Patents Assigned to Ormat Industries Ltd.
  • Patent number: 7407571
    Abstract: A novel apparatus for producing sweet synthetic crude from a heavy hydrocarbon feed includes: an upgrader for receiving the heavy hydrocarbon feed and producing a distillate fraction including sour products, and high-carbon content by-products; a gasifier for receiving the high-carbon content by-products and producing synthetic fuel gas and sour by-products; a hydroprocessing unit for receiving the sour by-products and hydrogen gas, thereby producing gas and sweet crude; and a hydrogen recovery unit for receiving the synthetic fuel gas and producing further hydrogen gas and hydrogen-depleted synthetic fuel gas, the further hydrogen gas being supplied to the hydroprocessing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Philip Rettger, Randall Goldstein, Jim Arnold, Yoram Bronicki, J. Robert Friday
  • Patent number: 7297250
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for processing a heavy hydrocarbon feed including: supplying the heavy hydrocarbon feed to a heater for heating the heavy hydrocarbon feed; supplying the heated heavy hydrocarbon feed to an atmospheric fractionating tower for fractionating the heated heavy hydrocarbon feed fed to the inlet of the atmospheric fractionating tower producing light atmospheric fractions and atmospheric bottoms; supplying the atmospheric bottoms to a further heater for heating the atmospheric bottoms and producing heated atmospheric bottoms; supplying the heated atmospheric bottoms to a vacuum fractionating tower for fractionating the heated atmospheric bottoms and producing light vacuum fractions and vacuum residue; supplying the vacuum residue to a solvent deasphalting (SDA) unit for producing deasphalted oil (DAO) and asphaltenes from the vacuum residue; supplying the deasphalted oil to a deasphalted oil thermal cracker for thermally cracking the deasphalted oil and producing a thermally
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoram Bronicki
  • Publication number: 20070251237
    Abstract: The present inventive subject matter is drawn to an apparatus for producing power using geothermal liquid comprising: a geothermal power plant for producing power using heat contained in geothermal liquid supplied thereto; and heating means apparatus for heating a solution and producing a heated solution for use in an electrolysis unit with heat from heat depleted geothermal liquid exiting a vaporizer of the geothermal power plant, wherein the electrolysis unit produces hydrogen for use in producing power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Applicants: ORMAT INDUSTRIES, LTD., ORMAT TEHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Oron Zachar
  • Publication number: 20060032789
    Abstract: Apparatus for processing a heavy hydrocarbon feed, in accordance with the present invention, includes firstly a heater for heating the heavy hydrocarbon feed. The heated, heavy hydrocarbon feed produced is fed to an atmospheric fractionating tower for fractionating the heated heavy hydrocarbon feed fed to the inlet of the atmospheric fractionating tower producing light atmospheric fractions and atmospheric bottoms. In addition, the apparatus includes a vacuum fractionating tower for fractionating heated atmospheric bottoms heated by a further heater and producing lighter vacuum fractions and vacuum residue. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a solvent deasphalting (SDA) unit for producing deasphalted oil (DAO) and asphaltenes from the vacuum residue as well as a thermal cracker for thermally cracking the deasphalted oil and producing a thermally cracked product which is recycled to the inlet of said atmospheric fractionating tower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2004
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Applicant: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoram Bronicki
  • Publication number: 20050006957
    Abstract: The present inventive subject matter is drawn to a hybrid ultra reliable power generating system for supplying continuous reliable power at remote locations comprising: a primary power unit producing electric power that is supplied to a load. Also a secondary power unit is included in the form of a closed cycle vapor turbine (CCVT) system that is capable of producing 100% of the electric power that is produced by the primary power unit and which is heated in hot standby by rejected heat of the primary power unit, wherein the vaporizer of the CCVT is maintained during hot standby at a temperature above its nominal operating temperature and the vapor turbine of the CCVT is preferable maintained at idle during hot standby at a rotating speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Applicant: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Lucien Bronicki
  • Patent number: 6832485
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, apparatus is provided for producing power comprising a reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon material and producing syngas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a combustion chamber of a gas turbine unit that receives the syngas and combusts the syngas and produces flue gases comprising carbon dioxide and other gases that are supplied to the gas turbine contained in the gas turbine unit. In addition, the apparatus includes a bottoming cycle unit of a combined cycle power plant that produces power and from which combustion gases exit. A carbon dioxide separator is also included in the apparatus that receives combustion gases exiting the bottoming cycle unit and separates carbon dioxide from the other combustion gases. A compressor is provided that supplies the separated carbon dioxide to the reformer for reforming of the hydrocarbon material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Chaim Sugarmen, Uriyel Fisher, Zoltan Bihari
  • Publication number: 20040060293
