Modified Rankine Cycle Without Heat Rejection, Driven by a Wet-Vapor-Region Thermocompressor

The Invention addresses the problem of fuel shortage/longevity and climate changes (global warming phenomena) by a drastic improvement of the modified-Rankine-cycle thermal efficiency.

The Invention addresses the problem of fuel shortage/longevity and climate changes (global warming phenomena) by a drastic improvement of the modified-Rankine-cycle thermal efficiency. This invention shows how can this ideal maximum-thermal-efficiency thermodynamic cycle be practically achieved, thus enabling a much longer use of fossil and nuclear fuels and an efficient reduction of global-warming gases (greenhouse gases) in the Earth’s atmosphere.

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The first and the main object of the disclosed invention is to provide a novel modified and simplified Rankine steam-turbine cycle without rejection of the cycle heat, which is driven by a thermocompressor (ejector) operating in the wet-vapor region, to the end of achieving of the maximum possible (~100%) thermal efficiency of the thus modified Rankine cycle. The disclosed invention further reveals that the wet-vapor mixture contained in the modified-Rankine-cycle system and circulating within the thermocompressor is separated in a cylindrical separation tank, so that the saturated water is pumped to a water heater where it receives the cycle heat input, while the saturated vapor is expanded in a back-pressure steam turbine producing useful mechanical work and is then recirculated back to the thermocompressor, where it is being re-pressurized by the primary ejector fluid (pumped and heated saturated water). Since the back-pressure-steam-turbine’s power output largely exceeds the saturated-water-pump’s power input and there is no cycle heat rejection, the theoretical maximum thermal efficiency of the thus modified Rankine cycle is close to 100%.

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