Patent ID: 8459029

Claim:
A rankine cycle system, comprising: a heater configured to circulate a working fluid in heat exchange relationship with a hot fluid to vaporize the working fluid; a hot system coupled to the heater; wherein the hot system comprises a first heat exchanger configured to circulate a first vaporized stream of the working fluid from the heater in heat exchange relationship with a first condensed stream of the working fluid to heat the first condensed stream of the working fluid; a cold system coupled to the heater and the hot system; wherein the cold system comprises a second heat exchanger configured to circulate a second vaporized stream of the working fluid from the hot system in heat exchange relationship with a second condensed stream of the working fluid to heat the second condensed stream of the working fluid before being fed to the heater; wherein the hot system comprises a first expander configured to expand the first vaporized stream of the working fluid from the heater, and wherein the hot system comprises a first condensing unit configured to condense the expanded first vaporized stream of the working fluid fed from the heater via the first heat exchanger, and wherein the hot system comprises a first pump configured to feed the first condensed stream of the working fluid via the first heat exchanger to generate the second vaporized stream of the working fluid, and wherein the cold system comprises a second expander configured to expand the second vaporized stream of the working fluid from the first heat exchanger, and wherein the cold system comprises a second condensing unit configured to condense the expanded second vaporized stream of the working fluid fed from the second expander via the second heat exchanger.