HIGH-TEMPERATURE PIPELINE
A solar insulation capturing and transporting system includes a solar insulation receiving member configured in combination with a dual walled conduit. Fluid is flowed through one portion of the conduit and into the solar insulation receiving member and thence into a second portion of the conduit. Heat energy captured in the fluid is then transferred, in the flowing fluid, to a use location where the energy may be usefully exploited.
This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/779,983, filed Mar. 7, 2006, which is herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of the generation of energy. More particularly, the invention relates to the generation of energy using heat, including energy generated using solar insulation directly or indirectly as a heat source.
2. Description of the Related Art
The generation of energy for purposes of power generation, including the direct conversion of energy to power such as through the use of an internal combustion engine to drive a shaft to rotate a tire for powering a vehicle, as well as the indirect use of using that rotating shaft to drive a generator for the generation of electricity has relied predominately on fossil fuel energy sources for nearly 100 years. Fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal have been readily available, relatively cheap, and easy to use for the generation of power. However, the side affects of nearly one hundred years of fossil fuel use for generating power has resulted in a diminishment of fossil fuel resources at the same time as world demand for energy and power is increasing, geopolitical instability as a result of real or perceived bias in favor of oil producing countries, and environmental impact ranging from ruination of land and other natural resources as coal is strip mined, to greenhouse gas emission based global warming. As a result, the true cost of fossil fuel based electrical generation is only now just being understood, and the immediate cost, based on the trade value of fossil fuel, is rapidly increasing as supply is outstripped by demand.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for reliable, cost effective, energy and power generation using non-fossil fuel sources. One such source which has received considerable attention nearly three decades ago, and is again receiving considerable attention, is solar power generation.
One aspect of solar power generation is heat based solar power generation. This approach to power generation captures solar insulation to heat a working medium to generate electricity or provide energy for heating of homes and facilities. The methodology for solar generation of electricity typically includes a mechanism for heating a working fluid into a gas state, and expanding that heated gas state fluid through an expansion device which extracts energy from the fluid. For example, steam may be produced from solar heating water, and the steam is passed through a gas turbine or a steam turbine to cause the turbine to rotate about a shaft and enable the motion and momentum of the shaft to drive an electrical generator.
A common difficulty associated with the generation of steam for electrical generation using solar insulation is the inability to concentrate heat to generate steam in sufficient quantity at specific quality to effectively and economically generate electricity which can compete in price and reliability with fossil fuel based electrical generation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a solar based generating system, alone or in conjunction with other solar generating systems and/or wind powered systems, geothermal powered systems and fossil fuel powered systems, wherein solar insulation is used to heat a working fluid to high temperatures and then transfer that heat to a generating mechanism, such as a gas turbine, a steam turbine or the like directly, or through a secondary exchange of energy in the form of heat between the working fluid and an additional fluid such as air, or water and steam which is useful for passing through such power generating devices.
In one aspect, a double walled tubular conveyance is provided, coupled to which are one or more solar insulation focusing devices. Fluid is passed through the annular tubular portion of the conveyance, thence through one or more of the focusing devices, and thence into the inner diameter of the conveyance device. Once the fluid is so heated by solar insulation, it is passed to a generation portion, wherein the energy is used to generate electricity.
In another aspect, the heated fluid is passed to a heat exchanger, and the heated fluid is caused to lose heat to a second fluid, which second fluid absorbs heat lost by the fluid. This second fluid is then converted to work. In one aspect, that work is the expansion of the gas through a gas turbine to cause the gas turbine to rotate a shaft and thereby ultimately drive a generator for the generation of electricity. In another aspect, the second fluid may be preheated before it exchanges heat with the heat exchanger. In still a further aspect, the second fluid may be used to drive a steam turbine to cause a shaft to ultimately drive a generator to generate electricity.
In yet another aspect, the heated fluid may be ported to a reservoir of hydrocarbons, such as oil shale, where the hydrocarbons cannot be immediately recovered without a secondary process, such as the introduction of heat to cause the hydrocarbons to exit the underlying matrix and be recoverable for use as a fuel. In this aspect, the heated water, in the form of steam, superheated steam or high pressure high temperature liquid water, are directed to a reservoir, such as a shale bed, where the liquid is circulated and returned to a generating facility. Typically, the liquid may be injected through a well bore which has been drilled to a subsurface formation, and a return bore is provided at a distance from the first, injection bore. The high temperature liquid is injected into the reservoir, and the high temperature liquid, and any hydrocarbon or other material released by the formation during injection of the high temperature liquid, are flowed to the surface through the return or second bore, where they may be separated for use as combustible fuel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSSo that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
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To operate, the pipeline 20 with the Karni collector 40 must be positioned in line with directed solar insolation. Referring now to
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The heat energy captured from solar insulation by the pipeline 20 and collector 40 combination may be used for other than direct electrical energy production. Referring now to
The pipeline 20 and Karni collector 40 may also be used to provide supplemental heat to a power generating facility. With reference to
While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
Claims
1. An solar energy capture and transfer apparatus, comprising:
- a dual walled conduit having an inner volume sealed from an outer volume, said inner and outer volumes forming a continuous pathway for fluid to flow along one of said inner and outer volumes and then flow therefrom into the other of the inner and outer flow volumes; and
- at least one solar insulation collection member including a flow inlet, a flow outlet and an insulation receiving volume extending between said inlet and outlet;
- wherein, one of said inner and outer volumes of said flow conduit is interconnected to said inlet, and the other of said inner and outer flow annulus is connected to said outlet, such that a working fluid may flow through the conduit, into the solar insulation receiving volume of said collection member, and thence through the flow conduit and thereby capture energy from said solar insulation in said working fluid and transport said energy to a location where the captured energy may be recovered for use.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said solar insulation collection member is a Karni style collector.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said conduit is in fluid communication with a heat exchanger.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conduit is in fluid communication with a steam turbine.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said conduit is in fluid communication with a subsurface formation.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of solar insulation collector members are in fluid communication with said conduit.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said conduit is supported in a substantially vertical position.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, further including at least one reflector for reflecting and concentrating solar insulation at said solar insulation collector members.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said reflectors change orientation to cause the reflected solar insulation to be directed at said solar insulation collector members as the sun moves relative to the reflector.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a heat exchanger in fluid communication with said conduit and a source of compressed gas, and a flow passage connecting the compressed gas side of the heat exchanger to a gas turbine.
11. A method of capturing and transporting energy from solar insolation, comprising:
- a. providing a flow conduit having an inner conduit portion and an annular outer flow conduit portion in surrounding relationship with said inner flow conduit portion;
- b. providing a solar insulation receiver in fluid communication with the inner and outer flow conduit portions;
- c. directing reflected solar insulation at the solar insulation receiver while flowing fluid through the solar insulation receiver; and
- d. flowing the fluid to a location where heat may be recovered from the working fluid.
12. The method of claim 11, further including the step of flowing the fluid to a subsurface formation.
13. The method of claim 11, further including the steps of capturing solar insulation in the fluid in the solar insulation receiver; and, flowing the fluid to an electrical generating facility.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrical generating facility includes a gas turbine.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrical generating facility includes a steam turbine.
16. The method of claim 11, further including the step of flowing the fluid to a heat exchanger.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 1, 2007
Publication Date: Sep 27, 2007
Inventor: Arnold GOLDMAN (Jerusalem)
Application Number: 11/681,146
International Classification: F24J 2/24 (20060101);