is shown by the solid line C, the second loop stream D is shown by the dotted line D, and the third loop stream E is shown by the broken line E. FIG. For the sake of brevity, the lines representing the fluid streams are separated at some position so that they can clearly identify each other. Also for brevity, each point on FIGS. 5 and 6 denotes the temperature and pressure of one or more states described above with respect to FIG. 4 by symbols (eg, state A1, state B1, etc.). While one point may be used in these figures for the sake of brevity, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various states represented by each point may in fact be located apart from each other.

The super-CCLC of Figure 4 starts at point 501 (corresponding to states A ₁ , B ₁ , C ₁ ) for this description, at which point the water stream S is pressurized by a water pump 402. The state S ₁ is obtained. The water stream S is then heated to a substantially constant pressure to point 502 (state S ₂ ) by absorbing heat Q ₄₀₄ from the combustion gas in the boiler 404. From this, the water stream S is expanded in the steam turbine 406 along a line of essentially constant entropy (not shown) to point 503 (state S ₃ ) to generate useful energy W ₄₀₆ . . The water stream S then cools to a relatively constant pressure to point 504 (state S ₄ ) during which time the water stream condenses from the gaseous state to the liquid state. During this cooling step, the enthalpy of the water stream S is reduced by transferring enthalpy (heat) from the water stream S to the first loop stream of the CCLC portion of the system as shown in FIG. Once cooled, the water pump 402 starts a new cycle by pumping the water stream S at a relatively constant temperature to point 501 (state S ₁ ). The steam cycle shown in FIG. 5 is conventional steam power, except for the primary difference that there is a medium that extracts heat Q ₄₀₈ from the water stream S during cooling from point 503 to point 504. Similar to the steam cycle of the system.

The CCLC portion of the super-CCLC begins at point 601 (corresponding to states A ₂ , B ₁ and C ₁ ) for this description, where the first coupled fluid stream A is initially secondary bound. The separated fluid stream B and the first loop stream C and both the fluid streams are in a liquid state. The first high pressure pump 414 compresses the first loop stream C to a relatively constant temperature to point 602 (state C ₂ ). The first loop stream C is then heated and evaporated to a substantially constant pressure to point 603 (state C ₃ ) by absorbing heat Q ₄₀₈ from the first indirect heat exchanger 408. Once evaporated, the first loop stream C expands in the turbo-expander 416 along a line of constant entropy (not shown) to point 604 (state C ₄ ), thereby drawing useful energy W ₄₁₆ . Generate. From point 604, the first loop stream C is mixed with another loop stream to form a first combined fluid stream A at point 605 (state A ₁ ).

On the other hand, the second high pressure pump 420 compresses the secondary coupled fluid stream B at a relatively constant temperature to point 606 (corresponding to states B ₂ , D ₁ and E ₁ ). At point 606, the secondary combined fluid stream B is separated into a second loop stream D and a third loop stream E in states D ₁ and E ₁ , respectively. From this, the second and third loop streams D and E are processed along separate paths. The second loop stream D is first heated to a point 607 (state D ₂ ) at a substantially constant pressure by the combustion gas H in the second indirect heat exchanger 428. The second loop stream D is then heated with steam at a point 608 (state D ₃ ) again at a substantially constant pressure by the combustion gas H in the third indirect heat exchanger 430. Next, the second loop stream D is expanded along the essentially constant entropy line (not shown) in the second turbo-expander 432 until the point 609 (state D ₄ ) is reached, thereby making it useful. Generates energy W ₄₃₂ . As can be seen in FIG. 6, the second loop stream D at point 609 still contains a relatively large amount of internal energy, as shown by a relatively high enthalpy value. This energy is released from the fourth indirect heat exchanger 424 into the third loop stream E, thereby cooling the second loop stream D at a relatively constant pressure up to the point 610 (state D ₅ ). From this, the second loop stream D is mixed with the other loop stream to form a first combined fluid stream A at point 605 (state A ₁ ).

