Method of and apparatus for cooling hot fluids

Claim 2

Apparatus for cooling a hot fluid comprising: a) a heat exchanger containing an organic fluid and responsive to said hot fluid for cooling the hot fluid and producing vaporized organic fluid; b) an organic vapor turbine having an output shaft connected to a fan, and responsive to said vaporized organic fluid for driving the fan which blows ambient air, and for producing expanded organic vapor which exits the turbine; c) a condenser for receiving said expanded organic vapor, and responsive to air blown by the fan for condensing said expanded organic vapor into organic fluid condensate; and d) means for returning organic fluid condensate to said heat exchanger.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for returning the condensate to the condenser includes mounting the condenser at a height above the heat exchanger such that gravity assists in returning the condensate from the condenser to the heat exchanger.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for returning includes a pump.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fan is directly connected to said output shaft.

Claim 6

Apparatus for cooling a hot fluid comprising: a) a heat exchanger adapted to receive said hot fluid and liquid coolant for cooling the hot fluid and vaporizing the liquid coolant; b) a turbine having an output shaft connected to a fan, and responsive to vaporized coolant for driving the fan to blow air, and producing vaporized coolant which exits the turbine; c) a condenser for receiving vaporized coolant that exits the turbine, and responsive to air blown by the fan for condensing the vaporized coolant received in the condenser into coolant condensate; d) means for returning the coolant condensate to said heat exchanger; and e) wherein the fan is provided with a rotation responsive air brake control for controlling the amount of air blown by the fan in response to its rotation.

Claim 7

Apparatus for cooling a hot fluid comprising: a) a heat exchanger adapted to receive said hot fluid and liquid coolant for cooling the hot fluid and vaporizing the liquid coolant; b) a turbine having an output shaft connected to a fan, and responsive to vaporized coolant for driving the fan to blow air, and producing vaporized coolant which exits the turbine; c) a condenser for receiving vaporized coolant that exits the turbine, and responsive to air blown by the fan for condensing the vaporized coolant received in the condenser into coolant condensate; d) means for returning the coolant condensate to said heat exchanger; and e) wherein the fan is provided with a rotation responsive air brake control for controlling the amount of air blown by the fan in response to its rotation.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said fan has blades, and said air brake control is in the form of a centrifugally operated flap on one or more blades of the fan.

Claim 9

Apparatus for cooling a hot fluid in combination with a Rankine cycle power plant comprising: a) a heat exchanger adapted to receive said hot fluid and liquid coolant for cooling the hot fluid and vaporizing the liquid coolant; b) a turbine having an output shaft connected to a fan, and responsive to vaporized coolant for driving the fan to blow air, and producing vaporized coolant which exits the turbine; c) a condenser for receiving Vaporized coolant that exits the turbine, and responsive to air blown by the fan for condensing the vaporized coolant received in the condenser into coolant condensate; d) means for returning the coolant condensate to said heat exchanger; e) a boiler for vaporizing a primary working fluid, a primary turbine for expanding the vaporized working fluid and driving the generator that produces electricity and for producing vaporized primary working fluid which exits the turbine wherein the working fluid that exits the turbine constitutes the hot fluid cooled in said heat exchanger which produces primary working fluid condensate; and f) means for returning the condensate to the boiler.

Claim 10

Apparatus for cooling a hot fluid in combination with a Rankine cycle power plant comprising: a) a heat exchanger adapted to receive said hot fluid and liquid coolant for cooling the hot fluid and vaporizing the liquid coolant; b) a turbine having an output shaft connected to a fan, and responsive to vaporized coolant for driving the fan to blow air, and producing vaporized coolant which exits the turbine; c) a condenser for receiving Vaporized coolant that exits the turbine, and responsive to air blown by the fan for condensing the vaporized coolant received in the condenser into coolant condensate; d) means for returning the coolant condensate to said heat exchanger; e) a boiler for vaporizing a primary working fluid, a primary turbine for expanding the vaporized working fluid and driving the generator that produces electricity and for producing vaporized primary working fluid which exits the turbine wherein the working fluid that exits the turbine constitutes the hot fluid cooled in said heat exchanger which produces primary working fluid condensate; and f) means for returning the condensate to the boiler.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said liquid coolant is an organic fluid.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said primary working fluid is water, and the water side of said heat exchanger is at greater than atmospheric pressure.

Claim 15

A Rankine cycle power plant of the type having a boiler for vaporizing primary working fluid, a primary turbine for expanding the vaporized primary working fluid to drive a generator that produces electricity and for producing heat depleted primary working fluid, a primary condenser for condensing the heat depleted primary working fluid and producing primary condensate, and means for returning the primary condensate to the boiler, said primary condenser comprising: a) a vaporizer for receiving said heat depleted primary working fluid and vaporizing liquid secondary working fluid; b) a secondary turbine responsive to said vaporized secondary working fluid for expanding the same to drive a load and producing heat depleted secondary working fluid; c) a cooling fan that constitutes the load on the secondary turbine; d) a secondary condenser positioned in operative relationship to said cooling fan for condensing said heat depleted secondary working fluid and producing secondary condensate; and d) means for returning the secondary condensate to the vaporizer.

Claim 16

A Rankine cycle power plant of the type having a boiler for vaporizing primary working fluid, a primary turbine for expanding the vaporized primary working fluid to drive a generator that produces electricity and for producing heat depleted primary working fluid, a primary condenser for condensing the heat depleted primary working fluid and producing primary condensate, and means for returning the primary condensate to the boiler, said primary condenser comprising: a) a vaporizer for receiving said heat depleted primary working fluid and vaporizing liquid secondary working fluid; b) a secondary turbine responsive to said vaporized secondary working fluid for expanding the same to drive a load and producing heat depleted secondary working fluid; c) a cooling fan that constitutes the load on the secondary turbine; d) a secondary condenser positioned in operative relationship to said cooling fan for condensing said heat depleted secondary working fluid and producing secondary condensate; and d) means for returning the secondary condensate to the vaporizer.

Claim 17

A Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 11 wherein means for returning the secondary condensate to the vaporizer includes means mounting the secondary condenser at a height above the vaporizer such that gravity assists in returning the secondary condensate to the vaporizer.

Claim 18

A power plant according to claim 11 wherein the primary working fluid is water, the secondary working fluid is an organic fluid.

Claim 19

A Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 13 wherein the organic fluid is pentane.

Claim 20

A Rankine cycle power plant according to claim 13 wherein said means for returning the secondary condensate to the vaporizer includes mounting the secondary condenser at a height above the vaporizer such that gravity assists in returning the secondary condensate to the vaporizer.