Self-regulating turbine

Abstract

An energy cascade which is preferably fed by solar energy is made from standard solar absorbers including Seebeck elements on the upper end thereof, a self-regulating turbine including a generator arranged downstream and Seebeck elements arranged on the turbine outlet, a heat exchanger for the secondary circuit, and regulating devices for controlling the inner pressure of the primary circuit. The turbine is matched to varying operating conditions by means of suitable measures: matching of the inlet channel, changing turbine blade length for radial turbines, electronic control of the current generated in the generator for rotational speed limitation and a Seebeck heat/current exchanger in the turbine outlet channel.

1 . A turbine for operating with varying gas or steam quantities at varying temperatures and pressures comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of turbine vanes, each turbine vane having a length;    (b) a plurality of turbine blades, each turbine blade having a turbine blade inclination; and    (c) a flow gap having an adjustable size arranged between said turbine vanes;    wherein said flow gap is closed after the turbine reaches a rated speed in dependence on an available heated gas or steam quantity or the size of the flow gap or the turbine blade inclination or the length of the turbine vanes or a combination thereof is automatically adjusted as a function of pressure or temperature or both and a change in current flow in a generator connected downstream from the turbine is used as an additional regulating quantity for limiting turbine speed.    
   
   
       2 . The turbine according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of turbine sets arranged axially to each other having an axial gas or steam borehole, each turbine set arranged on a respective separating sealing disk;    (b) a control cylinder provided in a central gas or steam inlet borehole;    (c) a temperature and pressure-controlled spring biasing said control cylinder with a temperature and pressure-controlled spring force to automatically open at least one of said turbine sets depending on a quantity of gas or steam.    
   
   
       3 . The turbine according to  claim 1  wherein each turbine set comprises at least one stator and at least one rotor arranged to interact in a plane and an available gap in a rotational plane is automatically regulated by a temperature and pressure-controlled spring force, depending on a quantity of gas or steam.  
   
   
       4 . The turbine according to  claim 1  wherein each turbine blade has a tip and said turbine blades are made from an elastic material so that when a quantity of gas or steam is below a selected amount, the tip of a respective turbine blade lies tangentially against a neighboring blade with an outlet gap below a selected size and as the quantity of gas or steam increases above the selected amount the turbine blade is automatically deformed so that the size of the outlet gap increases with a decreased angle of attack of the turbine blade.  
   
   
       5 . The turbine blade according to  claim 1  further comprising a turbine outlet channel having a variable outlet gap dimension and a temperature or pressure-elastic leaf spring varying the outlet gap dimension so that when a quantity of gas or steam is below a selected amount, the outlet gap dimension is below a selected size and when the quantity of steam or gas is above the selected amount, said leaf spring is automatically deformed so that the outlet gap dimension increases above the selected size.  
   
   
       6 . The turbine blade according to  claim 1  wherein the turbine vanes have retractable turbine vane segments and the turbine has a flow channel comprising a first segment, a streamlined central flow segment, and a final segment, and wherein when turbine inlet flow is radial, the turbine vane segments running from outside to inside in the first segment of the channel can be retracted to a withdrawn form axially co-rotating as an impeller and change after the streamlined central flow segment in the final segment in which the turbine blades running from inside to outside can again be retracted into the withdrawn form.  
   
   
       7 . The turbine according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 (a) a structural assembly comprising at least two rotation bodies carrying the turbine vanes and an impeller accommodating the turbine vanes; and    (b) at least one spring pretensioning said structural assembly so that when gas or steam flow increases, the turbine vanes at least partially open up.    
   
   
       8 . The turbine according to  claim 6  wherein said flow channel comprises an inlet channel having a tapering profile, said inlet channel being adaptable as a function of load to varying operating conditions by a plurality of tensioning springs and a variable height profile or a variable depth profile.  
   
   
       9 . The turbine according to  claim 6  wherein said flow channel comprises an inlet channel having a tapering profile, said inlet channel comprising a cross-sectional profile having a wall made from a pressure-sensitive, elastic material that varies as a function of load.  
   
