Energy recovery and conversion system

Claim 2

An energy conversion system comprising: a first pipe extending downward into a cavity containing environmental heat; a heat absorbing heat exchanger positioned in said cavity proximate to the lower end of said first pipe and said heat absorbing means having an inlet and outlet; a uni-directional flow nozzle interconnecting the lower end of said first pipe and the inlet of said heat absorbing means, said uni-directional nozzle enabling flow through it from said first pipe to said heat absorbing means; a second pipe extending from said outlet of said heat absorbing means upward to the upper end of said cavity; a fluid; and a heat load connected to the upper end of said first and second pipes and enclosing said fluid whereby said fluid is vaporized in said heat absorbing means by environmental heat, the resulting vapor flows upward through the said second pipe through said heat load after which it liquifies and forms a pressure head in said first pipe above said nozzle creating the pressure causing the fluid to be forced through said nozzle and again vaporiZed and the cycle repeated.

Claim 3

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a pump in circuit with said first pipe for increasing the pressure of fluid in said first pipe between said pump and said nozzle.

Claim 4

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fluid is CO2.

Claim 5

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising insulation surrounding said second line.

Claim 6

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said heat load includes a turbine having a vapor inlet connected to receive vapor from said second line and a condenser connected to the vapor outlet of said turbine providing a liquid back to said first line.

Claim 7

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 5 wherein: said condenser comprises a first heat exchanger having a heat emission cavity connected between the output of said turbine and said first pipe; said system further comprises a second heat exchanger having a heat reception chamber and heat emission chamber, said heat reception chamber being connected in circuit between said second pipe and vapor inlet of said turbine; and a pair of lines connected between the heat reception chamber of said first heat exchanger and heat emission chamber of said second heat exchanger, one of said lines having in circuit therewith a pump and the other having in circuit with it pressure reduction means whereby heat output from said first heat exchanger achieves condensation of the output of said turbine and transfers a substantial part of the heat given off to said second heat exchanger which preheats vapor from said second line supplied to said turbine.

Claim 8

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 5 further comprising a reservoir interconnected to the output of said condenser and said first line adapted to provide a storage of fluid assuring a constant source of fluid to said first line.

Claim 9

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first pipe extends downward into a cavity a distance of not less than 500 feet.

Claim 10

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a perforated pipe smaller in diameter than said cavity and extending in said cavity below said heat upward to said heat absorbing means from lower levels of said cavity.

Claim 11

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said heat absorbing means comprises: an annular, input manifold connected to said first line, said input manifold being spaced from the walls of said cavity; a plurality of pipes extending downward from said manifold over a substantial depth of said cavity and being connected at their lower ends to said second pipe, and said second pipe being positioned centrally with respect to said plurality of pipes; and a cylindrical member extending downward from said manifold between said plurality of pipes and said second pipe for a substantial depth in said cavity, whereby water in said cavity may circulate upward around said plurality of pipes, over the top of said manifold and down between said cylindrical member and said second pipe in response to the effect of heat being absorbed by said plurality of pipes.

Claim 12

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a well seal position at a selected level in said cavity for providing a seal between the inner periphery of said cavity and said pipes.

Claim 13

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising energy division means in circuit with said heat load, said heat division means including means responsive to a vapor input to provide as a first output a lower temperature vapor to said first pipe than the temperature of said vapor input and for providing a second output, to said heat load, which is of a higher temperature than vapor to said input.

Claim 14

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 12 further comprising an ambient air heat exchanger coupled between said first output of said energy division means and said first pipe whereby the vapor output of said first output is preheated before being fed to said first pipe.

Claim 15

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said heat load is an evaporator.

Claim 16

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 12 further comprising a liquid freezer coupled in circuit between said first output of said energy division means and said first pipe.

Claim 17

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said energy divider comprises: a generally circular rotatable member including shaft means for centrally supporting said member; a plurality of blades extending radially on said rotatable member and adapted to produce rotation of said member upon the application of said vapor input to said blades; first and second fixed mounted, annular exhaust manifolds, each having a wall positioned adjacent to the periphery of said blades, there being included in one of the wall portions of said first manifold at least one orifice forming an exhaust passageway from said blades to said first manifold, the exit of which orifice is oriented whereby vapor is directed into said first manifold along a first circumferential direction, and there is included in one of the wall portions of said second manifold at least one second orifice forming an exhaust passageway from said blades to said second manifold, the exit of said second orifice being oriented whereby gases are directed into said second manifold along a circumferential direction opposite to said first named circumferential direction; enclosure surrounding said circular rotatable member and said blades; whereby as said circular rotatable member is rotated and vapor discharged from said blades, it is divided into two paths, one path being a hot vapor path generally along the direction of rotation of said rotatable member to provide said second output, and the other path being a cold vapor path out along a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said rotatable member to provide said first output.

