Patent ID: 8955322
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: F01K,F03G,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method for increasing power plant efficiency during periods of variable heat input to the power plant or at partial loads applied to the power plant, comprising the steps of: cycling an organic motive fluid through a Rankine cycle power plant having a vaporizer and a superheater such that organic motive fluid vapor produced in the vaporizer and superheated in the superheater is delivered from the vaporizer and superheater to a turbine at a selected inlet temperature at full admission; providing said vaporizer with a heated fluid heated by a single heat source and conveyed to the vaporizer via a first conduit; providing said superheater with a heated fluid heated by said single heat source and conveyed to the superheater via a second conduit which comprises a parallel circuit extending from said single heat source in parallel with the first conduit; and using a controller to control the relative amounts of heat respectively input to the vaporizer and to the superheater by controlling the respective flow rates of heated fluid in the respective first and second conduits from the single heat source to said vaporizer and to said superheater via the controller, to adjust a percentage of a superheated portion of said organic motive fluid vapor delivered to said turbine during the periods of variable heat input or at partial loads applied to the power plant, wherein the step of controlling the relative amounts of heat respectively input to the vaporizer and superheater comprises controlling the relative amounts of the heat respectively input to the vaporizer and superheater from the single heat source, and wherein at partial loading the percentage of the superheated portion is adjusted so as to reduce the density and the mass flow rate of the organic motive fluid vapor.