Starting from point 606, until the third loop stream E reaches point 611 (state E ₂ ), the third loop stream E is second in the fourth indirect heat exchanger 424. It is heated to a substantially constant pressure by the loop stream D, at which point the third loop stream becomes steam. From this, the third loop stream E is expanded along a line of essentially constant entropy (not shown) in the third turbo-expander ₄₂₆ to generate useful energy W ₄₂₆ . The third loop stream E is discharged from the third turbo-expander 426 at point 612 (state E ₃ ) and then mixed with the other loop stream to be first combined at point 605 (state A ₁ ). Form fluid stream A.

After the three loop streams have been combined to form the primary fluid stream A at point 605 (state A ₁ ), the primary fluid stream is completely liquefied at point 601 (state A ₂ ). Cooling in the condenser 410 at a relatively constant pressure, at which point the process starts anew.

By carefully selecting and controlling the various states of the fluid stream, the present invention can be used to increase the efficiency of any conventional power system (including nuclear, steam or other power systems) or variations thereof. Table 3 provides an approximation to the preferred embodiment of the various states identified in FIGS. 4-6 as well as other data related to the operation of the preferred embodiment. In this embodiment the working fluid is propane. As in the data provided in Table 1, these values may vary substantially depending on the particular operating environment or requirements or for other reasons, and such variations are within the scope of the present invention.

Table 3 Super-CCLC (Figure 4)

The efficiency of the super-CCLC examples provided in Table 3 is the net power (W ₄₀₆ + W ₄₁₆ + W ₄₂₆ + W ₄₃₂ -P ₄₀₂ -P ₄₁₄ -P ₄₂₀ ) divided by the amount of heat entering the steam system from the heat source (Q ₄₀₄ ). Is calculated. In a preferred embodiment, the efficiency of the super-CCLC is at least about 25%, more preferably about 30%. In addition, as shown in Table 3, the efficiency of one preferred embodiment is about 33.5%, which is an increase of 100% over this system when operated as a general steam power generation system. Adding the CCLC portion to the steam system, in some cases, reduces the power generated by the steam turbine 406, but this power loss is in addition to the additional power generated by the turbo-expanders 416, 426, and 432. Overcome by In addition, when the steam system is modified or designed with the super-CCLC system of the present invention, the steam portion of the system is operated as a back pressure system (ie, the water stream has a constant pressure at the outlet of the steam turbine), preferably with a back pressure It is operated at least about 25 psia. This back pressure transfers sufficient heat to the first loop cycle C of the CCLC portion of the system to improve the overall efficiency, allowing the first turbo-expander 416 to make significant progress.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. The present invention can be modified within the scope and principles of the present invention to include additional heat exchangers, condensers, pumps, turbo-expanders, mixers or stream separators. Alternative devices and arrangements may also be used to connect and drive pumps, compressors, generators, and the like. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various devices described herein can be modified or replaced with equivalents or reduced in number of parts without departing from the scope and principles of the present invention. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the data provided in connection with the preferred embodiment is also not intended to limit the present invention and the values provided for these variables in the accompanying tables and their relative relationships as shown in the accompanying drawings. For various reasons it can be modified to accommodate various operating conditions, operating requirements, and the like. The preferred embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way, and the present invention is limited only by the following appended claims.