Claim 18

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said blades extend between said manifolds.

Claim 19

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 17 wherein said blades extend between said manifolds.

Claim 20

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said blades are positioned radially inward of said manifolds.

Claim 21

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 16 wherein rotary power outlet means are coupled to said shaft means whereby rotary power is extracted from said energy divider.

Claim 22

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said energy divider comprises: a circular rotatable member including shaft means for centrally supporting said member and rotating it; a first set of a plurality of curved blades, each having a cupped curvature on its forward face with respect to a selected direction of rotation, said blades extending outward to an annular position intermediate between the center of said member and its periphery; a second set of a plurality of curved blades, each extending outward from the outer termination of said first set of blades, and each having a cupped forward face and wherein the spacing between blades decreases with outward radial distance; flow separation means supported by said rotatable member and separating said first and second sets of blades and preventing flow from one set to the other; an enclosure surrounding said rotatable member and blades; an annular said vapor input opening in said enclosure adjacent to said flow separation means for directing a split input flow of vapor into regions between both sets of first and second sets of blades; a first said output in the center region of said enclosure and a second outlet in outer region of said enclosure; whereby a portion of vapor supplied through said annular input is directed radially between said first set of blades inward to said first output and is cooled thereby, and a portion of said vapor is directed radially outward between said second set of blades to said second output to provide a hot vapor outlet and thus said gases directed inward are cooler than the inlet vapor and the gases directed outward are hotter than said inlet vapor.

Claim 23

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said energy divider comprises: a circular rotatable member including shaft means for centrally supporting said member; a plurality of blades extending from a point just outward of the center of said rotatable member to its periphery, said blades having a concave forward face and convex after surface, the thickness of each blade increasing with radial distance to a maximum thickness in a peripheral region; a slot extending from a side edge of each said blade diagonally through said peripheral region and exiting at a forward surface, the exit thus obtained facing the after surface of the next preceeding blade; an enclosure surrounding said rotatable member and including a vapor inlet gas manifold on a side of said enclosure having at least one jet opening interfacing with said slots, a hot gas exhaust manifold outward of the periphery and around the outer circumference of said blades, and a cold gas exhaust manifold extending from the center region between the radially inner ends of said blades; and whereby input vapor applied to said inlet manifold as said vapor input provides at least one jet of vapor from said manifold to said slots, causing said member to rotate and a hot vapor portion of said vapor to flow upward to said hot gas exhaust manifold as said second output and cold vapor portion of said vapor to flow inward to said cold gas exhaust manifold as said first output.

Claim 24

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said heat load comprises: a temperature amplifier having a pair of input fluid couplings and a pair of output fluid couplings comprising: first, second and third heat exchangers, said first and second heat exchangers each having a heat reception chamber and heat emission chamber and said third heat exchanger having a heat reception chamber, and each chamber having an inlet and outlet, energy division means having an inlet and low temperature and high temperature outlet and including means for providing at said low temperature outlet a vapor of a temperature lower than applied to said inlet and for providing at said high temperature outlet vapor at a higher temperature than received at said inlet, said high temperature outlet of said energy division means being connected to the inlet of the heat emission chamber of said first heat exchanger, the outlet of said heat emission chamber of said first heat exchanger being connected to the inlet of the heat emission chamber of said second heat exchanger and the outlet of said heat emission chamber of said second heat exchanger being connected to the upper end of said first pipe, said second pipe being connected to said inlet of said energy division means, one of said fluid input couplings of said amplifier, said low temperature outlet of said energy division means being connected through said heat reception chamber of said third heat exchanger, via said inlet and outlet of said last named heat reception chamber, the other of said input fluid couplings, to said upper end of said first pipe; and a fluid heat load being connected from said first inlet of said heat reception chamber of said second heat exchanger, one of said output fluid couplings, out through the outlet of said heat reception chamber of said second heat exchanger, in through said first inlet of said heat reception chamber of said first heat exchanger and out through the outlet of said heat reception chamber of said first heat exchanger, the other output fluid coupling.

Claim 25

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 23 wherein said third heat exchanger comprises an atmospheric heat exchanger adapted to receive heat aNd apply the received heat to said heat reception chamber of said third heat exchanger.

Claim 26

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 23 wherein said heat load comprises vapor powered engine heat coupled to said pair of output fluid couplings of said temperature amplifier and having a vapor inlet and outlet and further comprising a heat pump means interconnected between said inlet and outlet for transferring heat received from the fluid outlet of said vapor powered engine back to the fluid inlet of said vapor powered engine.

Claim 27

An energy conversion system as set forth in claim 25 further comprising a second like said temperature heat amplifier with its said pair of input fluid couplings connected to the said pair of output fluid couplings of said first temperature amplifier and its said pair of output fluid couplings connected in a circuit with said engine.