In a turbine driven power generating plant of the type using for example a hydrocarbon or halocarbon as the working fluid operating on or near the surface of an ocean, warm surface water is used as a source of heat for a boiler and cold water pumped from substantial depths is used to condense the working fluid after it has been expanded through the turbine. An auxiliary power source for starting the water pumps of the main system includes a prime mover driving a compressor which in turn supplies a high energy working fluid to a turbine coupled to drive the water pumps. The turbine exhaust after being cooled in a heat exchanger by the cold water pumped from the ocean depths, is returned to the suction side of the compressor.
A system for generation of electricity which comprises warming an intermediate heat exchange medium, cooled and liquefied as the result of having been used for warming LNG to vaporize, with water or sea water to vaporize, introducing the vaporized intermediate heat medium into a turbine equipped with an electric power generator for driving and using again the intermediate heat medium discharged from the turbine for warming LNG to vaporize while the intermediate heat medium discharged from the turbine is contacted with the condensed liquid of the intermediate heat medium with intervention of a packing material.
A deep well pumping apparatus utilizing a geothermal source of energy is disposed within or above a stratum having a cool irrigating fluid, and an associated heat exchange unit is disposed within a stratum having the geothermal source. An organic working fluid is conveyed under pressure through the heat exchange unit and applied as a gas to a turbine assembly operatively coupled to the pump. The spent working fluid and cool irrigation fluid are then conveyed to the surface.
A method and apparatus of producing useful energy from a large body of water having cold subsurface water and water at the surface which is warmer than the subsurface water. The apparatus comprises a tubular pump to air-lift in a manner to be described cold subsurface water to the surface and which tube is open at the surface and open at the colder subsurface water and wherein a vertically adjustable air jet assembly is arranged within the tube and connected to a compressed air source to release bubbles from the air jet assembly which rise within the tube, entraining cold subsurface water, making it buoyant and cooling the surface. The method of producing useful energy includes the steps of creating an area on the warm surface of a large body of water which is colder than normal by utilizing compressed air to upwell the cold subsurface water by releasing compressed air through an air jet assembly which is vertically adjustable in a vertical conduit having an opening at the lower end and also at the upper end and which is of a length to extend to a depth within the large body of water at which cold subsurface water is located so that, when compressed air is released through the air jet assembly, it rises in the tube from a level which is most efficient entraining water and causing cold subsurface water to rise to the surface and utilizing the temperature gradient between the cooled surface of the water and the normally warmer surface of the water to generate electricity.
A power plant for exploitation of the temperature difference between different water layers in a pelagic area (2), comprising a closed system which is filled with ethane which is both in the liquid and vapor phases. The system comprises two heat exchanging apparatuses (13, 9) which are in fluid communication with each other, of which the first (13) supplies heat to the ethane by means of heat exchange with water from a relatively warmer water layer, while the other (9) removes heat from the ethane by means of heat exchange with water from a colder water layer, whereby a difference in pressure is created in the system which is utilized to take energy out of the system. In order to make the system large enough and the ethane pressure high enough to give a reasonable power yield, the heat exchanging apparatuses are placed in respective chambers (5, 4) which are comprised by cavities in solid or consolidated rock (1). The necessary fluid communications (6, 17) and water pipes (10, 12, 15, 16) are also blasted in the rock with fluid cross-sections large enough to make pressure losses small.
A process is disclosed for converting liquefied natural gas (LNG), at a temperature of about -162.degree. C. (-260.degree. F.) and a pressure near atmospheric pressure, to a pressurized liquefied natural gas (PLNG) having a temperature above -112.degree. C. (-170.degree. F.) and a pressure sufficient for the liquid to be at or near its bubble point and at the same time producing energy derived from the cold of the LNG. The LNG is pumped to a pressure above 1,380 kPa (200 psia) and passed through a heat exchanger. A refrigerant as a working fluid in a closed circuit is passed through the heat exchanger to condense the refrigerant and to provide heat for warming the pressurized LNG. The refrigerant is then pressurized, vaporized by an external heat source, and then passed through a work-producing device to generate energy.
