A MODULAR DEVICE FOR THE EXPLOITATION OF THE HEAT IN FLUID MEANS AT LOW TEMPERATURE

Abstract: The device according to the present invention comprises an evaporator (H) being separate or inserted into capsules for the transformation of the thermic energy contained in the water or in the air, so as to allow the realization of fixed systems for the production of electric energy or of other kind and propellers for marine, submarine, land and air vehicles.

Description: "A modular- device for the exploitation of the heat in fluid • means at low temperature" The present invention concerns a modular device for the ex- ploitation of the heat in low.temperature fluid means, like the water of seas and lakes, the air of the atmosphere and similar. The same applicant has filed on 15th December 1987 patent application no. 48713 A/87, in which a modular system was claimed for the exploitation of geothermic energy in a net¬ work of underground tunnels, where a plurality of capsules containing a heat pump received the thermic energy from the walls thereof giving it back, at increased temperature, to a turbine or cyclic machine or similar that operates an al¬ ternator or a dynamo for the production of electric energy. It is the aim of the present invention to realiwe a device working on above said principle, for the exploitation of the heat in fluid means and the relative transformation into .electric energy or of other kind, to be used like an ener¬ gy generator and/or for the propulsion of marine, submarine, air or land vehicles, like trains and similar.. The aim set forth is reached by the modular device accord¬ ing to the present invention, comprising the following e- lements: - a plurality of modular capsules containing a heat pump for receiving the external, low temperature heat of wa- ter or air and for giving it back, at a temperature in¬ creased by means of a condenser, to a cyclic machine or a turbine that operates a dynamo or an alternator; - an evaporator, separate from said capsules, consisting in a plurality of flat chambers for increasing the con¬ tact surface with the fluid, said chambers being fixed to prefabricated elements. In a variant of the present invention, the low temperatu- re heat received from the water or the air, may be given back at increased temperature to a boiler for an appro¬ priate fluid like ammonia or other, devellopping the va¬ pour thereof: then the vapour will be condensed again giving.the remaining latent heat to the outside or to the vaporizer of said heat pump. In a possible variant for the realization of fixed sy¬ stems of electric energy generators, immersed in the " waters of seas, lakes and similar, the pbite evaporator may surround said capsules in one single compact so as to facilitate the maintenance and the eventual replac¬ ing due to any damage to the single modular capsules: In a further possible application, the device according -to the present invention forms an autonomous propeller for air as well as for marine and submarine means; for the last two a great efficiency has been noted, due to the density of the water and the specific heat thereof which determine on the faces of said evaporators higher liminar adduction coefficients than those of the atmo¬ spheric air. Furthermore, in such cases the movement of the vehicle allows a natural water exchange with a. consequent increa¬ se of said adduction coefficient. The variant of the present invention that will form a propeller for land and air vehicles is subject to the great thermic difference in the air, to the low density thereof and to the low specific heat of the water, as well as to the ice formation. But it should be considered that said vehicles are faster than the marine vehicles with faster thermic exchanges with'the ambient. The considerable weight due. to the evaporators on air- planes and helicopters may be reduced making use of non metal materials at low density. In those climates in which it is not possible to take from the air the requested thermic energy, it may be ba- lanced realizing a boiler so as to exploit.the thermic energy produced by common fuels. This favours the use of the device according to the present invention also in vehicles of.reduced dimensions like non autonomous propellers, but working also with the help of fuels. • The present invention will be explained more in detail he- reinbelow referring to the attached drawings in which a pre¬ ferred embodiment is shown. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a modular device for the exploitation of the heat, placed under the level of a sea or a lake or similar. Figure 2 shows a possible scheme of all components. Figures 3 and 4 respectively show a general scheme and a detail of specific realization of the device according to the present invention. The figures show a device for the exploitation of the heat in low temperature fluids, consisting in flat evaporators N, housed on prefabricated bases G and immersed in the wa¬ ter of a sea or similar, or in the air, so as to be conti¬ nuously surrounded by great masses of fluid in motion. Obviously, in the case of fixed systems, said evaporators " N will be surrounded by water or by air placed into motion, by marine or air currents and by the convection, while in the case of vehicles of any kind the thermic exchange bet- ween the walls of evaporators H and the surrounding fluid, is favoured by the relative movement of said vehicles. In that variant with the evaporator H placed like a cover- ing plate for the modular capsules, each of said capsules forms an autonomous generator that may be .replaced when damaged. The device for transforming the thermic energy taken from the fluid into eletric energy or of other kind, for fixed generators and for vehicles as shown in figure 2, compris¬ es the following elements: - a turbine or cyclic machine 1 operated by the vapour of a fluid with a very low ebullition temperature, like . CO , Freon, Nl- ; - an