Electric Power from Waste Heat
How it works in a nutshell (cogeneration)
Electric power from waste heat is typically generated using a thermodynamic cycle like that of the organic Rankine cycle. Simply stated, the organic Rankine cycle (a kin to a simple Rankine cycle of water and steam used in power plants) is a thermodynamic cycle that uses an organic fluid as a medium to transfer heat to and from. The process consists of transferring heat from the waste heat source into the fluid in its liquid phase, causing it to gasify and dramatically increase in pressure. This pressure is then used to drive an electricity generating turbine. In the process of driving the turbine and by using additional devices, the fluid is expanded, loses pressure, and cools; all of which cause the fluid to condense and become liquid again, with much less pressure. The cycle then repeats itself, again starting with the transfer of heat from the waste heat source into the liquid fluid causing it to gasify and dramatically increase in pressure so that it can again/continue spinning the electricity generating turbine.
Use of Tenoroc's Technology in the organic Rankine cycle
In thermodynamic processes like the organic Rankine cycle, expansion devices, like nozzles, are used to condense or re-liquify the working fluid. In the process of causing the fluid to become colder and condense via expansion, a significant portion of the fluid can gasify or remain gaseous. At the point of condensation, the gaseous portion provides no benefit, and can be a detriment by displacing liquid due to its massively higher volume, and by being parasitic to the liquid due to its relatively warmer temperature. The ideal would be to simultaneously separate the liquid and gaseous phases in the process of re-condensing/liquefying the fluid. To our knowledge the device for simultaneously expanding and separating phases, does not exist. The patented Aerodynamic Separation Nozzle can do this.
With the ability to simultaneously condense and separate the gaseous and liquid phases, other significant improvements to the cycle are possible including, among others, elimination of components and changing the piping layout to direct liquid fluid and gaseous fluid to separate points in the system, where they are utilized on a more process efficient, energy efficient basis.