   
       10 . A turbine according to  claim 6  further comprising: 
 (a) a heat exchanger;    (b) a secondary circuit; and    (c) Seebeck elements having an outer side formed by a channel through which working fluid of the secondary circuit flows before entering the heat exchanger;    wherein said flow channel comprises a turbine outlet channel having an outer wall, said outer wall having said Seebeck elements.    
   
   
       11 . A turbine assembly comprising a turbine for operating with varying gas or steam quantities at varying temperatures and pressures, a generator arranged downstream from said turbine, and a heat exchanger arranged downstream from said turbine and said generator, said heat exchanger cooling working fluid of a first circuit and providing recovered heat to a second circuit, wherein said turbine comprises: 
 (a) a plurality of turbine vanes, each turbine vane having a length;    (b) a plurality of turbine blades, each turbine blade having a turbine blade inclination; and    (c) a flow gap having an adjustable size arranged between said turbine vanes;    wherein said flow gap is closed after the turbine reaches a rated speed in dependence on an available heated gas or steam quantity or the size of the flow gap or the turbine blade inclination or the length of the turbine vanes or a combination thereof is automatically adjusted as a function of pressure or temperature or both and a change in current flow in the generator is used as an additional regulating quantity for limiting turbine speed.    
   
   
       12 . A turbine assembly comprising a turbine for operating with varying gas or steam quantities at varying temperatures and pressures, a generator arranged downstream from said turbine, and a heat exchanger in a first circuit, wherein said turbine and said generator and said heat exchanger, after a downpipe with a check valve for closing the downpipe, are followed by at least one absorber tube in an ascending absorber for incoming thermal energy, including solar energy, said at least one absorber tube supplying hot gas or steam to the turbine, wherein said turbine comprises: 
 (a) a plurality of turbine vanes, each turbine vane having a length;    (b) a plurality of turbine blades, each turbine blade having a turbine blade inclination; and    (c) a flow gap having an adjustable size arranged between said turbine vanes;    wherein said flow gap is closed after the turbine reaches a rated speed in dependence on an available heated gas or steam quantity or the size of the flow gap or the turbine blade inclination or the length of the turbine vanes or a combination thereof is automatically adjusted as a function of pressure or temperature or both and a change in current flow in the generator is used as an additional regulating quantity for limiting turbine speed.    
   
   
       13 . The turbine assembly according to  claim 11  wherein the working fluid in the first circuit comprises an evaporable liquid or a gas.  
   
   
       14 . The turbine assembly according to  claim 11  further comprising a self-regulating pressure vessel with a bimetallic membrane, wherein the working fluid comprises a liquid that boils at a low boiling temperature and said self-regulating pressure vessel lowers pressure in the first circuit so that the low boiling temperature is more than 5 degrees Kelvin above flow temperature of said heat exchanger.  
   
   
       15 . The turbine assembly according to  claim 12  wherein said at least one absorber tube comprises a plurality of heater tubes provided with heat-conducting and gas or steam-permeable filler bodies or formed as extruded profiles having individual flow channels separated by ridges for improved transport of heat to the working fluid.  
   
   
       16 . The turbine assembly according to  claim 12  further comprising a plurality of collective absorber tubes having coupled predetermined check valves, wherein said absorber comprises at least two absorbers alternately admitted to the turbine in pulsed mode or smoothed pulse mode across said collective absorber tubes, said coupled, pretensioned check valves regulating pulsed operation of said at least two absorbers.  
   
   
       17 . The turbine assembly according to  claim 11  further comprising permanent magnets of alternating polarity, said permanent magnets being provided on either a rotating turbine base plate at a side away from the turbine vanes or an outside of a rotating impeller, wherein the generator has excitation windings arranged opposite a rotation gap.  
   
   
       18 . The turbine assembly according to  claim 16  further comprising a housing and Seebeck elements at an upper end of said housing, said Seebeck elements closing off said absorbers and being directly shaded and under forced air cooling on the outside.