Use of renewable energy like solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower for manufacturing combustion air for a fossil fuel burner and firebox

Abstract

Invented is a method of making combustion air for a fossil fuel burner, as a coal burning power plant, oil refinery or gas fired household appliance. Combustion air is made from solar, wind, biomass, hydropower or geothermal. A staged progression using lower cost greenhouses, or flatplates, or solarponds, feed warm air to higher cost concentrator solar collectors. Wind energy, biomass, geothermal energy heat and compress combustion air. Hydropower also heats and compresses combustion air. Solar evaporation from salt or impure water creates water or local rain for the hydropower system. Combustion air thus is made economically hot, compressed and high velocity, and placed into a heavily insulated pipes for long distance transmission to a distant power plant.

1 . A system for making hot and compressed combustion air, for a distant fossil fuel burner firebox,
 said system comprising of:   utilization of solar energy for making said combustion air,   utilization of wind energy for making the combustion air,   utilization of geothermal energy for making the combustion air,   utilization of the burning of biomass for making the combustion air,   utilization of hydropower for making the combustion air,   utilization of renewable energy for making the combustion air,   means to power a distant coal burning power plant, refinery, smelter, or other industrial process heat 24 hours a day, year round.   
     
     
         2 . A system for making the combustion air of  claim 1 , for the firebox of  claim 1 ,
 said system comprising of:   a greenhouse,   means for warming, adding oxygen and adding moisture to said combustion air;   a flat plate type solar collector;   means for warming the combustion air from said greenhouse;   a solar salt pond with embedded pipes,   means for heating the combustion air hotter from the greenhouse and said flat plate type solar collector;   solar collectors utilizing a vacuum,   means for making the combustion air hotter from the greenhouse, the flat plate type solar collector, and said solar salt pond;   and a system of sunlight concentrating type solar collectors,   means for making combustion air hotter from the greenhouse, the flat plate type solar collector, the solar salt pond, and said solar collectors utilizing a vacuum.   
     
     
         3 . A system for making the combustion air of  claim 1 ,
 utilizing wind energy,   for the firebox of  claim 1 ,   said system comprising of:   an electric wind turbine,   means for powering an electric blower,   said electric blower attached to a rotating flywheel;   said electric wind turbine,   means for powering an electric resistive heating element,   said heating element embedded in a hot air oven.   
     
     
         4 . A system for making combustion air of  claim 1 ,
 utilizing geothermal energy,   for the firebox of  claim 1 ,   said system comprising of:   a pipe embedded in a hot geothermal geologic formation;   and a second pipe embedded in said geologic formation;   means to inject cold ambient outdoor combustion air of  claim 1 ,   and means to remove the heated combustion air of  claim 1 .   
     
     
         5 . A system for making combustion air of  claim 1  for a firebox of  claim 1 ,
 utilizing biomass,   for the firebox of  claim 1 ,   said system comprising of:   a remotely located firebox for burning said biomass as wood, peat or other hydrocarbons;   and a remotely located heat exchanger for heating said combustion air of  claim 1  from the burning of the biomass.   
     
     
         6 . A system for making combustion air of  claim 1 ,
 utilizing hydropower,   for the firebox of  claim 1 ,   said system comprising of:   a hydro turbine for powering a blower,   means for compressing said combustion air of  claim 1 ;   another hydro turbine and electric generator combination,   means for heating the combustion air of  claim 1  with an electric resistive element.   
     
     
         7 . A lake of salt or alkaline water for solar evaporation,
 means to increase local rainfall to power the hydro turbines of claim E.   
     
     
         8 . A greenhouse on top of impure water,
 means for making distilled water for the hydro turbines of claim E.   
     
     
         9 . A system of heavily insulated pipes;
 means for moving the combustion air of  claim 1  long distance,   to the firebox of  claim 1 .   
     
     
         10 . A system for moving the combustion air of  claim 1 ,
 to the firebox of  claim 1 ,   said system comprising of:   a blower,   said blower powered by renewable energy as solar, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, biomass or hydropower;   said blower using a flywheel for storing rotational energy.   
     
     
         11 . A system for converting the firebox of  claim 1  to burn hydrogen,
 said system comprising of:   utilization of combustion air of  claim 1 ;   said hydrogen made from solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydropower or other renewable energy.   
     
     
         12 . A system for converting the firebox of  claim 1 ,
 said system comprising of:   utilization of combustion air of  claim 1 ;   an utility tied electric blower;   the burners and tubes converted to carry said combustion air of  claim 1 ;   said firebox of  claim 1  converted to positive pressure, instead of negative pressure;   some of said burners and tubes kept for fossil fuel burning;   a slowly rotating energy recovery economizer or heat pipe;   an energy recovery turbine at the exhaust of the firebox of  claim 1 ;   means for compressing the combustion air and regulating pressure, flow rate, and combustion in the firebox of  claim 1 .   
     
     
         13 . A system for making hot and compressed combustion air for a building,
 utilizing solar and wind energy,   for remotely located fossil fuel burner fireboxes inside said building,   said system comprising of:   a greenhouse,   means for pre-warming, adding oxygen and adding humidity to said combustion air;   a solar photovoltaic powered blower attached to a flywheel,   means for moving the combustion air twenty four hours a day year long;   a solar collector with a vacuum,   said solar collector with a vacuum pump,   means for heating the combustion air with solar radiation;   a thermal conducting thermal mass,   said thermal mass made of a heat conducting cement and metal flake mixture,   the thermal mass surrounded by an insulating container,   the thermal mass with embedded tubes,   means for storing the solar heat from the combustion air;   a blower with an attached flywheel,   said blower powered by wind energy;   a heating element,   said heating element powered by wind energy;   and a system of connecting heavily insulated small diameter pipes inside walls;   means for moving the combustion air to said building's fireboxes,   for a hot water heater, furnace, dryer, or other converted gas, propane, wood, hydrogen or oil fired appliances.