Cascaded closed cycle power plants:working fluid preheat from parallel flow heat source fluid

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 wherein the source fluid is geothermal. 15

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1 including the step of operating the power plants at different temperatures.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 3 including the step of operating the power plants at different 20 pressures.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 2 including the step of using an organic fluid as the operating fluid for the power plants.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 5 including using 25 the same type of operating fluid in each module.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 1 including the steps operating the modules on a sub-critical Rankine cycle.

Claim 9

In a power plant of the type having a 30 plurality of independent, closed cycle power plant modules each of which has a vaporizer to which a medium or low temperature fluid is serially applied for producing heat depleted fluid, the improvement comprising a preheater for each vaporizer, and means 35 for applying said heat depleted fluid to all of the preheaters in parallel. • J - io - f 19SEPI986 \\ v ■> • 'V „ \ .• • , * 211j si P4Q23FOR.WS 211181

Claim 10

In a power plant of the type having a 30 plurality of independent, closed cycle power plant modules each of which has a vaporizer to which a medium or low temperature fluid is serially applied for producing heat depleted fluid, the improvement comprising a preheater for each vaporizer, and means 35 for applying said heat depleted fluid to all of the preheaters in parallel. • J - io - f 19SEPI986 \\ v ■> • 'V „ \ .• • , * 211j si P4Q23FOR.WS 211181

Claim 11

The power plant of claim 8 wherein an organic fluid constitutes the operating fluid of the power plants.

Claim 12

Hie power plant of claim 8 wherein said fluid 5 is geothermal.

Claim 13

A power plant operating on a source of low or medium temperature fluid of the type described comprising: (a) a plurality of closed Rankine cycle 10 power plant modules each having a vaporizer associated therewith responsive to said source fluid for converting the operating fluid of the power plant modules to vapor; (b) means for serially applying said source 15 fluid to the vaporizers of the power plants for producing heat depleted source fluid; (c) a preheater associated with each vaporizer for preheating operating fluid that is vaporized in the associated vaporizer; and 20 (d) means for applying said heat depleted source fluid to all of the preheaters in parallel.

Claim 14

A power plant operating on a source of low or medium temperature fluid of the type described comprising: (a) a plurality of closed Rankine cycle 10 power plant modules each having a vaporizer associated therewith responsive to said source fluid for converting the operating fluid of the power plant modules to vapor; (b) means for serially applying said source 15 fluid to the vaporizers of the power plants for producing heat depleted source fluid; (c) a preheater associated with each vaporizer for preheating operating fluid that is vaporized in the associated vaporizer; and 20 (d) means for applying said heat depleted source fluid to all of the preheaters in parallel.

Claim 15

A power plant according to claim 11 wherein said source is geothermal fluid.

Claim 16

A power plant according to claim 11 wherein 25 each power plant module includes: (a) a turbogenerator responsive to vaporized operating fluid produced by the associated vaporizer of the power plant for generating power and producing heat depleted operating fluid; and 30 (b) a condenser for condensing said heat depleted operating fluid and producing liquid condensate that is applied to the preheater associated with said associated vaporizer.

Claim 17

A power plant according to claim 13 wherein 35 the condenser is water cooled. « • - c j *-0 - ii - 19SEPi936