초록 ▼

A turbine wheel is rotatable in response to expansion of a working fluid flowing from near an inlet side towards an outlet side of the turbine wheel. The turbine wheel may receive the working fluid radially into the inlet side of the turbine wheel and output the working fluid axially from its outlet

A turbine wheel is rotatable in response to expansion of a working fluid flowing from near an inlet side towards an outlet side of the turbine wheel. The turbine wheel may receive the working fluid radially into the inlet side of the turbine wheel and output the working fluid axially from its outlet side. A generator has a stator and a rotor. The rotor may be coupled to the turbine wheel and may rotate at the same speed as the turbine wheel when the turbine wheel rotates. In certain instances, the generator is adjacent the inlet side of the turbine wheel.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus comprising: a first turbine generator apparatus, comprising: a first turbine wheel configured to receive a working fluid and rotate in response to expansion of the working fluid flowing from a first inlet side of the first turbine wheel to a first outlet side; anda first electric gen

1. An apparatus comprising: a first turbine generator apparatus, comprising: a first turbine wheel configured to receive a working fluid and rotate in response to expansion of the working fluid flowing from a first inlet side of the first turbine wheel to a first outlet side; anda first electric generator having a first stator and a first rotor, the first rotor coupled to the first turbine wheel to rotate at the same speed as the first turbine wheel when the first turbine wheel rotates; anda second turbine generator apparatus, comprising: a second turbine wheel configured to receive the working fluid from the first turbine generator apparatus and rotate in response to expansion of the working fluid flowing from a second inlet side of the second turbine wheel to a second outlet side; anda second electric generator having a second stator and a second rotor, the second rotor coupled to the second turbine wheel to rotate at the same speed as the second turbine wheel when the second turbine wheel rotates, and wherein the first outlet side of the first turbine wheel is coupled to the second inlet side of the second turbine wheel. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first turbine wheel is configured to receive the working fluid radially into the first inlet side of the first turbine wheel and output the working fluid axially from the first outlet side of the first turbine wheel, or the second turbine wheel is configured to receive the working fluid radially into the second inlet side of the second turbine wheel and output the working fluid axially from the second outlet side of the second turbine wheel. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first turbine wheel and the first rotor are affixed to a first common shaft, or the second turbine wheel and the second rotor are affixed to a second common shaft. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first turbine wheel is affixed directly to the first rotor, or the second turbine wheel is affixed directly to the second rotor. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first rotor and the first turbine wheel are coupled to rotate together without a gear box, or the second rotor and the second turbine wheel are coupled to rotate together without the gear box. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first stator and the first rotor are isolated from contact with the working fluid, or the second stator and the second rotor are isolated from contact with the working fluid. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electric generator comprises at least one magnetic bearing supporting the first rotor relative to the first stator, or the second electric generator comprises at least one magnetic bearing supporting the second rotor relative to the second stator. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electric generator is configured to receive at least a first part of the working fluid from the first turbine wheel and direct the at least first part of the working fluid through the first electric generator to cool the first rotor and the first stator, or the second electric generator is configured to receive at least a second part of the working fluid from the second turbine wheel and direct the at least second part of the working fluid through the second electric generator to cool the second rotor and the second stator. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electric generator is disposed on the first outlet side of the first turbine wheel, or the second electric generator is disposed on the second outlet side of the second turbine wheel. 10. A generator system for use in a Rankine cycle, comprising: a liquid reservoir for a working fluid of the Rankine cycle;a pump device coupled to the liquid reservoir to receive the working fluid from the liquid reservoir;an evaporator heat exchanger coupled to the pump device to receive the working fluid from the pump and apply heat to the working fluid;a first turbine generator apparatus coupled to the evaporator heat exchanger to receive the working fluid from the evaporator heat exchanger and configured to generate electrical energy in response to expansion of the working fluid, the first turbine generator apparatus comprising: a first turbine wheel configured to receive the working fluid and rotate in response to expansion of the working fluid flowing from a first inlet side of the first turbine wheel to a first outlet side; anda first electric generator having a first stator and a first rotor, the first rotor coupled to the first turbine wheel to rotate at the same speed as the first turbine wheel when the first turbine wheel rotates;a second turbine generator apparatus coupled to the first turbine generator apparatus to receive the working fluid from the first turbine generator apparatus and configured to generate electrical energy in response to expansion of the working fluid, the second turbine generator apparatus comprising: a second turbine wheel configured to receive the working fluid and rotate in response to expansion of the working fluid flowing from a second inlet side of the second turbine wheel to a second outlet side; anda second electric generator having a second stator and a second rotor, the second rotor coupled to the second turbine wheel to rotate at the same speed as the second turbine wheel when the second turbine wheel rotates, and wherein the first outlet side of the first turbine wheel is coupled to the second inlet side of the second turbine wheel; anda condenser heat exchanger coupled to the second turbine generator apparatus to receive the working fluid from the second turbine generator apparatus and extract heat from the working fluid. