System for the use of waste heat

Abstract

A system for using the waste heat produced from the production of liquefied or solidified heat sink refrigerant in the production of fuel that includes a liquefied or solidified heat sink refrigerant production system, a fuel production system, and a heat exchanger. The liquefied or solidified heat sink refrigerant production system produces waste heat which is transferred through the heat exchanger to power the fuel production system.

1 . A system for using waste heat comprising:
 a source of liquid water;   a refrigerant cooling phase transformation system comprising:
 a solidifier that produces a first waste heat, wherein said solidifier is adapted to produce solid carbon dioxide from carbon dioxide gas; and 
 a first heat exchanger in communication with said source of liquid water and said solidifier, wherein said first heat exchanger is dimensioned to absorb the first waste heat from said solidifier and heat liquid water from said source of liquid water such that at least a portion of the liquid water is converted into a first steam having a first heat; and 
   a fuel production system in fluid communication with said first steam from said refrigerant cooling phase transformation system, wherein said fuel production system is adapted to produce a fuel using an endothermic reaction and comprises;
 a source of carbon; 
 a gasifier in communication with said source of carbon and said first steam, wherein said gasifier is dimensioned and arranged to produce a synthesis gas product using carbon from said source of carbon and water from said first steam as reagents, and first heat from said first steam as activation energy for the endothermic reaction; 
 a gas purifier in communication with said gasifier such that the synthesis gas product of said gasifier is supplied to said gas purifier, wherein said gas purifier is dimensioned and arranged to produce a purified synthesis gas product and carbon dioxide gas, and wherein said gas purifier is in fluid communication with said solidifier of said refrigerant cooling phase transformation system such that the carbon dioxide produced by said gas purifier is supplied to said solidifier; and 
 a synthesis reactor in communication with said gas purifier such that the purified synthesis gas product of said gas purifier is supplied to said synthesis reactor, wherein said synthesis reactor is dimensioned and arranged to produce the fuel in a gaseous state from the purified synthesis gas product. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a secondary heat source in fluid communication with said first heat exchanger and said fuel production system, wherein said first steam is supplied from said first heat exchanger to said secondary heat source and said secondary heat source transfers additional heat to said first steam prior to transfer of said first steam to said gasifier of said fuel production system. 
     
     
         3 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said secondary heat source is a fired heater. 
     
     
         4 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said secondary heat source is a solar heater. 
     
     
         5 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising a gasifier recuperator in fluid communication with said first heat exchanger and said gas purifier, and a condenser in fluid communication with said gasifier recuperator, wherein said condenser is adapted to condense steam into liquid water. 
     
     
         6 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a gas turbine compression cooling system comprising a motor-compressor and a refrigerant tank. 
     
     
         7 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said refrigerant tank is disposed around said motor-compressor and said refrigerant tank is in communication with said solidifier such that solid carbon dioxide produced by said solidifier is provided from said solidifier to said refrigerant tank and the solid carbon dioxide absorbs heat from said motor-compressor during compression cooling. 
     
     
         8 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said refrigerant tank is in further communication with said solidifier such that carbon dioxide that has been used to absorb heat from said motor-compressor during compression cooling is provided from said refrigerant tank to said solidifier. 
     
     
         9 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said gas turbine compression cooling system further comprises a chiller, and said chiller is in communication with said refrigerant tank such that carbon dioxide that has been used to absorb heat from said motor-compressor during compression cooling is provided from said refrigerant tank to said chiller. 
     
     
         10 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said chiller uses the carbon dioxide to absorb heat from atmospheric air. 
     
     
         11 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said chiller is in communication with said solidifier such that carbon dioxide is supplied from said chiller to said solidifier. 
     
     
         12 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the fuel produced by said fuel production system is hydrogen gas. 
     
     
         13 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising a hydrogen liquefier in fluid communication with said synthesis reactor. 
     
     
         14 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a solar energy capture system comprising:
 a solar panel that produces a second waste heat; 
 a second heat exchanger in communication with said source of liquid water and said solar panel, wherein said second heat exchanger is dimensioned to absorb said second waste heat from said solar panel and heat liquid water from said source of liquid water such that at least a portion of said liquid water is converted into a second steam having a second heat; and 
 wherein said second heat exchanger is in fluid communication with said first heat exchanger such that said first waste heat and said second waste heat are combined to form a combined steam with a combined heat; 
 wherein said fuel production system is in fluid communication with said combined steam; and 
 wherein said gasifier uses water from said combined steam as a reagent and combined heat from the combined steam as activation energy for the endothermic reaction. 
 
     
     
         15 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 14  further comprising a secondary heat source in fluid communication with said first and second heat exchangers such that said first and second steams are supplied from said first and second heat exchangers to said secondary heat source and wherein said secondary heat source is adapted to combine said first and second steams into said combined steam and to further heat said combined steam prior to transfer of said combined steam to said gasifier of said fuel production system. 
     
     
         16 . A system for using waste heat comprising:
 a solidified refrigerant heat sink production system comprising:
 a fluid solidifier that solidifies carbon dioxide and produces a waste heat; and 
 a heat exchanger in communication with said fluid solidifier such that said heat exchanger absorbs the waste heat produced by said fluid solidifier; and 
 a thermal gasification system in thermal communication with the waste heat from said heat exchanger of said solidified refrigerant heat sink production system, wherein said thermal gasification system comprises means for using the waste heat to produce hydrogen. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 16  further comprising a source of working fluid and a gas turbine in communication with said source of working fluid and said fluid solidifier such that solid carbon dioxide solidified by said fluid solidifier is provided to said gas turbine;
 wherein said gas turbine comprises a working fluid compressor; 
 wherein said working fluid is atmospheric air; and 
 wherein said fluid solidifier is dimensioned and arranged such that solid carbon dioxide provided by said fluid solidifier cools the atmospheric air entering said working fluid compressor of said gas turbine. 
 
