Method for operating a total energy apparatus, and pumpless high-pressure total energy apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a total energy apparatus comprising a high-pressure vapor reservoir and a condenser reservoir provided with a heat exchanger. The high-pressure vapor reservoir is connected via a first fluid connection with the condenser reservoir. The method comprises at least the following step in a heat generation phase of the total energy apparatus: supplying heat to a medium in liquid form which is contained in the high-pressure vapor reservoir and transporting the medium in vapor form from the high-pressure vapor reservoir through the first fluid connection to the condenser reservoir, whereafter the medium condenses against the heat exchanger, while the heat of condensation absorbed by the heat exchanger is removed to a heat consuming process. The method is characterized in that between successive heat generation phases, in a high-pressure vapor reservoir filling phase, at least the following step is carried out: increasing the pressure in the condenser reservoir and/or lowering the pressure in the high-pressure vapor, such that medium in liquid form flows back from the condenser reservoir to the high-pressure vapor reservoir. The invention further relates to a total energy apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention.

1 . A method for operating a total energy apparatus comprising a high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) and a condenser reservoir ( 5 ) provided with a heat exchanger ( 9 ), while the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) is connected via a first fluid connection ( 3 ) with the condenser reservoir ( 5 ), and in the fluid connection ( 3 ) an energy conversion device ( 4 ,  4 ′,  4 ″) is included for at least partly converting the energy contained in the vapor being under high pressure into a different form of energy, such as, for instance, mechanical energy or a local reduced pressure, the method comprising at least the following step in a heat generation phase of the total energy apparatus: 
 supplying heat to a medium in liquid form (ML) which is contained in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) and transporting the medium in vapor form (MD) from the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) through the first fluid connection ( 3 ) via the energy conversion device ( 4 ,  4 ′,  4 ″) to the condenser reservoir ( 5 ), whereafter the medium condenses against the heat exchanger ( 9 ), while the heat of condensation absorbed by the heat exchanger ( 9 ) is removed to a heat consuming process, 
 characterized in that  
 between successive heat generation phases, in a high-pressure vapor reservoir filling phase, at least the following step is carried out:  
 
 increasing the pressure in the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) by stopping the removal of heat of condensation via the heat exchanger ( 9 ) in the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) and/or lowering the pressure in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) by stopping the heating of the medium in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) and actively cooling the medium being in vapor form in the vapor reservoir ( 1 ), such that the medium in liquid form (ML) flows back from the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) to the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ).  
 
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the step in the high-pressure vapor reservoir filling phase is carried out after the medium in liquid form (ML) in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) reaches a predetermined minimum level.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the high-pressure vapor reservoir filling phase, the cooling of the vaporous medium (MD) in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) is carried out by passing cooling medium through a heat exchanger ( 15 ) disposed in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ).  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the heat which is removed via the heat exchanger ( 15 ) in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) is passed to the heat consuming process.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the energy conversion device ( 4 ,  4 ) the energy stored in the vapor being under high pressure is converted into mechanical energy with the aid of a steam engine or a steam turbine ( 4 ).  
     
     
         6 . A method according to any one of claims  1 - 4 , characterized in that in the energy conversion device ( 4 ,  4 ′) the energy stored in the vapor being under high pressure is converted into a local reduced pressure with the aid of an ejector or thermocompressor ( 4 ″).  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6 , characterized in that the local reduced pressure in the ejector ( 4 ″) is used for sucking vapor from a secondary vapor source ( 23 ,  24 ), such as, for instance, an evaporation heat exchanger ( 23 ,  24 ), which is disposed in a flue duct ( 25 ), in the bottom, on the roof in the form of a solar collector ( 23 ), in a ventilating air duct for extracting heat from spent ventilating air or for cooling fresh ventilating air to be supplied.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that use is made of at least two high-pressure vapor reservoirs ( 1 ) and two condenser reservoirs ( 5 ), while at any particular time a high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) is in the heat generation phase while another high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) is in the high-pressure vapor reservoir filling phase.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that with the total energy apparatus heat is supplied to a central heating installation.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the medium is water.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the heat generation phase in the high-pressure vapor reservoir a vapor pressure of 30 bars is achieved.  
     
