Patent ID: 8146360

Claim:
A method of using a turbine generator system, comprising: pumping a working fluid in a Rankine cycle from a low pressure reservoir toward at least one exhaust oxidizer; heating the working fluid from heat energy recovered from the exhaust oxidizer, at least a portion of the working fluid being pressurized and heated to a gaseous state; directing the heated and pressurized working fluid toward a turbine generator apparatus, the turbine generator apparatus including an inlet conduit to direct the working fluid toward a turbine wheel that is rotatable in response to expansion of the working fluid; generating electrical energy from the rotation of the turbine wheel, the turbine wheel being coupled to a rotor of an electrical energy generator that rotates within a_stator of the electrical energy generator, further comprising separating a liquid state portion of the heated and pressurized working fluid from a gaseous state portion of the heated and pressurized working fluid using a cyclone separator device before the working fluid is delivered to the turbine generator apparatus.