     
     
         18 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 17  further comprising a chiller in communication with the atmospheric air, wherein gaseous carbon dioxide sublimated from the solid carbon dioxide is in communication with and cools said chiller, and wherein said chiller cools the atmospheric air entering said working fluid compressor of said gas turbine. 
     
     
         19 . A system for using waste heat comprising:
 a source of liquid water   a refrigerant cooling phase transformation system comprising:
 a liquefier that produces a first waste heat, wherein said liquefier is adapted to liquefy gas; and 
 a first heat exchanger in communication with said source of liquid water and said liquefier, wherein said first heat exchanger is dimensioned to absorb the first waste heat from said liquefier and heat liquid water from said source of liquid water such that at least a portion of the liquid water is converted into a first steam having a first heat; 
   a secondary heat source in fluid communication with said first heat exchanger such that said first steam is supplied from said first heat exchanger to said secondary heat source, wherein said secondary heat source is adapted to further heat said first steam;   a fuel production system in fluid communication with said secondary heat source such that said first steam that has been further heated by said secondary heat source is provided to said fuel production system, wherein said fuel production system is adapted to produce a fuel using an endothermic reaction and comprises;
 a source of carbon; 
 a gasifier in communication with said source of carbon and said first steam, wherein said gasifier is dimensioned and arranged to produce a synthesis gas product using carbon from said source of carbon and said first steam as reagents, and first heat from said first steam as activation energy for the endothermic reaction; 
 a gas purifier in communication with said gasifier such that the synthesis gas product of said gasifier is supplied to said gas purifier, wherein said gas purifier is dimensioned and arranged to produce a purified synthesis gas product and carbon dioxide gas, and wherein said gas purifier is in fluid communication with said solidifier of said refrigerant cooling phase transformation system such that the carbon dioxide produced by said gas purifier is supplied to said solidifier; and 
 a synthesis reactor in communication with said gas purifier such that the purified synthesis gas product of said gas purifier is supplied to said synthesis reactor, wherein said synthesis reactor is dimensioned and arranged to produce the fuel in a gaseous state from the purified synthesis gas product; and 
 at least one condensing means for condensing fuel from a gaseous state into a liquid state, wherein said condensing means is in fluid communication with said synthesis reactor; and 
   a solidifier in fluid communication with said gas purifier of said fuel production system such that the carbon dioxide gas produced by said gas purifier is supplied to said solidifier, and wherein said solidifier is dimensioned and arranged to produce solid carbon dioxide from carbon dioxide gas.   
     
     
         20 . The system for using waste heat as claimed in  claim 19  further comprising a solar energy capture system comprising:
 a solar panel that produces a second waste heat; 
 a second heat exchanger in communication with said source of liquid water and said solar panel, wherein said second heat exchanger is dimensioned to absorb the second waste heat from said solar panel and heat liquid water from said source of liquid water such that at least a portion of the liquid water is converted into a second steam having a second heat; and 
 wherein said second heat exchanger is in fluid communication with said first heat exchanger such that the first waste heat and the second waste heat are combined to form a combined steam with a combined heat; 
 wherein said combined steam is provided to said fuel production system; and 
 wherein said gasifier uses said combined steam as a reagent and the combined heat from said combined steam as activation energy for the endothermic reaction. 
 
     
     
         21 . A carbon dioxide sequestration system in which carbon dioxide is sequestered from the atmosphere, comprising:
 a source of carbon dioxide gas;   a solidifier in communication with said source of carbon dioxide gas such that carbon dioxide gas is provided to said solidifier, wherein said solidifier is adapted to solidify at least carbon dioxide gas;   a refrigerant tank in communication with said solidifier such that solid carbon dioxide solidified by said solidifier is provided to said refrigerant tank and contained by said refrigerant tank;   a working fluid compressor adapted to compress a working fluid, wherein said working fluid compressor is in thermal communication with said refrigerant tank such that the solid carbon dioxide contained by said refrigerant tank absorbs heat from the working fluid during compression cooling by said working fluid compressor; and   a chiller:
 wherein said chiller is in fluid communication with said working fluid compressor such that working fluid to be introduced to said working fluid compressor passes therethrough; 
 wherein said chiller is in fluid communication with said refrigerant tank such that carbon dioxide that has absorbed heat from the working fluid during compression cooling by said working fluid compressor passes therethrough; 
 wherein the carbon dioxide that passes through said chiller and the working fluid that passes through said chiller are not in fluid communication; 
 wherein the carbon dioxide that passes through said chiller and the working fluid that passes through said chiller are in thermal communication such that the carbon dioxide absorbs heat from the working fluid to be introduced to said working fluid compressor; and 
 wherein said chiller is in fluid communication with said solidifier such that carbon dioxide that has passed through said chiller from said fluid communication with said refrigerant tank is provided to said solidifier. 
   
     
     
         22 . The carbon dioxide sequestration system as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein said source of carbon dioxide gas is a fuel production system that produces carbon dioxide gas as a waste byproduct. 
     
     
         23 . The carbon dioxide sequestration system as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein said working fluid is atmospheric air.