Abstract: It is possible to extract mechanical energy from lower temperature heat sources than the flames of burning fuel by substituting driving fluids having lower boiling points than water and using an abentropic engine of the type described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,470, both to condense the fluid for recycling and to obtain mechanical energy from the latent heat of the vapor. Thus, valuable energy sources now going to waste such as geothermal heat, solar heat, factory and power house smoke stack heat, and nuclear-waste heat are made to produce electricity via mechanical energy, virtually a reversal of the second law of thermodynamics, by use of an abentropic engine whose operational principle is that the latent heat of vapor is in fact potential energy which can be converted to mechanical energy during its condensation.

Abstract: A condenser arrangement having a load bearing member hermetically coupled to the condenser's condensation chamber. Load transfer means are adapted to transfer the condenser vacuum load acting on the load bearing member to the turbine or turbine support in a manner to balance the condenser vacuum load acting on the turbine through the turbine exhaust. In the preferred arrangement means are provided to minimize contributions from the condensate to forces acting upon the load bearing member.

Abstract: A dry-type cooling system for condensing steam in a steam operated electric power generating plant and disposing of the heat withdrawn, by converting some of the heat to a form of power or work, such as electric power, and rejecting some of the heat to the air. The system requires a power input at relatively high ambient air temperatures, but such power consumption is offset by power produced during cooling with ambient air at lower temperatures.The cooling system utilizes a closed loop containing a suitable refrigerant fluid. The loop contains a steam condenser in the hot-well of a steam system of an electric generating plant, and a heat exchanger in a cooling tower through which air enters at atmospheric temperature and exits at an elevated temperature. The closed loop is branched to incorporate two consecutively operable cooling cycles employing the same refrigerant fluid.

Abstract: A subatmospheric pressure condenser has an enclosure within which steam is condensed after exhausting from an associated turbine. The enclosure is flexibly connected to the turbine to permit relative movement therebetween. The condenser also has an outer wall which is flexibly connected to the enclosure to define a vacuum balancing chamber therebetween with the outer wall being structurally connected to the turbine for the purpose of reducing the atmospheric pressure force exerted on the turbine's structure by the turbine. The structural connectors between the outer wall and the turbine intersect the enclosure and provide fluid communication therethrough between the turbine's exhaust port and the vacuum balancing chamber. At the intersection between the structural connectors and the enclosure, sleeves are attached to the enclosure in closely spaced surrounding relationship with each of the structural connectors to minimize liquid intrusion therebetween from the enclosure to the vacuum balancing chamber.

Abstract: Radioactive emissions by reason of primary-liquid-to-secondary-liquid leakage in the steam generator of pressurized water reactor power plants are reduced by a demineralizer in the discharge from the blowdown tank and also by transmitting blowdown venting vapor to the condenser. For major failures resulting in power blackout an auxiliary turbine is provided. This turbine is connected to be energized by vapor (steam) by-passed from the main steam line. The auxiliary turbine drives the pumps which pump the cooling water for the condenser. The steam which drives the auxiliary turbine is also discharged to the condenser. The condensed water flows back into the steam generators where it is discharged through the blowdown tank.

Abstract: Power generating plants discharge steam or hot water typically from a steam turbine to a condenser system for the purpose of cooling the discharged fluid prior to its being recirculated. The condenser system receives water from an ambient source pumped using a circulating water pump, said water being elevated to a temperature on the order of 115.degree. F. to 125.degree. F. upon passing through the condenser system. The condenser system can operate in basically two different states to provide either single pressure, single pass condenser operation when the waste hot water is discharged to the source and not used, or multi-pressure, multi-pass condenser operation to maintain an elevated hot water supply that is fed to a load (utilization equipment). Valve controls are provided for enabling serial-to-parallel and, vice versa, switching between modes of operation without difficulties and with only a slight drop in load during the transition.

Abstract: A power plant system utilizing a zoned or multipressure condenser or cooling tower whose different zones are air-cooled in a dry manner. The zoned condenser may condense motive cycle fluid by passing it directly through air-cooled heat exchange conduits or by passing a dense fluid through an intermediate, zoned condenser where it boils as it absorbs heat from the cycle fluid and then through the aforementioned zoned, cooling tower. A separate coolant circuit is used between each intermediate condenser zone and the cooling tower. Each intermediate condenser zone is maintained at a predetermined pressure by the coolant flowing through one of the coolant circuits and transporting heat therewith from the intermediate condenser to air flowing through the dry cooling tower. To obtain different boiling and condensing temperatures in the coolant circuits different coolants or different coolant pressures must be utilized therein.

