Patent ID: 7743872
Filing Date: 2010-06-29
Classification: F01K

Abstract:
1. A power generation unit comprising: a first vessel holding a quantity of a first pressurized gaseous working fluid that is gaseous at ambient temperature at a pressure substantially greater than ambient pressure; a second vessel holding a quantity of a second working fluid that is in a liquid state at ambient temperature; a controllable heater in controllable communication with at least said second vessel for heating at least said second working fluid; an engine in controllable communication with said heater and said first vessel, such that said engine can receive said first pressurized gaseous working fluid and/or receive said second working fluid, having been heated by said heater to be vaporized and form a second pressurized gaseous working fluid, said first and/or second pressurized gaseous working fluids being supplied to at least one chamber in said engine where said pressurized gaseous working fluids can expand, causing said engine to produce power; a liquid recovery device for condensing said second pressurized gaseous working fluid following expansion in and exhaust from said engine, and separating said first and second working fluids and supplying at least said second working fluid back to said second vessel; and a controller for controlling heating of said at least second working fluid in said heater, and flow of said first and second working fluids from the respective vessels to the heater and to said at least one chamber of the engine responsive to an operator request, whereby when an operator requests that said engine produce power at a time when said second working fluid is not heated sufficiently to form a second pressurized gaseous working fluid capable of being expanded in said at least one chamber of said engine to produce power, said controller controls flow of said first pressurized working fluid from said first vessel to said at least one chamber of said engine, causing said engine to produce power, and also causes said heater to heat said second working fluid to be vaporized to form a second pressurized gaseous working fluid, and after said second pressurized gaseous working fluid has been formed by vaporizing said second working fluid, controls supply of said second pressurized gaseous working fluid to said at least one chamber of said engine, partially or wholly in lieu of the first pressurized gaseous working fluid, to cause said engine to produce power in response to the operator's request.