Regenerative ranking cycle power plant

Claim 2

Regenerative feed heating means impressed upon the thermodynamic processes of a vapor power plant comprising in combination: a vapor generator having integral heating processes; a heat engine member adapted to expand heated and pressurized working fluid supplied from said vapor generator member; means for transferring heated and pressurized working fluid from the said vapor generator to the inlet of said heat engine member; a fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchanger adapted to effect the regenerative pre-heating of high-velocity feed liquid by contact interchange in parallel flow with low-velocity expanded heating vapor by means of accelerating nozzle and ejector passageways internally disposed within said contact heat exchanger member; a supply of feed liquid suitable for evaporation within said vapor generator member; a liquid feed pump; means for transferring the said supply of feed liquid to the suction of said feed pump; means for transferring pressurized feed liquid from said feed pump to a nozzle passageway of said contact heat exchanger; a source of expanded heating vapor suitable for combination with the said feed liquid; means for transferring the said expanded heating vapor to the ejector passage of said contact heat exchanger; valve regulating means disposed to control flow of the said expanded heating vapor into the ejector passageway of said contact heat exchanger to regulate heat absorption by feed liquids passing therethrough; and means for transferring the heated feed liquid discharge of said contact to heating processes of said vapor generator member; the said contact heat exchanger being adapted to receive and exchange energy between highvelocity feed liquid and expanded heating vapor in parallel flow within internal fluid passageways thereof, to combine the thermal energy of the several entering fluid streams, and to discharge pressurized and pre-heated feed liquid from a diffuser passageway thereof; whereby the external effect of the regenerative feed heating process is to pre-heat feed liquid by contact interchange with expanded heating vapor, thereby decreasing the quantity of heat energy supplied by the said vapor generator member to raise the temperature of the feed liquid to the saturation temperature at the pressure of the evaporation process.

Claim 3

The general regenerative power plant of claim 1 wherein a plurality of fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchangers are disposed in parallel with respect to each other between common pressurized feed liquid and expanded heating vapor supply headers, and dischargers pre-heated feed liquid from said contact Heat exchangers to heating processes of said vapor generator member.

Claim 4

The general regenerative power plant of claim 1 wherein expanded heating vapor supplied from said contact heat exchanger is discharged from processes provided with heated and pressurized vapor from said vapor generator member.

Claim 5

The general regenerative power plant of claim 1 wherein the contact heat exchanger is comprised by an ejector having a centrally-disposed nozzle passage surrounded by an outer ejector passage in the receiving section thereof, and discharges the combined fluid streams through a diverging frusto-conical diffuser passage.

Claim 6

The general regenerative power plant of claim 1 wherein the contact heat exchanger is comprised by an ejector having a centrally-disposed ejector passage surrounded by an outer nozzle passage in the receiving section thereof, and discharges the combined fluid streams through a diverging annular diffuser passage.

Claim 7

Regenerative feed heating means impressed upon the thermo-dynamic processes of a Rankine cycle power plant comprising in combination: a vapor generator having integral heating processes; a heat engine member adapted to expand the cycle working fluid; a vapor-to-liquid condenser member adapted to receive expanded vapor from a discharge outlet of said heat engine member and to condense said expanded vapor to liquid by transfer of heat energy therefrom; an ejector-type fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchanger adapted to effect the regenerative pre-heating of high-velocity feed liquid by contact interchange in parallel flow with expanded heating vapor from a discharge outlet of the said heat engine member; a liquid feed pump; communicating means between the outlet of said vapor generating member and the inlet of said heat engine member for the transfer of heated and pressurized cycle working fluid; communicating means between a discharge outlet of said heat engine member and the inlet of said condenser member for the transfer of expanded cycle working fluid; communicating means between the liquid outlet of said condenser member and the inlet of said feed pump; communicating means between the discharge of said feed pump and accelerating nozzle passageways of said contact heat exchanger; communicating means between a discharge outlet of said heat engine member and ejector passageways of said contact heat exchanger for the transfer of expanded heating vapor; valve regulating means disposed to control flow of the said expanded heating vapor from a discharge outlet of said heat engine member into ejector passageways of said contact heat exchanger to regulate heat absorption by feed liquids passing therethrough; and communicating means between the fluid discharge of said contact heat exchanger and heating processes of said vapor generator member; the said contact heat exchanger being adapted to receive and exchange energy between high-velocity feed liquid and engine-expanded heating vapor in parallel flow within internal fluid passageways thereof, to combine the thermal energy of the several entering fluid streams, and to discharge pressurized and pre-heated feed liquid from diffuser passageways thereof; whereby the external effect of the regenerative feed heating process is to pre-heat cycle feed liquid by contact interchange with engine-expanded heating vapor within said contact heat exchanger, thereby reducing the heat rejection of said power plant and decreasing the quantity of heat energy supplied by said vapor generator member to raise the temperature of the feed liquid to the saturation temperature at the pressure of the evaporation process.

