Method and Apparatus for Combining a Heat Pump Cycle With A Power Cycle

Abstract

The working fluid for the heat pump cycle will be different than that for the power cycle.

1 . A method of power generation comprising:
 (a) a power cycle; and   (b) a heat pump cycle, the heat pump cycle supplying heat to the power cycle wherein the heat pump extracts energy from an ambient environment and the combined power cycle and heat pump sustains its own operation plus produces an excess of mechanical energy.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power cycle includes a first media and the heat pump cycle includes a second media, the first media being different from the second media. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first media has a first flow rate and the second media has a second flow rate, the first flow rate being different from the second flow rate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat pump cycle includes an expansion valve. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat pump cycle includes an expansion turbine. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first media is R600 and the second media is R11. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the flow rate of the second media is about two times the flow rate of the second media. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat pump cycle includes a heat exchanger for rejecting heat and the power cycle uses this heat exchanger as a source of heat.