Patent ID: 8596067

Claim:
A method for operating a cooling tower system, the cooling tower system including a first fluid circuit containing a process fluid flowing therein, a second fluid circuit containing a working fluid flowing therein, a third fluid circuit containing a cooling fluid flowing therein, the third fluid circuit being in fluid communication with a cooling tower unit having a component that requires power for operation thereof, a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first fluid circuit and the third fluid circuit, and a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the second fluid circuit and the third fluid circuit, the method comprising: transferring heat from a heat source of the first fluid circuit into the process fluid; transferring heat from the first fluid circuit into the third fluid circuit via the first heat exchanger; extracting power from the working fluid by expanding the working fluid through a waste heat expansion engine disposed within the second fluid circuit; transferring heat from the second fluid circuit into the third fluid circuit via the second heat exchanger disposed downstream of the waste heat expansion engine in a direction of working fluid flow; transferring heat from the cooling fluid to an ambient environment via an airflow through the cooling tower unit; and transferring at least a portion of the power extracted from the working fluid by the waste heat expansion engine to the component of the cooling tower unit.