Claims (74)

As a method of generating energy, the method comprises: Providing a working fluid; Increasing the pressure of the working fluid; Separating the working fluid into a plurality of streams including at least a first stream and a second stream; Transferring a first amount of heat energy from an energy source to the first stream and then transferring a second amount of heat energy from the first stream to the second stream; Extracting a first useful amount of energy from the first stream; Extracting a second useful amount of energy from the second stream; Merging the first stream with the second stream; And, Reducing the first stream and the second stream to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being at or about equal to or lower than the vapor pressure of the working fluid at ambient temperature. The method of claim 1, wherein said working fluid is selected from the group comprising propane, propylene, light hydrocarbons and compounds thereof. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum pressure is about 25 psia to about 300 psia. The method of claim 1, wherein said ambient temperature is between about −50 ° F. and about 160 ° F. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said energy source is selected from the group comprising fossil fuel energy, nuclear energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, waste heat, hydrogen, and combinations thereof. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring a second amount of thermal energy from the first stream to the second stream comprises: merging the first stream with the second stream prior to merging the first stream. Transferring a first portion of the second amount of thermal energy into the furnace; And, Transferring a second portion of the second amount of thermal energy from the first stream to the second stream after merging the first stream with the second stream. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein transferring the first portion of the second amount of thermal energy from the first stream to the second stream is performed after extracting the first useful amount of energy from the first stream. How energy is generated. The method of claim 1, wherein the sum of the first amount of useful energy and the second amount of useful energy are equal to at least about 20% of the first amount of thermal energy. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the pressure of the working fluid comprises increasing the pressure of the working fluid from about 300 psia to about 1000 psia. A device for generating energy, the device comprising: A plurality of fluid conduits including at least a first fluid conduit, a second fluid conduit, and a combined fluid conduit, the fluid conduits adapted to include a working fluid; A pump operatively attached to the plurality of fluid conduits and adapted to pressurize the working fluid; Energy source; A first heat exchanger operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to transfer a first amount of heat energy from the energy source to a working fluid in the first fluid conduit; A second heat exchanger operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit and adapted to transfer a second amount of heat energy from a working fluid in the first fluid conduit to a working fluid in the second fluid conduit A second heat exchanger located below the first heat exchanger with respect to the first fluid conduit; A first fluid expander operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to extract a first useful amount of energy from a working fluid in the first fluid conduit; A second fluid expander operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and adapted to extract a second amount of energy from the working fluid in the second fluid conduit; And, A cooling device operatively attached to at least one of the plurality of fluid conduits and adapted to reduce the working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being about equal to or lower than the vapor pressure of the fluid at ambient temperature, An energy generating device comprising a cooling device. The energy generating device of claim 10, wherein the working fluid is selected from the group comprising propane, propylene, light hydrocarbons, and compounds thereof. The energy generating device of claim 10, wherein the minimum pressure is about 25 psia to about 300 psia. The energy generating device of claim 10, wherein the ambient temperature is between about −50 ° F. and about 160 ° F. 12. The energy generating device of claim 10, wherein the energy source is selected from the group comprising fossil fuel burners, nuclear reactors, solar collectors, geothermal sources, waste heat sources, hydrogen, and combinations thereof. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second heat exchanger is: The second fluid from the working fluid in the first fluid conduit, operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit and the secondary fluid conduit, positioned between the first fluid expander and the merge point with respect to the first fluid conduit A primary second heat exchanger adapted to deliver a first portion of said second amount of heat energy to a working fluid in a conduit; And, Operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and the combined fluid conduit, located between the merge point and the pump with respect to the combined fluid conduit, and operating in the second fluid conduit from a working fluid in the combined fluid conduit And a secondary second heat exchanger adapted to deliver a second portion of the second amount of heat energy to the fluid. 