Patent ID: 8046999
Filing Date: 2011-11-01
Classification: F01K,F22G,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A Dual-source Organic Rankine Cycle (DORC) for converting thermal power from the combination of a low-grade thermal source and a mid-grade thermal source to electrical power, said method characterized by: condensing a working fluid from a low-pressure cool vapor at total pressure p producing pressurized working liquid by pumping said low-pressure condensed working fluid to pressure p heating and boiling at least a portion of said pressurized condensed working fluid in a boiler using thermal power that originates from said low-grade source to create pressurized vapor at temperature T using a high-temperature (HT) recuperator to produce preheated vapor at temperature T using thermal power that originates from said mid-grade source to produce final superheated vapor at temperature T expanding said super-heated vapor at temperature T further cooling said warm vapor to at least its condensing temperature and repeating the above cycle, said method further characterized as including means for separating a portion of the heavy hydrocarbons (HHCs) from said working fluid, where HHCs are defined as having molecular mass greater than 79 and normal boiling point greater than 354 K.