Recovery for thermal cycles

Abstract

A gas burner system may include a first burner configured to burn gas to produce burned gas in a first portion of the waste gas burner system and a second burner configured to burn gas to produce burned gas in a second portion of the waste gas burner system. A heat exchanger may reside out of the first portion and may be configured to receive heat from the burned gas in the second portion and heat a working fluid of a thermal cycle system. A valve may be configured to control an amount of gas provided to the second burner. The gas may be a waste gas from a process. The thermal cycle system may include an organic Rankine cycle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gas burner system comprising:
 a first burner configured to burn gas to produce burned gas in a first portion of the waste gas burner system;   a second burner configured to burn gas to produce burned gas in a second portion of the waste gas burner system;   a heat exchanger residing out of the first portion, the heat exchanger configured to receive heat from the burned gas in the second portion and heat a working fluid of a thermal cycle system; and   a valve configured to control an amount of gas provided to the second burner.   
     
     
         2 . The waste gas burner system of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the waste gas burner system is a first chamber and the second portion of the gas burner system is a second chamber, the first chamber separated from the second chamber by a thermal barrier. 
     
     
         3 . The gas burner system of  claim 2 , wherein the thermal barrier comprises an insulated wall configured to keep heat generated in the first chamber isolated from the second chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The gas burner system of  claim 2 , wherein the thermal barrier comprises an aperture configured to allow burned gas from the first chamber to aid in exhausting burned gas from the second chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The gas burner system of  claim 2 , wherein the thermal barrier comprises an aperture configured to prevent burned gas from the first chamber from entering the second chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , further comprising an air fan configured to provide air to the first chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an air fan configured to provide air to both the first chamber and second chamber; and   a diverter valve configured to receive a signal from the thermal cycle system and control an amount of air provided to one or both of the first chamber or the second chamber.   
     
     
         8 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first air fan configured to provide air to the first chamber; and   a second air fan configured to provide air to the second chamber, wherein the first air fan and the second air fan can each be controlled separately by the thermal cycle system.   
     
     
         9 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger resides in the second portion of the gas burner system, and wherein the working fluid of the thermal cycle system passes through at least a portion of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , wherein the burned gas heats a thermal fluid that heats the working fluid. 
     
     
         11 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal cycle system comprises an organic Rankine cycle. 
     
     
         12 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , further comprising a flue stack configured to received burned gas from the first and second chambers and direct the burned gas to one or both of a gas destruction process or another process. 
     
     
         13 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , wherein the gas burner system comprises an incinerator. 
     
     
         14 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , wherein the gas burner system comprises a flare. 
     
     
         15 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , wherein the first burner resides at a position above the heat exchanger and the second burner resides at a position below the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         16 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , wherein the valve is configured to receive gas and to control the amount of gas directed to the second burner and to direct a remainder of the received gas to the first burner. 
     
     
         17 . The gas burner system of  claim 16 , wherein the valve is controlled by the thermal cycle system. 
     
     
         18 . The gas burner system of  claim 1 , wherein the gas comprises a waste gas. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 burning a first portion of a gas in a gas burner device;   burning a second portion of a gas in a gas burner device;   heating a thermal cycle working fluid with the burning of the second portion of the gas; and   directing the burned gas out of the chamber.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein heating the thermal cycle working fluid comprises heating a thermal fluid. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein directing the burned gas out of the chamber comprises directing the burned gas to another process. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a heat exchanger of a thermal cycle resides in the second portion, and the thermal cycle working fluid is heated by the burning of the second portion of the gas. 
     
     
         23 . A system comprising:
 a gas burner device comprising:
 a first burner configured to burn gas to produce burned gas in a first portion of the gas burner device, 
 a second burner configured to burn gas to produce burned gas in a second portion of the gas burner device, and 
 a valve configured to control an amount of gas provided to the second burner; and 
   a thermal cycle system comprising:
 a heat exchanger configured to receive heat from the burned gas in the second portion of the gas burner device and heat a thermal cycle working fluid, and 
 an electric machine apparatus configured to receive the heated working fluid and generate electric power based on receiving the heated working fluid. 
   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the heat exchanger resides in the second portion of the gas burner device and receives heat from the burned gas in the second portion of the gas burner device, and wherein the working fluid of the thermal cycle passes through at least a portion of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the first portion of the gas burner system is a first chamber and the second portion of the gas burner system is a second chamber, the first chamber separated from the second chamber by a thermal barrier, wherein the thermal barrier comprises an aperture configured to allow burned gas from the first chamber to aid in exhausting burned gas from the second chamber. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the thermal cycle system comprises an organic Rankine cycle. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the gas comprises a waste gas.