16. The energy generating device of claim 15, wherein the second heat exchanger is positioned next to the first fluid expander with respect to the first fluid conduit. The energy generating device of claim 10, wherein the sum of the first and second useful energy amounts is equal to at least about 20% of the first thermal energy amount. The energy generating device of claim 10, wherein the pump is adapted to pressurize the working fluid to between about 300 psia and about 1000 psia. A method of converting heat into useful energy, the method comprising: Providing a fluid stream coupled in a liquid state; Pressurizing the combined fluid stream; Separating the combined fluid stream into a primary fluid stream and a secondary fluid stream; Applying thermal energy from a heat source to evaporate the primary fluid stream; Expanding the evaporated primary fluid stream to generate a first useful amount of energy; Transferring heat from the evaporated and expanded primary fluid stream to superheat the evaporated secondary fluid stream; Expanding the evaporated second fluid stream to generate a second useful amount of energy; Mixing the evaporated and expanded primary fluid stream with the evaporated and expanded secondary fluid stream to form a combined fluid stream; Transferring heat from the combined fluid stream to evaporate the secondary fluid stream; And, Condensing the combined fluid stream into a liquid state. The method of claim 19, wherein the fluid converts heat selected from the group comprising propane, propylene, light hydrocarbons and compounds thereof to useful energy. 20. The heat of claim 19, wherein transferring heat from the combined fluid stream to evaporate the secondary fluid stream further comprises maintaining a pressure of the combined fluid stream above the vapor pressure of the fluid. To convert energy into useful energy. A device for converting heat into useful energy, the device comprising: A combined fluid conduit adapted to deliver a fluid stream; A pump operatively attached to the coupled fluid conduit; A stream separator operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit below the pump, the stream separator also being operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit and the secondary fluid conduit; A first heat exchanger operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit below the stream separator, the first heat exchanger also operatively attached to a heat source; A first expander operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit below the first heat exchanger; A second heat exchanger operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit below the first expander, wherein the second heat exchanger is also operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit; A third heat exchanger operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit below the fluid separator, the third heat exchanger also operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit; A second expander operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit below the second heat exchanger; A stream mixer operatively attached to the combined fluid conduit, the primary fluid conduit below the second heat exchanger and the secondary fluid conduit below the second expander; And, A cooler operatively coupled to the coupled fluid conduit between the stream mixer and the pump, The third heat exchanger is located between the stream mixer and the cooler with respect to the combined fluid conduit, And the second heat exchanger converts heat located between the third heat exchanger and the second expander with respect to the secondary fluid conduit into useful energy. The device of claim 22, wherein the fluid stream converts heat selected from the group comprising propane, propylene, light hydrocarbons and compounds thereof. 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said energy source is selected from the group consisting of fossil fuel burners, nuclear reactors, solar collectors, geothermal sources, waste heat sources, and combinations thereof. A method of improving the efficiency of a power system with an energy source and a cooling system, the method comprising: Transferring a first amount of thermal energy from the cooling system to a first loop of a cascading closed loop cycle system; Extracting a first useful amount of energy from the first loop; Transferring a second amount of thermal energy from the energy source to a second loop of a cascading closed loop cycle system; And, Extracting a second useful amount of energy from the second loop. 27. The method of claim 25, wherein the cascading closed loop cycle system is selected from the group comprising propane, propylene, light hydrocarbons and compounds thereof. The method of claim 25, Transferring a third amount of thermal energy from the second loop to a third loop of a cascading closed loop cycle system; And, Extracting a third useful amount of energy from the third loop. 28. The system of claim 27, wherein the power system receives a fourth amount of thermal energy from an energy source to generate a fourth amount of useful energy, wherein the first amount of useful energy, the second amount of useful energy, the third amount of useful energy. The sum of the amount and the fourth useful energy amount is equal to at least about 30% of the fourth thermal energy amount. A method of improving the efficiency of a power system with an energy source and a cooling system, the method comprising: Providing a working fluid; Increasing the pressure of the working fluid; Separating the working fluid into a plurality of streams including at least a first stream and a second stream; Transferring a first amount of thermal energy from the cooling system to the first stream; Extracting a first useful amount of energy from the first stream; Transferring a second amount of thermal energy from the energy source to a second stream; Extracting a second useful amount of energy from the second stream; And, Cooling said working fluid to a minimum pressure, said minimum pressure being approximately equal to or lower than said vapor pressure of said working fluid at ambient air temperature. