Rankine cycle power plant with improved organic working fluid

Claim 2

In a Rankine cycle power plant having a boiler for vaporizing an organic working fluid which is applied to a turbine in which vaporized working fluid produced by the boiler expands and produces work, a condenser for condensing expanded vaporized working fluid exhausted by the turbine and producing condensate, and means for returning the condensate to the boiler, the improvement comprising: (a) operating the boiler so that the organic fluid vaporizes at substantially constant pressure and a temperature not exceeding 400° C.; (b) applying only vaporized working fluid to the turbine; and (c) using as the working fluid, a compound selected from the group consisting of bicyclic hydrocarbons, substituted bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substituted heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bicyclic compounds where one ring is aromatic and the other condensed ring is nonaromatic, and their mixtures.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein the working fluid is a mixture of compounds, said mixture having a freezing point which is lower than the freezing point of the compound having the highest freezing point.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 wherein the working fluid is quinoline.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 1 wherein the working fluid is naphthalene.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 1 wherein the working fluid is methyl naphthalene.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 1 wherein the working fluid is tetralin.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 1 wherein the working fluid is a mixture of tetralin and methyl naphthalene.

Claim 9

A binary Rankine cycle power plant comprising: (a) a first heat exchanger for vaporizing a first organic working fluid; (b) a first turbine and means for applying thereto only vaporized working fluid produced by the first heat exchanger for producing work when the first working fluid expands in the first turbine; (c) a second heat exchanger responsive to a second working fluid in liquid form for condensing the expanded vapors of the first working fluid into condensate and for vaporizing the second working fluid; (d) means for returning condensate produced by the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger; (e) a second turbine for expanding vaporized working fluid produced by the second heat exchanger and producing work; (f) a condenser for condensing the expanded vapors of the second working fluid exhausted by the second turbine to produce second working fluid condensate; and (g) means returning the second working fluid condensate to the second heat exchanger; (h) wherein said first working fluid is selected from the group consisting of bicyclic hydrocarbons, substituted bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substituted heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bicyclic compounds where one ring is aromatic and the other condensed ring is nonaromatic, and their mixtures, and the first heat exchanger vaporizes said first working fluid at a temperature not exceeding about 400° C.

Claim 10

A binary Rankine cycle power plant comprising: (a) a first heat exchanger for vaporizing a first organic working fluid; (b) a first turbine and means for applying thereto only vaporized working fluid produced by the first heat exchanger for producing work when the first working fluid expands in the first turbine; (c) a second heat exchanger responsive to a second working fluid in liquid form for condensing the expanded vapors of the first working fluid into condensate and for vaporizing the second working fluid; (d) means for returning condensate produced by the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger; (e) a second turbine for expanding vaporized working fluid produced by the second heat exchanger and producing work; (f) a condenser for condensing the expanded vapors of the second working fluid exhausted by the second turbine to produce second working fluid condensate; and (g) means returning the second working fluid condensate to the second heat exchanger; (h) wherein said first working fluid is selected from the group consisting of bicyclic hydrocarbons, substituted bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substituted heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bicyclic compounds where one ring is aromatic and the other condensed ring is nonaromatic, and their mixtures, and the first heat exchanger vaporizes said first working fluid at a temperature not exceeding about 400° C.

Claim 11

A binary Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 8 wherein the first heat exchanger includes a solar collector for heating the first working fluid.

Claim 12

A binary Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 9 wherein the first working fluid is tetralin.

Claim 13

A binary Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 10 wherein the second working fluid is an aliphatic hydrocarbon.

Claim 14

A binary Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 9 wherein the second working fluid is heptane.

Claim 15

A binary Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 8 wherein the first heat exchanger is in a form of a nuclear reactor.

Claim 16

A binary Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 13 wherein the first working fluid is naphthalene.

Claim 17

A binary Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 14 wherein the second working fluid is an aliphatic hydrocarbon.

Claim 18

A binary Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 14 wherein the second working fluid is water.

Claim 19

In a Rankine cycle power plant having a nuclear reactor heat source for vaporizing a working fluid that is supplied to a turbine, and a condenser for condensing vapor exhausted from the turbine, the improvement comprising constructing and arranging said heat source such that the working fluid is vaporized at substantially constant pressure and temperature not exceeding about 400° C., and the fluid acts as a moderator, coolant and working fluid, wherein only vaporized working fluid is supplied to the turbine, and wherein the working fluid is selected from a group consisting of bicyclic hydrocarbons, substituted bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substituted heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bicyclic compounds where one ring is aromatic and the other condensed ring is nonaromatic, and their mixtures.

Claim 20

In a Rankine cycle power plant having a nuclear reactor heat source for vaporizing a working fluid that is supplied to a turbine, and a condenser for condensing vapor exhausted from the turbine, the improvement comprising constructing and arranging said heat source such that the working fluid is vaporized at substantially constant pressure and temperature not exceeding about 400° C., and the fluid acts as a moderator, coolant and working fluid, wherein only vaporized working fluid is supplied to the turbine, and wherein the working fluid is selected from a group consisting of bicyclic hydrocarbons, substituted bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substituted heterobicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bicyclic compounds where one ring is aromatic and the other condensed ring is nonaromatic, and their mixtures.

Claim 21

The Rankine cycle power plant as defined by claim 17 wherein said fluid which acts as a moderator is deuterated.

Claim 22

A binary Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 8 wherein said first heat exchanger is constructed and arranged to vaporize said first organic working fluid at substantially constant pressure.

Claim 23

The invention of claim 1 wherein the working fluid is a combination of methanol and quinoline.

Claim 24

The invention of claim 20 wherein the ratio of methanol to quinoline is about 0.6% by weight.

Claim 25

The invention of claim 1 wherein the working fluid is a combination of methanol and Tetralin.

Claim 26

The invention of claim 1 wherein the working fluid is a mixture of about 75% Tetralin and about 25% methyl naphthalene.

Claim 27

A binary Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 19 wherein said first heat exchanger includes a nuclear reactor that is constructed and arranged to vaporize said first working fluid at substantially constant pressure, and a temperature not exceeding about 400° C.

Claim 28

A binary Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 24 wherein the second working fluid is water.