alterdaton-2 or a force tap in case of uses different from the electric one; - an eventual boiler 3; - a coil 4 with ammonia vapours coming from the rectifica¬ tion column 6; - an exchanger 5 in which the fluid will be pre-heated before entering in the eventual boiler 3, with one or. more broachings in the different stages of the turbine, but only when the efficiency must be increased; - a column 6 for the rectification of the broacher; - a reservoir 7 of the broacher; - a heater 8; - an exchanger 9 that heats the solution coming from the absorber 12 leading to the rectification column, cool¬ ing down the one coming from reservoir 7 that leads to absorber 12 for the mass balance; - regulation valves; - pumps 11; - an absorber 12; - a coil 13 for the condensation of the vapour coming from turbine 1; - a coil 14 that takes from the mixture, in said absβrber 12, the latent condensation heat of the ammonia which, in turn, may be given to the heater 8; - an evaporator 15 that takes the heat necessary for the condensation from the vapour coming out of turbine 1. In the specific realization as shown in figures 3 and 4, the device according to the present invention mainly consists of: - a heat.pump P connected to fixed chambers 16, for trans¬ ferring the heat from one fixed chamber 16 to another; - an electric alternator A or similar; - a movable part provided with a series of pistons- 18, placed in radiant crown and separated by a thermic insu¬ lator; the number of said pistons 18 results to be a function of. the total efficiency of the device, so that the greater their number the smaller the part of heat to be pumped and therefore the used energy; - a plurality of movable chambers 17 of a good heat conduct¬ ing.materi l, each corresponding to one of said pistons 18 containing a fluid preferably liquid, and shaped so as to show the maximum external surface with respect to the re¬ duced internal " volume; - a plurality of crank shafts 24, each operated by a piston 18, the movement thereof being generated by the temperatu¬ re ' variation and therefore by the volume and by the pressu¬ re of. the liquid contained in each chamber 17; - a plurality of toothed wheels 20, each applied to its own crank shaft 24, engaged on toothed wheel 19, jointed with fixed chambers .16 so that the movable part effects a cir¬ cular motion around said fixed part; - a plurality of fixed chambers 16 that will determine the temperature variation and therefore also the volume and pressure variation of the liquid, placed like a radiant crown and separated by a thermic insulator, being practi¬ cally in contact with the walls of said movable chambers 17; . - a plurality of evaporators 21 of the heat pumps P; - a plurality of ducts 22 for pushing the liquid towards the evaporators 21; - a plurality of ducts 23 for transferring the liquid from one fixed chamber 16 to another one. • The temperature difference between the working liquid in the various chambers depends on the number of pistons 18 and on the temperature interval in which the cycle takes place. From the.coupling of the two series of chambers 16 and 17 one series of laminar, separate cavities is obtained, equal to the number of fixed chambers 16; in each of said cavities the liquid is contained for facilitating the heat exchange. The number of fixed chambers 16 may also be different from the one of movable chambers 17; the fixed chambers 16 are devided in two following series-in fall, and for what con¬ cerns the functioning, one of said series will have a tempe- rature variation comprised in one temperature interval with lower values, and the other one will have the same interval comprised between higher values; e.g., if the temperature interval of the chambers of the fixed part is comprised bet¬ ween 10° and 20°,.a first series may be comprised between 5° and 15° and the other one between 15° and 25°. The two series have a different function: infact; the one with the lower interval provides for the cooling of the main cycle, and the other one for the heating and furnish- ing the additional heat that will be transformed. At this point it is evident that while the temperature of the chambers of the main cycle.is variable, the one of the fixed chambers must be constant. For maintaining this con- dition, that heat will drawn that is slowly taken by those chambers with a lower temperature interval, and will- be •pumped to the chambers of the other series which slowly give away the heat. According to the present invention the interval difference between the two-series seems to be necessary for allowing greater thermic jumps between the chambers of the fixed and the movable part being placed in correspondence, so that the heat exchanges are more quick. This task will be performed by the series of heat pumps P, - to each of which one or more couples of chambers is connect- • ed, one of the colder and one of the warmer series. Such coupling makes the temperature interval inside each couple minimal; in the preceding example this minimal difference is of 10°, and this reduces the energy expenses for pumping the heat. Each of said heat pumps P furthermore supplies to the cham- ber of the warmer series also that amount of heat that will be transformed during the cycle. For uses different from the propelling ones, the device ac¬ cording to the present invention allows the realization of industrial generators the efficiency will obviously be de- pendent fro the climate, because at 0°C the water condenses on'evaporators H, ices and considerably reduces the thermic flow. If it is considered that the highes absorption takes place during the day, and that also in case fuels or energies of any other kind may be used, the system according to- the pre¬ sent invention may be included as complementar to other e- " hergy generators, and combined therewith is may represent a primary function, especially in moderate climates. For improving the heat flow in the evaporators:in a static device-, it may be.advantageous to use, when absolutely no wind is blowing, a fan operated by appropriate sensors, which ' allow the air to circulate more quickly with respect to its natural falling motion generated by the cooling on the evaporators, mainly at temperatures near to 0°C.