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the second stream comprises a primary second stream and a secondary second stream, The step of transferring a second amount of thermal energy from the energy source to the second stream comprises: Transferring the second amount of thermal energy from the energy source to the primary second stream: and Transferring a portion of the second amount of thermal energy from the primary second stream to the secondary second stream. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein extracting a second useful amount of energy from the second stream is: Extracting a first portion of said second useful amount of energy from said primary second stream: and Extracting a second portion of said second useful amount of energy from said secondary second stream. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the working fluid is selected from the group comprising propane, propylene, light hydrocarbons and compounds thereof. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the minimum pressure is about 25 psia to about 300 psia. The method of claim 29, wherein the ambient temperature is between about −50 ° F. and about 160 ° F. 30. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the energy source is selected from the group comprising fossil fuel energy, nuclear energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, waste heat, hydrogen, and combinations thereof. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the power system is a steam generation system. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein increasing the pressure of the working fluid comprises increasing the pressure of the working fluid from about 300 psia to about 1000 psia. As a method of generating energy, the method comprises: Providing a first working fluid; Increasing the pressure of the first working fluid; Transferring a first amount of thermal energy from an energy source to the first working fluid; Extracting a first useful amount of energy from the first working fluid; Providing a second working fluid; Increasing the pressure of the second working fluid; Separating the second working fluid into a plurality of streams including at least a first stream and a second stream; Transferring a second amount of thermal energy from the first working fluid to the first stream; Extracting a second useful amount of energy from the first stream; Transferring a third amount of thermal energy from the energy source to the second stream; Extracting a third useful amount of energy from the second stream; And, Cooling the second working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being about equal to or lower than the vapor pressure of the second working fluid at ambient air temperature. 39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the second stream comprises a primary second stream and a secondary second stream; Transferring a third amount of thermal energy from the energy source to the second stream is: Transferring the third amount of thermal energy from the energy source to the primary second stream; And, Transferring a portion of the third amount of thermal energy from the primary second stream to the secondary second stream. 40. The method of claim 39, wherein extracting a third useful amount of energy from the second stream is: Extracting a first portion of the third amount of energy from the primary second stream; And, Extracting a second portion of the third useful amount of energy from the secondary second stream. The method of claim 38, wherein said first working fluid is water. The method of claim 38, wherein said second working fluid is selected from the group comprising propane, propylene, light hydrocarbons and compounds thereof. The method of claim 38, wherein the minimum pressure is about 25 psia to about 300 psia. The method of claim 38, wherein the ambient temperature is between about −50 ° F. and about 160 ° F. 39. The method of claim 38, wherein said energy source is selected from the group comprising fossil fuel energy, nuclear energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, waste heat, and combinations thereof. A method of improving the efficiency of a power system with an energy source and a cooling system, the method comprising: Providing a working fluid; Increasing the pressure of the working fluid; Separating the working fluid into a first stream, a second stream and a third stream; Transferring a first amount of thermal energy from the cooling system to the first stream; Extracting a first useful amount of energy from the first stream; Transferring a second amount of thermal energy from the energy source to the second stream; Extracting a second useful amount of energy from the second stream; Transferring a third amount of thermal energy from the second stream to the third stream; Extracting a third useful amount of energy from the third stream; And, Cooling the working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being about equal to or lower than the vapor pressure of the working fluid at ambient air temperature. The method of claim 46, wherein transferring a second amount of thermal energy from the energy source to the second stream comprises: Delivering a first portion of the second amount of heat energy from the energy source to the second stream in a first heat exchanger; And, Delivering a second portion of the second amount of heat energy from the energy source to the second stream in a second heat exchanger. 