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A heat engine for use in conjunction with a power generating plant, including a turbine section having a number of turbines, a heat exchanger section having a number of modules through which the expanded working fluid of the power generating plant and other sources of heat are circulated, a laminar

A heat engine for use in conjunction with a power generating plant, including a turbine section having a number of turbines, a heat exchanger section having a number of modules through which the expanded working fluid of the power generating plant and other sources of heat are circulated, a laminar flow inducing section, and a tower section for providing a pressure differential across the turbines of the turbine section. In use, the heat engine provides the dual function of: heating air to generate an updraft such that air forces its way into the turbine sections to drive the turbines and generate additional electricity; and using incoming colder air to condense the expanded working fluid and cool other sources of heat.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A heat engine for generating power from heat sources, said heat engine comprising: a turbine section, said turbine section having at least one air inlet and at least one rotor, wherein said at least one rotor is positioned to be rotated by air flowing through said at least one air inlet;at least

1. A heat engine for generating power from heat sources, said heat engine comprising: a turbine section, said turbine section having at least one air inlet and at least one rotor, wherein said at least one rotor is positioned to be rotated by air flowing through said at least one air inlet;at least one generator coupled to said at least one rotor for generating power as the at least one rotor is rotated;at least one tower section, said at least one tower section having an air outlet, wherein said at least one tower section is positioned above the turbine section and arranged to receive air flowing from said turbine section and to deliver the air flowing from said turbine section to said air outlet;a heat exchanger section positioned between said turbine section and said at least one tower section and comprising a heat exchanger, wherein said heat exchanger is adapted to be connected to at least one of the heat sources and configured to transfer heat from the at least one of the heat sources to air flowing from said turbine section into said at least one tower section;said heat exchanger including a plurality of modules including at least one upper module, and at least one lower module positioned below the at least one upper module, wherein said plurality of modules is arranged to receive heat from the heat sources of heat at different temperatures, wherein said at least one upper module is adapted to receive heat from at least one of the heat sources at a higher temperature than a temperature of heat received by the at least one lower module;wherein said plurality of modules is positioned across a transverse cross sectional area of said heat exchanger section;wherein the transverse cross sectional area of the heat exchanger section is greater than a transverse cross sectional area of the at least one tower section. 2. The heat engine according to claim 1, wherein a transverse through-flow area of the heat exchanger section is the same as a transverse through-flow area of the at least one tower section. 3. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, including an adjustment system for adjusting an impedance of the turbine section to air entering through the turbine section and flowing up through the heat exchanger section and into the at least one tower section. 4. The heat engine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one rotor of the turbine section includes variable pitch blades and the adjustment system includes a blade pitch adjustment system for adjusting a pitch of the variable pitch blades. 5. The heat engine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the adjustment system includes at least one selectively openable aperture through which air can enter the turbine section without passing the at least one rotor. 6. The heat engine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the adjustment system includes a coupling system for selectively coupling the at least one rotor to the at least one generator. 7. The heat engine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one generator comprises a plurality of generators and the at least one rotor of the turbine section comprises a plurality of rotors, the adjustment system comprising a coupling system for selectively coupling each rotor of the plurality of rotors to a respective generator of the plurality of generators. 8. The heat engine as claimed in claim 3, including a control system, said control system including sensors for detecting a temperature of the heat sources, the control system altering the adjustment system according to the temperature of the heat sources so as to control a flow rate of air flowable through the at least one air inlet to the air outlet. 9. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one tower section is of a height sufficient to produce a pressure differential which draws air into the at least one air inlet of the turbine section. 10. The heat engine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one tower section is between 300 and 500 meters tall. 11. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the heat sources is an expanded working fluid expanded through an expander of a power generation plant. 12. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of modules comprises at least a part of a condenser of a cooling system of a power generation plant. 13. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one rotor comprises at least one turbine. 14. The heat engine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one turbine is operable at a pressure differential of 1 to 2 psi. 15. The heat engine as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one turbine comprises a plurality of turbines and wherein at least one turbine of said plurality of turbines has adjustable blades. 16. The heat engine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one turbine comprises a plurality of turbines, wherein each turbine of said plurality of turbines is positioned within a respective duct of a plurality of ducts, wherein said plurality of ducts is spaced circumferentially around the turbine section, wherein the at least one air inlet is a plurality of air inlets, with each duct of the plurality of ducts having a respective air inlet of the plurality of air inlets. 17. The heat engine as claimed in claim 16, including an air duct closing system for selectively closing at least one air inlet of the plurality of air inlets. 18. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, including a tapering funnel section between the heat exchanger section and the at least one tower section for funneling air from the heat exchanger section into the at least one tower section. 19. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, including a laminar flow inducing section between the heat exchanger section and the at least one tower section, said laminar flow inducing section including means for inducing laminar flow of air flowing from the heat exchanger section into the at least one tower section. 