Patent ID: 8344528

Claim:
A system related to mechanical power generation through the burning of environmentally hazardous waste oils, said system comprising: a) at least one combustion heater structured and arranged to produce combustion heat through the burning of such environmentally hazardous waste oils; b) at least one vaporizer structured and arranged to vaporize a working fluid using the combustion heat produced by said at least one combustion heater; c) at least one thermodynamic energy converter structured and arranged to convert heat extracted from combustion of the vaporized working fluid into at least one output of mechanical work; d) at least one condenser structured and arranged to condense vaporized working fluid exiting said at least one thermodynamic energy converter; and e) operably coupled with said at least one condenser, at least one fluid pump to pump condensed working fluid between said at least one condenser and said at least one vaporizer; f) wherein said at least one combustion heater comprises i) at least one air intake path, comprising at least one air blower, structured and arranged to deliver at least one combustion airflow to said at least one combustion heater, ii) at least one atomizer structured and arranged to produce an atomized mist of such environmentally hazardous waste oils within the at least one combustion airflow, iii) at least one ignition source to ignite the atomized mist of such environmentally hazardous waste oils within the at least one combustion airflow, and iv) at least one exhaust path to exhaust hot combustion gases from said at least one combustion heater; g) wherein said at least one air intake path comprises at least one first heat exchanger to preheat the at least one combustion airflow using the latent heat of vaporization extracted from the condensation of the working fluid within said at least one condenser; and h) wherein said at least one air intake path comprises at least one second heat exchanger to preheat the at least one combustion airflow using heat extracted from the hot combustion gases exhausted through said at least one exhaust path.