Patent ID: 9593597
Date: 2017-03-14
CPC Classifications: F01K

Claim:
1. A Rankine cycle system comprising: (a) a first heater in which a first waste heat-containing stream is brought into thermal contact with a first working fluid stream to produce therefrom a first vaporized working fluid stream and a second waste heat-containing stream; (b) a first expander into which the first vaporized working fluid stream is introduced to produce therefrom mechanical energy and an expanded first vaporized working fluid stream; (c) a first heat exchanger in which the expanded first vaporized working fluid stream is brought into thermal contact with a first condensed working fluid stream to produce therefrom a second vaporized working fluid stream; (d) a second expander into which the second vaporized working fluid stream is introduced to produce therefrom mechanical energy and an expanded second vaporized working fluid stream; (e) a second heat exchanger in which the expanded second vaporized working fluid stream is brought into thermal contact with a second condensed working fluid stream, to produce therefrom a first stream of the working fluid having greater enthalpy than the second condensed working fluid stream; (f) a second heater in which a waste heat-containing stream is brought into thermal contact with a third condensed working fluid stream to produce a second stream of the working fluid having greater enthalpy than the third condensed working fluid stream; and (g) a working fluid stream combiner in which the first stream of the working fluid having greater enthalpy than the second condensed working fluid stream is combined with the second stream of the working fluid having greater enthalpy than the third condensed working fluid stream, to produce the first working fluid stream.