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A modular device for the exploitation of the heat in fluid means- at low temperature, characterized in: - a plurality of flat evaporators (4) housed on prefabricated bases (G), immersed in the waters of the sea (M) or similar on in the air, so as to be continuously surrounded by grefat masses of moving fluid; - a turbine or cyclic machine (1) operated by the vapour of a fluid with a very low ebullition temperature, like C0_, Freon, NFL; - an alternator (2) or a force tap in case of uses different from the electric one; - an eventual boiler (3); - a coil (4) with ammonia vapours coming from the rectifica¬ tion column (6); - an exchanger (5) in which the fluid will be pre-heated before entering in the eventual boiler (3), with one or more broachings in the different stages of the turbine, but only when the efficiency must be increased; - a column (6) for the rectification of the broacher; .- a reservoir (7) of the broacher; - a heater (8); - an exchanger (9) that heats the solution coming from the absorber (12) leading to the rectification column, cool¬ ing down the one coming from reservoir (7) that leads to absorber (12) for the mass balance; - regulation valves; Λz - ' - pumps (11); - an absorber (12); - - a coil (13) for the condensation of the vapour coming from turbine (.1); . - a coil (14) that takes from the mixture; in said absorber (12), the latent condensation heat of the ammonia which, in 'turn, may be given to the heater (8); - an evaporator (15) that takes the heat necessary for the condensation from the vapour coming out of turbine (1). 2. A modular device according to claim 1 for the realization of fixed electri energy generators immersed in the water, characterized in that it is housed in modular capsules surrounded by the plate evaporator (4). 3. A " odular device according to the precedent claims, cha¬ racterized in that it is. housed on vehicles in such a way that the heat exchange between the walls of evaporators (H) and the surrounding fluid is .favoured by.the relative mo-- vement of said vehicles. 4. A modular device according to the rpecedent claims-, cha¬ racterized in thta it is completed by the exploitation of the energy of fuels in low temperature climates. 5. A modular device according to claim 1, characterized " in the presence of fans for the air cicrulation around the evaporators. 6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a cyclic machine mainly consisting of: - a plurality of pumps (P) connected to fixed chambers (16) for transferring the heat from one fixed chamber (16) to another; - an electric alternator (A) or similar; - a movable part provided iwth a series of pistons (18), placed in radiant crown and separated by a thermic insu¬ lator; the number of said pistons (18) results to be a function of the total efficiency of the device; so that the greater their number, the smaller the part of heat to be pumped and therefore the used energy; - a plurality of movable chambers (17) of a good heat con¬ ducting material, each corresponding to one of said pi- stons (18) containing a fluid preferably liquid, and shaped so. as to show the maximum external surface with respect to the reduced internal volume; •- a plurality of crank shafts (24), each operated by.a pi¬ ston (18), the movement thereof being generated by the temperature variation and therefore by the volume and by the pressure of the liquid contained in each chamber (17); - a plurality of toothed wheels (20), each applied to its own crank shaft (24), engaged on toothed- wheel (19), joint¬ ed with fixed chambers (16) so that the movable part ef- fects a circulat motion around said fixed part; - a plurality of fixed chambers (16) that will determine the temperature variation and therefore also the volume and pressure variation of the liquid; placed like a ra¬ diant crown and separated by a thermic insulator, being practically in contact with the walls of said movable chambers (17); - a plurality of evaporators (21) of the heat pumps (P); - a plurality of ducts (22) for pushing the liquid towards the evaporators (21); - a plurality of ducts (23) for transferring the liquid from one fixed chamber (16) to another one; 7. A device according to claims 1 and 6, characterized in that by coupling the two series of chambers (16) and (17) a series of separate laminar cavities is obtained, equal to the number of fixed chambers (16); in each of said ca- vitϊes the liquid is contained for facilitating the heat exchanges. 8. A device according to claims 1 and 6, characterized in . that said fixed chambers (16) are devided in two follow- ing series in ' fall, the first with a temperature varia¬ tion comprised in lower temperature intervals, and the other with higher temperature intervals so that the first series provides for the cooling of the main cycle, and the second one for " .the heating and for the supplying of the additional heat that will be transformed. 9. A device according to claims 1, 6 and 8, characterized in that the temperature of the chambers of the main cycle -is - is variable while that of the chambers (16) is constant by taking the heat slowly drawn from the chambers with lower temperature interval and the pumping thereof towards the chambers of the other series which slowly give away the heat. 10. A device according to claims 1 and 6, characterized in that each heat pump (P) is connected to a plurality of couples of chambers, one of the colder and one of the warmer series.

Inventors: CONGIU IGNAZIO, CONGIU, IGNAZIO
Applicants: CONGIU IGNAZIO, CONGIU, IGNAZIO
Application year: 1989
Main classification: F03G7
IPC codes: F01K17, F01K25