Recovery of energy from geothermal brines and other hot water sources by direct contact heat exchange with a working fluid, such as a hydrocarbon working fluid, e.g. isobutane. The process and system consists of a plurality of stages, each stage including mixing and settling units. In the first stage, hot brine and arm working fluid are intimately mixed and passed into a settler wherein the brine settles to the bottom of the settler and the hot working fluid rises to the top. The hot working fluid is passed to a heat engine or turbine to produce work and the working fluid is then recycled back into the system. The system is comprised of a series of stages each containing a settler and mixer, and wherein the working fluid and the brine flow in a countercurrent manner through the stages to recover the heat from the brine in increments and raise the temperature of the working fluid in increments.
A process and system for recovery of energy from geothermal brines or other hot aqueous solutions of a non-volatile solute, by direct contact heat transfer using staged evaporator-condenser units operating with a low boiling water-immiscible liquid hydrocarbon. Each stage comprises a closed vessel divided into two compartments, an evaporator and a condenser, by a bubble cap tray similar in construction to those used in distillation. Hot geothermal brine or other hot aqueous liuqid is introduced into the liquid hydrocarbon contained in the lower compartment of each stage, causing boiling of the hydrocarbon at a temperature difference of 2.degree.-4.degree. F. Hydrocarbon vapors pass from the evaporator compartment through the bubble caps to the upper condenser compartment where they are condensed in contact with a cooler water stream, and the condensed hydrocarbon is returned to the lower compartment. The heated water stream under substantial pressure is fed to an expander or turbine to produce work, and the expander discharge, after cooling and condensation of any steam therein, is reintroduced into the evaporator compartments of the staged units. Such recycled water, together with make-up water is introduced as feed into the condenser compartment of the last stage and passes into the respective condenser compartments of each of the preceding stages, and is further heated in each stage, and the hot brine, or the like, introduced into the evaporator compartment of the first stage is passed through the evaporator compartments of each successive stage and is further cooled in each successive stage, and is finally passed to waste.
A process for obtaining decomposition products from a slurry of municipal waste by use of a geothermal reservoir. The process comprises placing the slurry of municipal waste into a geothermal reservoir; sealing the opening of the geothermal reservoir; and retorting the municipal waste slurry in the geothermal reservoir for a time sufficient to liberate methane, ammonia, urea, nitrites, nitrates, and phosphates from said slurry. Thereafter, the liberated products are removed from the geothermal reservoir and separated.
A heat transfer process for a liquid (5) using counterflow, direct contact with another, immiscible fluid (1), of differing temperature and density, in the presence of a free floating media bed (7). Heat transfer within the liquid (5) occurring as a consequence of direct contact with the immiscible fluid (1) of differing temperature. The counterflow motion a consequence of buoyancy forces resulting from the different densities of the liquid (5) and immiscible fluid (1). The media bed (7) being of a nature preferentially wetted by the immiscible fluid (1), thereby providing a large film type surface area of the immiscible fluid (1) for direct contact heat transfer with the liquid (5). The free floating nature of the media bed (7) resulting from the materials comprising the media being of a density intermediate between that of the liquid (5) and that of the immiscible fluid (1). The free floating media bed (7) being by nature nonplugging and providing enhanced direct contact heat transfer by the extended fluid film surfaces confined therein.
A system and method of thermal energy conversion is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a mass of unencased fluid expandite in a mass transport conduit circuit at a first combination of temperature and pressure; (b) introducing a thermal fluid into the mass transport conduit circuit from a source external to the mass transport conduit circuit at a second combination of temperature and pressure; (c) combining the provided expandite mass with the introduced thermal fluid in a given conduit of the circuit to create an expandite-fluid mixture having a density at some place in the given conduit that is changed from the average proportional density of the expandite mass and the thermal fluid at their respective prevailing combinations of temperature and pressure prior to such combination with each other to create a pressure differential that enhances the flow of the fluids contained within the circuit; (d) directing at least a portion of the fluids contained within the circuit to flow vertically through a given portion of the conduit circuit to create a pressure differential in the given portion of the circuit in relation to the remainder of the conduit circuit to thereby enhance the flow of the fluids contained with the conduit circuit, and (e) converting the pressure of at least a part of the enhanced flow of the contained fluids through the conduit circuit into a useful form of energy. Step (a) includes the steps of: (f) separating from the expandite-fluid mixture, an expandite base which comprises at least a portion of the expandite mass; and (f') thermally conditioning the expandite base.