    Abstract: A system for producing power at remote locations comprises: a closed cycle vapor turbine unit having an evaporator containing liquid working fluid, a turbine receiving vapor of the evaporated working fluid for producing power by way of an electrical generator coupled to the turbine, a condenser and means for returning the working fluid condensate from the condenser to the evaporator; a biomass furnace associated with the evaporator for heating working fluid present in the evaporator and evaporating a portion of the working fluid; and a controller for controlling the amount of biomass fuel supplied to the biomass furnace in accordance with energy requirements of a customer load. Further, a method for producing power using the system is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Chaim Sugarmen, Uriyel Fisher, Ariel Rotstein
  • Publication number: 20040055303
    Abstract: A system for producing power at remote locations comprises: a closed cycle vapor turbine unit having an evaporator containing liquid working fluid, a turbine receiving vapor of the evaporated working fluid for producing power by way of an electrical generator coupled to the turbine, a condenser and means for returning the working fluid condensate from the condenser to the evaporator; a biomass furnace associated with the evaporator for heating working fluid present in the evaporator and evaporating a portion of the working fluid; and a controller for controlling the amount of biomass fuel supplied to the biomass furnace in accordance with energy requirements of a customer load. Further, a method for producing power using the system is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Applicant: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Chaim Sugarmen, Uriyel Fisher, Ariel Rotstein
  • Patent number: 6701712
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing power comprising a grate cooler for cooling clinker supplied from cement production apparatus, an electrostatic precipitator that extracts particulate matter from hot air supplied from said grate cooler, the grate cooler and electrostatic precipitator working in combination with an air-heat transfer heat-exchanger, a pre-heater, a vaporizer, a turbine, and a working fluid condenser, to produce power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Lucien Y. Bronicki, Hilel Legmann, Nadav Amir, Dan Batscha
  • Patent number: 6702936
    Abstract: A novel apparatus for producing sweet synthetic crude from a heavy hydrocarbon feed comprising: an upgrader for receiving said heavy hydrocarbon feed and producing a distillate fraction including sour products, and high-carbon content by-products; a gasifier for receiving the high-carbon content by-products and producing synthetic fuel gas and sour by-products; a hydroprocessing unit for receiving the sour by-products and hydrogen gas, thereby producing gas and sweet crude; and a hydrogen recovery unit for receiving said synthetic fuel gas and producing further hydrogen gas and hydrogen-depleted synthetic fuel gas, said further hydrogen gas being supplied to said hydroprocessing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Philip Rettger, Randall Goldstein, Jim Arnold
  • Patent number: 6694738
    Abstract: Retrofit equipment includes an auxiliary gas turbine unit including an auxiliary compressor for compressing ambient air to produce compressed air, a solar collector that receives the compressed air for heating the same to produce heated compressed air, and an auxiliary turbine coupled to the auxiliary compressor and to an auxiliary generator for expanding the heated compressed air and driving the auxiliary compressor and auxiliary generator thereby producing power and hot exhaust gases. When solar insolation is available, a flow control selectively supplies the hot exhaust gases from the retrofit equipment to a boiler which is part of a conventional fossil fueled power plant. The boiler has heat exchanger coils containing water and receives hot exhaust gases for vaporizing water in the coils and producing steam which is supplied to a steam turbine coupled to a generator for expanding steam produced by the boiler, and driving the generator and producing power and expanded steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Lucien Y. Bronicki, Uriyel Fisher
  • Patent number: 6571548
    Abstract: A heat recovery method and system that extracts heat from the exhaust of a gas turbine unit in a waste heat, heat exchanger and transfers the heat to an intermediate fluid, which can be pressurized water. The intermediate fluid in-turn transfers the heat to an organic working fluid resulting in the vaporization thereof. The vaporized organic working fluid drives a series of turbines which in turn drive a generator that generates electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Lucien Y. Bronicki, Nadav Amir, Uri Kaplan, Danny Batscha
  • Patent number: 6560956
    Abstract: A power plant includes a prime mover for burning fuel and producing work and hot exhaust gases, and heat exchanger apparatus that is responsive to the hot exhaust gases and to pre-heated steam condensate for converting the latter into high-pressure steam and for producing heat depleted exhaust gases. A combustor, preferably, a fluidized bed combustor, is responsive to burning fuel for supplying additional heat to a product of the heat exchanger apparatus, and producing combustion products. The combustion products are supplied to a superheater for producing superheated, high pressure steam from the high pressure steam supplied from the heat exchange apparatus. A high pressure steam turbine expands the superheated, high pressure steam and produces power and exhaust steam that is condensed to steam condensate in a condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Joseph Sinai, Uri Kaplan
  • Patent number: 6539723