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first turbine wheel is configured to receive the working fluid radially into the first inlet side of the first turbine wheel and output the working fluid axially from the first outlet side of the first turbine wheel, or the second turbine wheel is configured to receive the working fluid radially into the second inlet side of the second turbine wheel and output the working fluid axially from the second outlet side of the second turbine wheel. 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the evaporator heat exchanger is in thermal communication with a source of waste heat from a separate process. 13. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first turbine wheel and the first rotor are affixed to a first common shaft, or the second turbine wheel and the second rotor are affixed to a second common shaft. 14. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first stator and the first rotor are isolated from contact with the working fluid, or the second stator and the second rotor are isolated from contact with the working fluid. 15. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first electric generator comprises at least one magnetic bearing supporting the first rotor, or the second electric generator comprises at least one magnetic bearing supporting the second rotor. 16. The system of claim 10, wherein the generator system comprises an organic Rankine cycle. 17. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first electric generator is configured to receive at least a first part of the working fluid from the first turbine wheel and direct the at least first part of the working fluid through the first electric generator to cool the first rotor and the first stator, or the second electric generator is configured to receive at least a second part of the working fluid from the second turbine wheel and direct the at least the second part of the working fluid through the second electric generator to cool the second rotor and the second stator. 18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first electric generator is disposed on the first outlet side of the first turbine wheel, or the second electric generator is disposed on the second outlet side of the second turbine wheel. 19. A method of circulating a working fluid through a working cycle, comprising: vaporizing the working fluid with an evaporator heat exchanger;receiving the vaporous working fluid from the evaporator heat exchanger into a first inlet of a first turbine wheel of a first turbine generator apparatus;rotating the first turbine wheel in response to expansion of the working fluid through the first turbine wheel, and in turn rotating a first rotor of a first generator of the first turbine generator apparatus at the same speed as the first turbine wheel;outputting the working fluid from a first outlet side of the first turbine wheel;receiving the vaporous working fluid from the first outlet side of the first turbine wheel into a second inlet of a second turbine wheel of a second turbine generator apparatus;rotating the second turbine wheel in response to expansion of the working fluid through the second turbine wheel, and in turn rotating a second rotor of a second generator of the second turbine generator apparatus at the same speed as the second turbine wheel;outputting the working fluid from a second outlet side of the second turbine wheel to a condenser heat exchanger; andcondensing the working fluid to a liquid with the condenser heat exchanger. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving the vaporous working fluid into the first inlet of the first turbine wheel comprises receiving the vaporous working fluid radially into the first inlet of the first turbine wheel, or receiving the vaporous working fluid into the second inlet of the second turbine wheel comprises receiving the vaporous working fluid radially into the second inlet of the second turbine wheel. 21. The method of claim 19, wherein outputting the working fluid from the first outlet side of the first turbine wheel comprises outputting the working fluid axially from the first outlet side of the first turbine wheel, or outputting the working fluid from the second outlet side of the second turbine wheel comprises outputting the working fluid axially from the second outlet side of the second turbine wheel. 22. The method of claim 19, wherein rotating the first rotor comprises rotating a first shaft common to the first turbine wheel and the first rotor, or rotating the second rotor comprises rotating a second shaft common to the second turbine wheel and the second rotor. 23. The method of claim 19, comprising at least one of magnetically supporting the first rotor relative to a first stator of the first generator, or magnetically supporting the second rotor relative to a second stator of the second generator. 24. The method of claim 19, comprising at least one of isolating the working fluid from contact with the first rotor and a first stator of the first generator, or isolating the working fluid from contact with the second rotor and a second stator of the second generator. 25. The method of claim 19, wherein the working cycle is an organic Rankine working cycle. 26. The method of claim 19, comprising at least one of: directing at least a first part of the working fluid from the first turbine wheel through the first electric generator to cool the first rotor and the first stator; ordirecting at least a second part of the working fluid from the second turbine wheel through the second electric generator to cool the second rotor and the second stator. 27. The method of claim 19, comprising at least one of outputting the working fluid from the first outlet side of the first turbine wheel toward the first rotor, or outputting the working fluid from the second outlet side of the second turbine wheel toward the second rotor.