HEAT PIPE TURBINE FOR PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICAL POWER FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES

摘要

The Heat Pipe Turbine or Thermosyphon Rankine Engine (TSR) is a new concept for power generation using solar, geothermal or other available low grade heat sources. The basis of the engine is the modified thermosyphon cycle, with its excellent heat and mass transfer characteristics, which incorporates a turbine in the adiabatic region. The configuration is a closed vertical cylinder functioning as an evaporator, an insulated section and a condenser. The turbine is placed in the upper end between the insulated section and a condenser section, and a plate is installed to separate the high pressure region from the low pressure region in the condenser. Conversion of the enthalpy to kinetic energy is achieved through the nozzle. The mechanical energy developed by the turbine can be converted to electrical energy by direct coupling to an electrical energy. This paper will describe the development of Heat Pipe Turbine from the concept to reality, a series of development taken to optimize the design and manufacture. Also in this paper, attempts have been made to provide relationships for the developed power in terms of the geometric and thermodynamical parameters and to discuss the limitations existing on the efficiencies of these turbines.