    Abstract: Apparatus for generating power includes a gas turbine unit having a compressor for compressing ambient air and producing compressed air, a combustion chamber to which the compressed air is supplied, a source of relatively high grade fuel for burning in the combustion chamber and producing combustion gases, and a gas turbine connected to generator and to the compressor for expanding the combustion gases and producing exhaust gases. The apparatus further includes a combustor that burns relatively low grade fuel, and produces combustion products, and an indirect contact heat exchanger responsive to the combustion products for heating the compressed air before the latter is applied to the combustion chamber, and for producing cooled combustion products. In addition, an energy converter is provided having an organic working fluid responsive to the exhaust gases for converting heat in the exhaust gases to electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Lucien Y. Bronicki, Benjamin Doron, Joseph Sinai
  • Patent number: 6539718
    Abstract: Apparatus for producing power and desalinated water from geothermal fluid according to the present invention comprises: a geothermal power plant that produces power from geothermal fluid supplied thereto; means for supplying sea water to the condenser of said geothermal power plant that produces heated sea water; and a desalination plant to which the heated sea water is supplied and which produces drinking water. Preferably, the geothermal power plant that produces power comprises an organic Rankine cycle geothermal power plant that produces power. Alternatively, the geothermal power plant that produces power comprises an organic combined cycle Rankine cycle geothermal power plant that produces power. In a further alternative, the geothermal power plant that produces power comprises a closed cycle steam geothermal power plant that produces power. In a still further alternative, the geothermal power plant that produces power comprises an ammonia cycle geothermal power plant that produces power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Lucien Y. Bronicki, Uriyel Fisher
  • Patent number: 6526754
    Abstract: A combined cycle power plant includes a gasifier for converting biomass material, low grade coal, etc., to combustible gases and producing heat, an internal combustion engine coupled to a generator for burning the combustible gases and driving said generator which produces power. The internal combustion engine rejects heat and produces hot exhaust gases. A vaporizer containing an organic fluid is responsive to the hot exhaust gases for vaporizing the organic fluid and producing vaporized organic fluid which is supplied to an organic vapor turbine coupled to a generator. The turbine expands the vaporized organic fluid driving the generator and producing expanded vaporized organic fluid which is condensed in a condenser. The condensate produced by the condenser is returned to the vaporizer. At least some of the heat rejected by the internal combustion engine is transferred the condensate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Lucien Y. Bronicki
  • Patent number: 6510695
    Abstract: Apparatus for generating power using synthetic gas according to the present invention includes equipment constructed and arranged to reform a hydrocarbon gas, material or biogas produced from a source into synthetic gas. Supply means are provided for supplying hydrocarbon gas, material or biogas feedstock to a reformer contained in the equipment and the hydrocarbon material or biogas feedstock is produced by fuel producing apparatus by use of solar radiation. A gas turbine unit includes a compressor for producing compressed air, a combustor for combusting the synthetic gas and heating the compressed air to produce heated, compressed air, and a turbine coupled to a generator and to the compressor for expanding the heated, compressed air and producing power and hot exhaust gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Uriyel Fisher
  • Patent number: 6497090
    Abstract: An externally fired gas turbine system according to the present invention has a compressor for compressing ambient air and producing compressed air, an air heat exchanger for heating the compressed air to produce heated compressed air, a turbine for expanding the heated compressed air to produce heat depleted expanded air, and a generator connected to the turbine for generating electricity. According to the present invention, the system also includes combustible products producing apparatus for processing fuel to produce combustible products that include combustible gases and an external combustion chamber for burning the combustible products and transferring heat to the air heat exchanger and producing heat depleted combustion products. The system also includes a closed Rankine cycle steam power plant having a water heat exchanger for vaporizing water and producing steam using heat contained in the heat depleted combustion products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Lucien Y. Bronicki, Daniel Goldman, Joseph Sinia
  • Patent number: 6494042
    Abstract: Apparatus for producing uninterruptible power upon loss of power from an electric grid, comprising at least one hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system including a vapor turbine and a generator for producing power upon loss of power from the electric grid; a control unit for sensing loss of power from the electric grid and activating the hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system; and means for rotating the turbine when power is available from the electric grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Lucien Y. Bronicki
  • Patent number: 6422019
    Abstract: The power produced by a gas turbine system is augmented by a direct contact heat exchanger for contacting and cooling humid ambient air with cooler water for producing cooled ambient air and warmed water, and a precompressor device for compressing said cooled ambient air to produce pressurized air that is warmer than ambient air and has a lower relative humidity. An evaporative cooler, which is supplied with the warmed water, is provided for cooling said pressurized air to produce cooled pressurized air at about ambient air temperature and relative humidity, which is supplied to the main compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Lucien Y. Bronicki, Yoel Gilon, Joseph Sinai, Uriel Fisher, Shlomo Bugdagzad