Abstract: A highly effective and efficient dry cooling system for dissipating waste heat of a steam-electric generating power plant. The dry cooling system includes an assembly of cells or modules having passively acting heat pipes installed in a Y configuration in each module. These heat pipes thermally couple the exhaust steam from a turbine flowing in a graded duct with the atmosphere. A large fan mounted at the top of each module is driven to induce air flow past exterior heat pipe portions of the module to dissipate heat picked up from the steam in the duct. The steam condensate flows down the graded duct and collects in a hot well for return as boiler feedwater. Steam from the boiler drives the turbine and is exhausted into the graded duct to repeat the cycle.

Abstract: A vapor or thermal engine which converts heat energy to mechanical energy. A rotor has a main shaft which supports a plurality of vapor chambers communicating with a condenser across appropriate check valves and rotary valves to form a closed loop system. Fluid in the vapor chambers is vaporized and discharged as a high pressure gas to the condenser and returned as a liquid to the rotor imparting rotational movement to the rotor. Means may be associated with the condenser for extracting heat. A turbine or other rotary machine for producing mechanical energy is driven by the high pressure gas.

Abstract: A modular integrated cooling and heating system for effluents and other uses involving mixing tanks connected in series, hot water supply pipes connected to each of the mixing tanks in order to convey to each mixing tank a portion of the hot water effluent from a power plant. Cooling water pipes are connected to each of said mixing tanks in order to deliver cooling water from a river or other source to said mixing tanks whereby hot and cooling water mixes in said first tank with the water mixture being continuously passed into said second tank for mixing with additional cooling water from a cooling water pipe. The number of stages or mixing tanks will vary depending upon the cooling capacity desired.

Abstract: A method and means for economically producing boiling hot condensate plus mechanical energy from spent steam whereby energy waste and thermal pollution from power stations is greatly lessened. Herein, a combination abentropic engine and hot condenser is interposed between the main turbine exhaust port and a vacuum condenser for the purpose of making the steam do work and thus bringing about condensation at its boiling point. Since the latent energy of spent steam is enthalpic as well as thermic by nature, its extraction as mechanical energy greatly lessens heat release upon condensation.The mechanical work produced by such an engine depends not upon expansion, as in a main turbine, but upon continuous force exerted by vapor pressure operating on one side of a piston having a vacuum on the other. The pressure is maintained by the operation of Dalton's Law - that vapor pressure depends on temperature alone and not upon volume. The temperature is maintained by the balanced heat release upon condensation.

Abstract: Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) uses a fluid, such as ammonia, hea by high-temperature surface water to provide a turbine-driving working gas. To condense the gas for re-use, a slurry of phase-transformation particles and cold ambient sea water is mixed in a deeply-submerged tank and delivered to a surface tank essentially at the cold sub-surface temperature. Condensing of the working gas is performed at the ocean surface level by exposure to the cold slurry temperature. Particle phase-transformation, which occurs at a temperature between that of the cold sub-surface water and the reject temperature of the heat-exchanger, maintains a surface tank temperature at about that of the sub-surface water.

Abstract: A solar operated closed system power generator is provided in which a low boiling fluid is vaporized and superheated by the solar energy concentrated within a parabolic reflector upon an elongated boiler which extends along the focus of the reflector. Turbine means are connected to the boiler for obtaining power by the expansion of the superheated vapor and the expanded vapors are condensed in a condenser positioned in the shadow of the reflector. The condenser is cooled by cooling air which is moved through the condenser by means of a draft provided by the convection discharge of gases heated by the reflector, and pump means are provided for transferring the liquefied exhaust gases in the condenser to the boiler at the greater pressure prevailing therein.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a device to extract useful energy and fresh water from moist air, with an associated removal of pollutant particles entrained in the extracted water. The device comprises an enclosure with a tall stack and an extended base which has means for the creation and utilization of a contained tornado which is powered by the energy release associated with the rapid condensation of water from the incoming moist air.

Abstract: A method for thermally controlling a utilization apparatus heated with condensable steam, mounted in a live steam distribution plant comprising a condensate drain line system for dry gravity return of the condensates which also contains live steam, said method consisting in a selectively variable storage of the condensates through modulated retention within said utilization apparatus, wherein the improvement comprises the step of preventing the collected condensates which are cooled through retention thereof from directly contacting the hot live steam present in said condensate drain line system.

Abstract: Condensate purification such as demineralization, filtration or sterilization for use in a power plant of the type having at least one main condenser with a hot well as part of the steam cycle and in which the condenser is connected to receive steam from a turbine generator and the hot well is connected to discharge to a main condensate pump. Purification of the condensate is executed with improved method and apparatus comprising a side stream demineralization system. The improvement includes a baffle mounted within said main condenser defining an upstream portion of the condenser on one side of the baffle and a downstream portion of the condenser on the other side of said baffle. The condenser hot well is located on the downstream side of the baffle. A passageway is defined over the baffle for flowing fluid therethrough to the hot well. The passageway includes a weir cooperatively disposed therewith on the upstream side of the baffle to hold back a pool of fluid from flowing through the passageway.