47. The method of claim 46, wherein extracting a first useful amount of energy from the first stream comprises expanding the first stream in a first expander; Extracting a second useful amount of energy from the second stream comprises expanding the second stream in a second expander; Extracting the third useful amount of energy from the third stream comprises expanding the third stream in a third expander. 47. The method of claim 46, wherein the working fluid is selected from the group comprising propane, propylene, light hydrocarbons, and combinations thereof. 47. The method of claim 46, wherein the minimum pressure is about 25 psia to about 300 psia. The method of claim 46, wherein the ambient temperature is between about −50 ° F. and about 160 ° F. 47. 47. The method of claim 46, wherein said energy source is selected from the group comprising fossil fuel energy, nuclear energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, waste heat, hydrogen, and combinations thereof. 47. The method of claim 46, wherein the power system is a steam generation system. An apparatus for generating supplemental energy from a power system having an energy source and a cooling system, the apparatus comprising: A plurality of fluid conduits including at least a first fluid conduit, a second fluid conduit and a combined fluid conduit adapted to include a working fluid; One or more pumps operatively attached to the plurality of fluid conduits and adapted to pressurize the working fluid; A first heat exchanger operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to transfer a first amount of heat energy from the cooling system to a working fluid in the first fluid conduit; A first fluid expander operatively attached to the first fluid conduit and adapted to extract a first amount of energy from a working fluid in the first fluid conduit; A second heat exchanger operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and adapted to transfer a second amount of heat energy from the energy source to a working fluid in the second fluid conduit; A second fluid expander operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and adapted to extract a second amount of energy from a working fluid in the second fluid conduit; A cooling device operatively attached to at least one of the plurality of fluid conduits and adapted to reduce the working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being about equal to or lower than the vapor pressure of the fluid at ambient temperature, Includes a cooling device, And the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit are combined at a merge point to generate supplemental energy from a power system to form a combined fluid conduit. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the plurality of fluid conduits further comprises a third fluid conduit, A third heat operatively attached to the second fluid conduit and the third fluid conduit and adapted to transfer a third amount of thermal energy from the working fluid in the second fluid conduit to the working fluid in the third fluid conduit Exchanger; And, A third fluid expander operatively attached to the third fluid conduit and adapted to extract a third useful amount of energy from the working fluid in the third fluid conduit, And the third heat exchanger generates supplemental energy from a power system positioned next to the second fluid expander with respect to the second fluid conduit. 55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the second heat exchanger comprises at least two heat exchangers. 55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein said working fluid generates supplemental energy from a power system selected from the group comprising propane, propylene, light hydrocarbons and compounds thereof. 55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the minimum pressure is about 25 psia to about 300 psia. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the ambient temperature is from about −50 ° F. to about 160 ° F. 55. 55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein said energy source is selected from the group consisting of fossil fuel burners, nuclear reactors, solar collectors, geothermal sources, waste heat sources, hydrogen, and combinations thereof. 55. The system of claim 54, wherein the power system receives a fourth amount of thermal energy from the energy source to generate a fourth amount of useful energy, wherein the first amount of useful energy, the second amount of useful energy, the third amount of useful energy. Wherein the sum of the amount and the fourth useful amount of energy generates supplemental energy from the power system such as at least about 30% of the fourth amount of thermal energy. A device for converting thermal energy into useful energy, the device comprising: Including a primary power system and a secondary power system, The primary power system is: Energy source; A primary fluid conduit adapted to include a primary working fluid; A primary fluid pump operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit and adapted to pressurize the primary working fluid; A primary fluid heat exchanger operatively attached to said primary fluid conduit and adapted to transfer said first amount of heat energy from said energy source to said primary fluid conduit comprised within said primary fluid conduit; And, A primary fluid expander operatively attached to the primary fluid conduit and adapted to extract a first useful amount of energy from the primary working fluid in the primary fluid conduit, The secondary power system is: A secondary fluid conduit system including a first