Claim 8

Regenerative feed heating means impressed upon the thermo-dynamic processes of a Rankine cycle power plant comprising in combination: a vapor generator having integral heating processes; a heat engine member adapted to expand the cycle working fluid; a vapor-to-liquid condenser member adapted to receive expanded vapor from a discharge outlet of said heat engine member and to condense said expanded vapor to liquid by transfer of heat energy therefrom; an ejector-type fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchanger adapted to effect the regenerative pre-heating of high-velocity feed liquid by contact interchange in parallel flow with expanded heating vapor from a discharge outlet of the said heat engine member; a liquid feed pump; communicating means between the outlet of said vapor generating member and the inlet of said heat engine member for the transfer of heated and pressurized cycle working fluid; communicating means between a discharge outlet of said heat engine member and the inlet of said condenser member for the transfer of expanded cycle working fluid; communicating means between the liquid outlet of said condenser member and the inlet of said feed pump; communicating means between the discharge of said feed pump and accelerating nozzle passageways of said contact heat exchanger; communicating means between a discharge outlet of said heat engine member and ejector passageways of said contact heat exchanger for the transfer of expanded heating vapor; valve regulating means disposed to control flow of the said expanded heating vapor from a discharge outlet of said heat engine member into ejector passageways of said contact heat exchanger to regulate heat absorption by feed liquids passing therethrough; and communicating means between the fluid discharge of said contact heat exchanger and heating processes of said vapor generator member; the said contact heat exchanger being adapted to receive and exchange energy between high-velocity feed liquid and engine-expanded heating vapor in parallel flow within internal fluid passageways thereof, to combine the thermal energy of the several entering fluid streams, and to discharge pressurized and pre-heated feed liquid from diffuser passageways thereof; whereby the external effect of the regenerative feed heating process is to pre-heat cycle feed liquid by contact interchange with engine-expanded heating vapor within said contact heat exchanger, thereby reducing the heat rejection of said power plant and decreasing the quantity of heat energy supplied by said vapor generator member to raise the temperature of the feed liquid to the saturation temperature at the pressure of the evaporation process.

Claim 9

The general regenerative Rankine cycle power plant of claim 6 wherein a plurality of fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchangers are disposed in parallel with respect to each other between common pressurized feed liquid and expanded heating vapor supply headers, and discharges pre-heated feed liquid from said contact heat exchangers to heating processes of said vapor generator member.

Claim 10

The general regenerative Rankine cycle power plant of claim 6 wherein the contact heat exchanger is comprised by an ejector having a centrally-disposed nozzle passage surrounded by an outer ejector passage in the receiving section thereof, and discharges the combined fluid streams through a diverging frusto-conical diffuser passage.

Claim 11

The general regenerative Rankine cycle power plant of claim 6 wherein the contact heat exchanger is comprised by an ejector having a centrally-disposed ejector passage surrounded by an outer nozzle passage in the receiving section thereof, and discharges the combined fluid streams through a diverging annular diffuser passage.