Abstract: A steam power plant includes a boiler unit heated by gas supplied from a pipeline for converting water into steam; the gas may be stored as reserve liquefied gas. A turbine is powered by the steam generated by the boiler unit, and the steam gives up energy to power the turbine; a condenser receives energy-depleted steam from the turbine and includes a cooling circuit with water circulation, and a storage facility for the reserve liquefied gas. A heat exchanger is used for regasifying the liquefied gas and at least a portion of the cooling circuit is in heat-exchange contact with the liquefied gas, so that the liquefied gas is regasified by way of step regasification and supplied to the boiler unit upon a deficiency of gas occurring in the pipeline.

Abstract: The helical expansion condenser is essentially a special heat exchange unit specifically designed for closed cycle vapor turbine systems.The helical expansion condenser, or (HEC), consists of multiple continuous turns or coils of elliptical tubing or built-up metal sheets of elliptical cross-section, which are arranged in a uniform helix.The generally flat elliptical cross-section provides for efficient airflow and heat transfer over the entire surface area of the coils. The airflow over the HEC is provided by vehicular air intake with a large central fan forcing air over forward and aft coils uniformly. Multiple heat pipes are the primary cooling device added to the HEC coils, for a total heat transfer coefficient of 40, approximately.Microfinning of the sheet metal ducts accounts for some of the improved cooling effectiveness.

Abstract: A power plant, especially a nuclear power plant, is positioned within the interior of a double walled dry cooling tower, the cooling tower having its own foundation and encompassing the power plant site. The inner and outer walls of the cooling tower are adapted to form a relatively small ring zone as compared to the basis area of the power plant, said ring zone having a cooling air entrance at the lower end of the outer wall and an exit at its upper end. Within the ring zone, at its lower end, there are arranged cooling elements of heat exchangers, being exposed to the upwardly flowing cooling air stream. Through this arrangement the break in of cool winds or cool air, otherwise flowing reversely to the cooling air stream, from the exterior via the exit, is prevented.

Abstract: A surface condenser is separated into a plurality of compartments. Each compartment is provided with tray collecting members for collecting condensed steam. If contaminated condensed steam develops in a particular compartment, the normally used condensed steam outlet is no longer used and the contaminated condensed steam is fed through a normally closed condensed steam conduit and out of the surface condenser housing. The contaminated condensed steam from the emergency outlet is then cleaned-up or sent to a waste disposal area.Only tne condensed steam from the compartment containing the contaminated condensed steam is removed from the housing. Thus, it is not necessary to shut down the entire surface condenser operation if contamination occurs only in a local area.

Abstract: Thermal pollution from industrial manufacturing and electric generation plants is avoided by incorporating in the water-cooling system of such plants a heat exchanger to allow the heat load, which would otherwise be injected into the source of external water supply, to be exchanged through the cooling tower to the atmosphere. In a preferred embodiment, the system incorporates a counterflow heat exchanger so that the temperature of all water exhausted into the source of external water supply is within the few degrees of the temperature of the external water supply.

Abstract: Steam is removed from the steam cycle of a turbine when the back pressure on the turbine exceeds a predetermined level. Heat is then extracted from the removed steam and dissipated in a cooling tower of a cooling system for the turbine's condenser. Increased temperatures in the cooling tower augment thermal fan action, resulting in lower coolant temperatures and limiting the back pressure on the turbine. When the back pressure on the turbine decreases to an acceptable level, the steam is redirected into the steam cycle.In a preferred embodiment, heat is extracted from steam by passing the steam through the high temperature coil of a vapor-absorption generator. The high temperature vapor formed in the generator transfers the heat to the heat dissipating surfaces of a cooling tower or into heat-exchange relationship with an exhaust coolant discharged from a steam condenser.

Abstract: A wet cooling tower has an encircling exhaust header in communication with the exhaust of a plurality of gas turbines and a plurality of upwardly inclined conduits, which direct the hot exhaust gas tangentially into the cooling tower to increase the temperature and velocity of the moisture laden air flowing therethrough to lift the effluent air into the upper atmosphere and eliminate the plume under many weather conditions.

Abstract: An improved steam boiler system includes an automatic means for injecting cool water into a steam bound boiler feed pump. In a first embodiment a pressure sensitive check valve detects the drop of pressure in the steam bound pump and in response thereto directs a cool water mist into the high side of the pump, thus reinitiating its operation. According to a second embodiment, cool water is sprayed into the pump in response to a drop of the water level in the boiler. In both embodiments, a vent line is used to bleed the high side of the centrifugal pump to a condensate tank in response to a drop of pressure in the pump. The vent line may be bled through a check valve or directly through a manual valve. Additionally, both embodiments employ a pressure sensitive valve in the boiler feed line, which shuts off the pump flow to the boiler whenever the pressure in the boiler exceeds the pressure at the output of the pump.