fluid loop, a second fluid loop, and a third fluid loop and adapted to include a secondary working fluid; One or more secondary fluid pumps operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit system and adapted to pressurize the secondary working fluid; The primary fluid within the primary working fluid conduit and operatively attached to the first fluid loop and the primary fluid conduit and positioned between the primary fluid expander and the primary fluid pump with respect to the primary fluid conduit; A first heat exchanger adapted to transfer a second amount of heat energy to the secondary working fluid in the first fluid loop; A first fluid expander operatively attached to the first fluid loop and adapted to extract a second amount of energy from a secondary working fluid in the first fluid loop; A second heat exchanger operatively attached to the second fluid loop and adapted to transfer a third amount of heat energy from the energy source to the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop; A second fluid expander operatively attached to the second fluid loop and adapted to extract a third useful amount of energy from the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop; The third fluid loop operatively attached to the second fluid loop and the third fluid loop and positioned next to the second fluid expander with respect to the second fluid loop and from the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop. A third heat exchanger adapted to transfer a fourth amount of heat energy to the secondary working fluid in the chamber; A third fluid expander operatively attached to the third fluid loop and adapted to extract a fourth amount of useful energy from the secondary working fluid in the second fluid loop; And, A cooling device operatively attached to the secondary fluid conduit system and adapted to reduce the secondary working fluid to a minimum pressure, the minimum pressure being about equal to or greater than the vapor pressure of the secondary working fluid at ambient temperature. A device for converting thermal energy into low energy, including cooling devices. 63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said primary working fluid is water. 63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said secondary working fluid converts thermal energy selected from the group comprising propane, propylene, light hydrocarbons, and compounds thereof. 63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the minimum pressure is from 25 psia to about 300 psia. 63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the ambient temperature is between -50 ° F and about 160 ° F. 63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said energy source is selected from the group consisting of fossil fuel burners, nuclear reactors, solar collectors, geothermal sources, waste heat sources, hydrogen, and combinations thereof. 63. The method of claim 62, wherein the sum of the first amount of useful energy, the second amount of useful energy, the third amount of useful energy, and the fourth amount of useful energy are equal to at least about 30% of the first amount of thermal energy. A device that converts energy into useful energy. 63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the at least one secondary fluid pump converts thermal energy into useful energy adapted to pressurize the secondary working fluid from about 300 psia to about 1000 psia. A method of converting heat into useful energy based on a cascading closed loop cycle (CCLC), which comprises: A) feeding the primary liquid stream of propane to a primary indirect heat exchanger to evaporate propane using thermal energy derived from a heat source; B) expanding the primary stream of evaporated propane in a primary expansion turbine to generate useful energy; C) directing the primary evaporated propane stream exiting the primary expansion turbine to a secondary indirect heat exchanger; D) superheating a secondary stream of propane evaporated in said second indirect heat exchanger; E) expanding the secondary stream of superheated propane in a tertiary expansion turbine to generate useful energy; F) directing a primary stream of evaporated propane exiting the second indirect heat exchanger to a stream mixer; G) directing a secondary stream of evaporated propane exiting the secondary expansion turbine to a stream mixer; H) combining the primary and secondary streams of evaporated propane in the stream mixer; I) directing the combined stream of evaporated propane to a third indirect heat exchanger to evaporate the secondary stream of liquid propane; J) directing the combined stream to a condenser to cool the combined stream of evaporated propane to liquid; K) directing a combined stream of liquid propane exiting the condenser to a pump; L) pressurizing the combined stream of liquid propane in the pump; M) separating the pressurized combined stream of liquid propane exiting the pump into primary and secondary propane streams in the stream separator; N) directing the primary stream to step A to evaporate the primary stream of pressurized liquid propane; And, O) directing the secondary stream to step I to evaporate the secondary stream of pressurized liquid propane to convert heat into useful energy. The method of claim 70, wherein the ORC medium is propylene. The method of claim 70, wherein the ORC medium is a light hydrocarbon. 71. The method of claim 70, wherein the ORC medium is a mixture of light hydrocarbons. 71. The method of claim 70, wherein the discharge pressure of the expansion turbine is controlled to maintain the discharge pressure of the third indirect heat exchanger above the vapor pressure of the ORC medium to useful energy.