Claim 12

The general regenerative Rankine cycle power plant of claim 6 wherein a plurality of fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchangers having members mounted in parallel with respect to each other is disposed in the liquid feed piping system of said power plant; means for supplying the said plurality of contact heat exchangers with pressurized feed liquid at a common pressure state; means for supplying individual members of the said plurality of contact heat exchangers with expanded heating vapor at different pressure states; and means for transferring the pre-heated feed liquid discharge of said plurality of contact heat exchangers to heating processes of said vapor generator member.

Claim 13

The general regenerative Rankine cycle power plant of claim 6 wherein a plurality of heat engines having members disposed in parallel with respect to each other in the piping system of said power plant is supplied with heated and pressurized cycle working fluid from said vapor generator member; a plurality of fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchangers having members disposed in parallel with respect to each other in the liquid feed piping system of said power plant; means for supplying the said plurality of contact heat exchangers with pressurized feed liquid at a common pressure state; means for supplying some individual members of said plurality of contact heat exchangers with expanded heating vapor from one heat engine member; means for supplying the other individual members of said plurality of contact heat exchangers with expanded heating vapor from the other heat engine members of said power plant; and means for transferring the heated feed liquid discharge of said plurality of contact heat exchangers to heating processes of said vapor generator member.

Claim 14

The general regenerative Rankine cycle power plant process of claim 6 wherein a plurality of fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchangers discharging to an intermediate cycle pressure from a lower cycle pressure having members disposed in parallel with respect to each other in the low-pressure side of the feed piping system of said power plant; means for supplying the said plurality of intermediate-pressure contact heat exchangers with pressurized feed liquid at a common pressure state; means for supplying the said plurality of intermediate-pressure contact heat exchangers with expanded heating vapor at a discrete pressure state from a discharge outlet of said heat engine member; means for transferring the heated feed liquid discharge of said plurality of intermediate-pressure contact heat exchangers to the inlets of a plurality of higher pressure liquid feed pumps; a plurality of high-pressure feed pumps disposed to receive heated intermediate-pressure feed liquid from the discharge of said plurality of intermediate-pressure contact heat exchangers and to discharge the heated feed liquid to a higher cycle pressure; a plurality of fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchangers discharging to the higher cycle pressure having members disposed in parallel with respect to each other in the high-pressure side of the feed piping system of said power plant; means for supplying the said plurality of high-pressure contact heat exchangers with expanded heating vapor at discrete pressure states from discharge outlets of said heat engine member; and means for transferring the heated feed liquid discharge of said plurality of high-pressure contact heat exchangers to heating processes of said vapor generator member.

Claim 15

The general regenerative Rankine cycle power plant process of claim 6 wherein a plurality of regenerative Rankine cycle branches are disposed in parallel with respect to each other and communicate with a common vapor generator member; each individual regenerative Rankine cycle branch having elementary components including the heat engine, vapor-to-liquid condenser, contact heat exchanger, cycle pump, control and communicating means, etc. common to the simple regenerative Rankine cycle of claim 6 excepting the vapor generator member; valve means disposed in the vapor inlet line of each individual cycle branch which may alternately admit pressurized vapor thereinto from the common vapor generator member; and valve means disposed in the feed liquid discharge line of each individual cycle branch which may alternately isolate the said feed liquid discharge line from communication with the common vapor generator member; whereby the common vapor generator and each member of the said plurality of regenerative Rankine cycle branches may be alternately connected to comprise a separate regenerative Rankine cycle power plant.

Claim 16

The general regenerative Rankine cycle power plant process of claim 6 wherein a plurality of vapor generator members are disposed in parallel with respect to each other and communicate with a common regenerative Rankine cycle branch; the common regenerative Rankine cycle branch having elementary components including the heat engine, vapor-to-liquid condenser, contact heat exchanger, cycle pump, control and communicating means, etc. common to the simple regenerative Rankine cycle of claim 6 excepting the vapor generator member; and valve means disposed in the vapor discharge line and feed liquid supply line of each member of the said plurality of vapor generator members; whereby the common regenerative Rankine cycle branch and each member of the said plurality of vapor generator members may be alternately connected to comprise a separate regenerative Rankine cycle power plant.