     
         12 . A total energy apparatus comprising a high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ), a heating source ( 2 ) for heating medium contained in the high-pressure vapor reservoir, and a condenser reservoir ( 5 ), the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) being connected via a first fluid connection ( 3 ) with the condenser reservoir ( 5 ), while the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) and the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) are arranged to comprise a medium in vapor form (MD) and liquid form (ML), the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) being provided with a heat exchanger ( 9 ) for the purpose of removing the heat released by condensation of vapor to a heat consuming process, while in the first fluid connection ( 3 ) an energy conversion device ( 4 ,  4 ′,  4 ″) is included for at least partly converting the energy contained in the vapor being under high pressure into a different form of energy, such as, for instance, mechanical energy or a local reduced pressure, characterized in that a second fluid connection ( 7 ) extends between the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) and the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ), while in the second fluid connection a non-return valve ( 8 ) is arranged which prevents flow of medium from the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) to the condenser reservoir ( 5 ), while for the purpose of the transport of the medium in liquid form (ML) from the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) to the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ), the apparatus is provided with a control ( 28 ) which is arranged for periodically increasing the pressure in the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) by stopping the removal of heat of condensation via the heat exchanger ( 9 ) in the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) and/or lowering the pressure in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) by stopping the heating of the medium in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) and actively cooling the medium being in vapor form in the vapor reservoir ( 1 ), such that the medium in liquid form (ML) flows back from the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) via the second fluid connection ( 7 ) to the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ).  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the first connection ( 3 ) too is provided with a non-return valve ( 6 ), while, in use, the non-return valve ( 6 ) in the first connection ( 3 ) is in the closed condition if the vapor pressure in the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) is higher than the vapor pressure in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ).  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 12  or  13 , characterized in that in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) a heat exchanger ( 15 ) is disposed for removing heat of condensation to a heat consuming process.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 14 , characterized in that the total energy apparatus comprises a circuit ( 10 ) for a liquid for the heat transport from the total energy apparatus to the heat consuming process, which circuit is provided with a valve system ( 14 ,  14 A,  14 B) whereby, in use, in a first position of the valve system ( 14 ,  14 A,  14 B), liquid in the circuit flows through the heat exchanger ( 9 ) in the condenser reservoir ( 5 ) while hardly any or no liquid flows through the heat exchanger ( 15 ) in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ), and in a second position of the valve system ( 14 ,  14 A,  14   b ), liquid in the circuit ( 10 ) flows through the heat exchanger ( 15 ) in the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) and hardly any or no liquid flows through the heat exchanger ( 9 ) in the condenser reservoir ( 5 ).  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 15 , characterized in that, in a third position of the valve system ( 14 ,  14 A,  14 B), liquid in the circuit flows through the heat exchanger ( 15 ) of the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ), while at the same time liquid in the circuit flows through the heat exchanger ( 9 ) of the condenser reservoir ( 5 ).  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to any one of claims  12 - 16 , characterized in that the energy conversion device ( 4 ) is a steam engine.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to any one of claims  12 - 16 , characterized in that the energy conversion device ( 4 ) is a steam turbine ( 4 ′).  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to any one of claims  12 - 16 , characterized in that the energy conversion device ( 4 ) is an ejector or a thermocompressor ( 4 ″), which is connected via a vapor supply pipe ( 22 ) to a secondary vapor source ( 23 ,  24 ), such as, for instance, an evaporation heat exchanger which is disposed in a flue duct ( 25 ), in the bottom, on the roof in the form of a solar collector, in a ventilating air duct for extracting heat from spent ventilating air or for cooling ventilating air to be supplied.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to any one of claims  12 - 19 , characterized in that the high-pressure vapor reservoir ( 1 ) is provided with means ( 16 ) for delivering a signal when a predetermined minimum level of the medium in liquid form in the high-pressure vapor reservoir is reached.  
     
     
         21 . A total energy apparatus according to any one of claims  12 - 20 , characterized by a second high-pressure vapor reservoir and a second condenser reservoir, which are connected with each other via a third fluid connection in which the energy conversion device ( 4 ) is included, while a fourth fluid connection extends between the second condenser reservoir and the high-pressure vapor reservoir, and in the fourth fluid connection a non-return valve is arranged which prevents flow of medium from the second high-pressure vapor reservoir to the second condenser reservoir, while the control is arranged, in use, during the generation of vapor in the first high-pressure vapor reservoir, to fill the second high-pressure vapor reservoir from the second condenser reservoir, and, during the generation of vapor in the second high-pressure vapor reservoir, to fill the first high-pressure vapor reservoir from the first condenser reservoir, such that continuously vapor under high pressure is available for energizing the energy conversion device.