Patent ID: 6841891
Filing Date: 2005-01-11
Classification: F28D,H02N

Abstract:
1. A process for producing electrical energy from thermal energy comprising the steps of: supplying thermal energy to a heat pipe containing a working fluid and a capillary insert to evaporate the working fluid in a vaporizer section of the heat pipe; directing the resulting vapor flow through the heat pipe to a condenser section of the heat pipe where the vapor is condensed and the resulting condensate returned to the vaporizer section via the capillary insert; entraining liquid droplets of an electrostatic generator by means of the vapor flow from the vaporizer section of the heat pipe, the electrostatic generator having a liquid working medium to supply the liquid droplets, a solid working medium for charge separation, and a pick-up electrode within the condenser section of the heat pipe; passing the vapor entrained with the liquid droplets by the solid working medium to cause separation of the electrostatic charges between the solid and liquid working media; displacing of the resulting charged liquid droplets-working medium under the action of forces caused by the kinetic energy of the molecules in the vapor flow, wherein these vapor flow forces perform work against the Coulomb forces; and passing the liquid droplets-working medium past the pick-up electrode to pick up electric charges that are mechanically displaced by the these vapor flow forces against the Coulomb forces to generate electrical energy from the thermal energy.