Claim 17

The general regenerative Rankine cycle power plant of claim 6 wherein a plurality of heat engines having members disposed in parallel with respect to each other in the piping system of said power plant is supplied with heated and pressurized cycle working fluid from a common vapor generator member; one heat engine member of the said plurality being disposed for maximum expansion of its working fluid stream by discharging the major fraction thereof to an adjacent vapor-to-liquid condenser in the low-pressure side of the feed piping system of said power plant, while other limited expansion heat engine members of the said plurality are disposed to discharge their working fluid streams to the high-pressure side of the feed piping system of said power plant; a plurality of fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchangers discharging to an intermediate cycle pressure having members disposed in parallel with respect to each other in the low-pressure side of the feed piping system of said power plant; means for supplying nozzle passageways of the said plurality of intermediate-pressure contact heat exchangers with pressurized feed liquid at a common pressure state; means for supplying the said plurality of intermediate-pressure contact heat exchangers with expanded heating vapor at a discrete pressure state from a discharge outlet of the said maximum expansion heat engine member; means for transferring the heated feed liquid discharge of said plurality of intermediate-pressure contact heat exchangers to the inlet of a liquid feed pump; a high-pressure feed pump disposed to discharge heated intermediate-pressure feed liquid from the said intermediate pressure to a higher cycle pressure; a plurality of fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchangers discharging to the higher cycle pressure having members disposed in parallel with respect to each other in the high-pressure side of the feed piping system of said power plant; means for transferring the pressurized feed discharge of the said high-pressure feed pump to nozzle passageways of the said plurality of high-pressure contact heat exchangers; means for supplying the said plurality of high-pressure contact heat exchangers with expanded heating vapor at discrete pressure states from discharge outlets of the limited expansion heat engine members of the said plurality; and means for transferring the heated feed liquid discharge of the said plurality of high-pressure contact heat exchangers to heating processes of the common vapor generator member.

Claim 18

The general regenerative Rankine cycle power plant of claim 6 wherein a plurality of heat engines having members disposed in parallel with respect to each other in the piping system of said power plant is supplied with heated and pressurized cycle working fluid from a common vapor generator member; one positive-displacement heat engine member of the said plurality being disposed for maximum expansion of its working fluid stream by discharging the major fraction thereof to an adjacent vapor-to-liquid condenser in the low-pressure side of the feed piping system of said power plant, while other non-condensing non-positive displacement heat engine members of the said plurality are disposed for limited expansion of their working fluid streams and discharge to the high-pressure side of the feed piping system of said power plant; a plurality of fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchangers discharging to an intermediate cycle pressure having members disposed in parallel with respect to each other in the low-pressure side of the feed piping system of said power plant; means for supplying nozzle passageways of the said plurality of intermediate-pressure contact heat exchangers with pressurized feed liquid at a common pressure state; means for supplying the said plurality of intermediate-pressure contact heat exchangers with expanded heating vapor at a discrete pressure state from a discharge outlet of the said positive-displacement heat engine member; means for transferring the heated feed liquid discharge of said plurality of intermediate-pressure contact heat exchangers to the inlet of a liquid feed pump; a high-pressure feed pump disposed to discharge heated intermediate-pressure feed liquid from the said intermediate pressure to a higher cycle pressure; a plurality of fluid-to-fluid contact heat exchangers discharging to the higher cycle pressure having members disposed in parallel with respect to each other in the high-pressure side of the feed piping system of said power plant; means for transferring the pressurized feed discharge of the said high-pressure feed pump to nozzle passageways of the said plurality of high-pressure contact heat exchangers; means for supplying the said plurality of high-pressure contact heat exchangers with expanded heating vapor at discrete pressure states from discharge outlets of the limited expansion non-positive displacement heat engine members of the said plurality; and means for transferring the heated feed liquid discharge of the said plurality of high-pressure contact heat exchangers to heating processes of the common generator member.