20. The heat engine as claimed in claim 19, wherein the laminar flow inducing means comprises one or more pipe arrays, each of the one or more pipe arrays formed as a plurality of parallel straight pipe sections. 21. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of modules are formed from straight pipe sections joined with bend sections to form flow paths for the sources of heat. 22. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of modules are formed from coiled pipes to form flow paths for the sources of heat. 23. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of modules are isolated from one another to segregate the heat sources. 24. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one tower section comprises a plurality of tower sections arranged so as to support one another. 25. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, including a control system, wherein the control system includes temperature measurement devices positioned inside the at least one tower section, positioned inside the modules and positioned outside the heat engine. 26. The heat engine as claimed in claim 25, wherein the control system includes a plurality of pressure measurement devices for measuring air pressure inside and outside the heat engine. 27. A power plant comprising: a heat engine as claimed in claim 1, a boiler, a turbine, and another generator, wherein working fluid expanded through the turbine provides heat for the heat engine. 28. The heat engine according to claim 1, further comprising a compressor with a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, wherein the compressor inlet is adapted to receive working fluid expanded through an expander of a power plant, wherein the compressor is adapted to compress the working fluid expanded through the expander of the power plant, and wherein the compressor outlet is connected to the heat exchanger of the heat exchanger section. 29. The heat engine as claimed in claim 1, further including: an adjustment system for adjusting an impedance of the turbine section to air entering through the turbine section and flowing up through the heat exchanger section and into the at least one tower section; anda control system, said control system including sensors for detecting a temperature of the heat sources, the control system altering the adjustment system according to the temperature of the heat sources so as to control a flow rate of air flowable through the at least one air inlet to the air outlet. 30. A heat engine for generating power from heat from expanded steam from a power plant operating a steam cycle, said heat engine comprising: a turbine section, said turbine section having at least one air inlet and at least one rotor, wherein said at least one rotor is positioned to be rotated by air flowing through said at least one air inlet;a generator coupled to said at least one rotor for generating power as the at least one rotor is rotated;at least one tower section, said at least one tower section having an air outlet, wherein said at least one tower section is positioned above the turbine section and arranged to receive air flowing from said turbine section and to deliver the air flowing from said turbine section to said air outlet;a heat exchanger section positioned between said turbine section and said at least one tower section and comprising a heat exchanger,a compressor with a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, wherein the compressor inlet of the compressor is adapted to receive expanded steam from the power plant, and wherein the compressor is adapted to compress the expanded steam from the power plant to form water,wherein the compressor outlet of the compressor is connected to the heat exchanger;wherein said heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from the water to air flowing from said turbine section to said at least one tower section. 31. The heat engine according to claim 30, in which said heat exchanger includes a plurality of modules including at least one upper module, and at least one lower module positioned below the at least one upper module, wherein said plurality of modules is arranged to receive heat from sources of heat at different temperatures, wherein said at least one upper module is adapted to receive heat from at least one of the sources of heat at a higher temperature than a temperature of heat received by the at least one lower module. 32. The heat engine according to claim 31, in which said plurality of modules are positioned across a transverse cross sectional area of said heat exchanger section. 33. The heat engine according to claim 30, including an adjustment system for adjusting an impedance of the turbine section to air entering through the turbine section and flowing up through the heat exchanger section and into the at least one tower section. 34. The heat engine according to claim 33, further including a control system, said control system including sensors for detecting temperatures of heat sources, the control system altering the adjustment system according to the temperatures of the heat sources so as to control a flow rate of air flowable through the at least one air inlet to the air outlet. 35. A heat engine for generating power from heat from an expanded steam working fluid from a power plant operating a steam cycle, said heat engine comprising: a turbine section, said turbine section having at least one air inlet and at least one rotor, wherein said at least one rotor is positioned to be rotated by air flowing through said at least one air inlet;a generator coupled to said at least one rotor for generating power as the at least one rotor is rotated;at least one tower section, said at least one tower section having an air outlet, wherein said at least one tower section is positioned above the turbine section and arranged to receive air flowing from said turbine section and to deliver the air flowing from said turbine section to said air outlet;a heat exchanger section positioned between said turbine section and said at least one tower section and comprising a heat exchanger,a compressor with a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, wherein the compressor inlet of the compressor is adapted to receive the expanded steam working fluid from the power plant, wherein the compressor is adapted to compress the expanded steam working fluid from the power plant to form water,wherein the compressor outlet of the compressor is connected to the heat exchanger;wherein said heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from the water to air flowing from said turbine section to said at least one tower section;an adjustment system for adjusting an impedance of the turbine section to air entering through the turbine section and flowing up through the heat exchanger section and into the at least one tower section; anda control system, said control system including sensors for detecting temperatures of heat sources, the control system altering the adjustment system according to the temperatures of the heat sources so as to control a flow rate of air flowable through the at least one air inlet to the air outlet.