Thermal energy-driven cooling system and related methods

Abstract

A cooling system includes a heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from a heat source to an internal fluid, an expander fluidly coupled with the heat exchanger and configured to reduce a pressure of the internal fluid received from the heat exchanger, a first air-cooled condenser fluidly coupled with the expander and configured to air cool the internal fluid that is received from the expander, a compressor fluidly coupled with the first air-cooled condenser and configured to increase the pressure of the internal fluid received from the first air-cooled condenser, and a second air-cooled condenser fluidly coupled with the compressor and configured to air cool the internal fluid received from the compressor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooling system comprising:
 a heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from a heat source to an internal fluid;   a stack heat recovery steam generator fluidly coupled with the heat exchanger and configured to receive the internal fluid that is heated by the thermal energy transferred to the internal fluid by the heat exchanger, the stack heat recovery steam generator configured to heat the internal fluid received from the heat exchanger;   an expander fluidly coupled with the stack heat recovery steam generator and configured to reduce a pressure of the internal fluid that is received from the stack heat recovery steam generator, the expander configured to be coupled with a generator and to drive the generator to generate electric current;   a first air-cooled condenser fluidly coupled with the expander and configured to be conductively coupled with the generator, the first air-cooled condenser configured to receive the internal fluid from the expander and to air cool the internal fluid, the first air-cooled condenser also configured to be powered by the electric current generated from the expander driving the generator;   a compressor fluidly coupled with the first air-cooled condenser and configured to be conductively coupled with the generator, the compressor configured to increase the pressure of the internal fluid, the compressor also configured to be powered by the electric current generated from the expander driving the generator;   a second air-cooled condenser fluidly coupled with the compressor and configured to be conductively coupled with the generator, the second air-cooled condenser configured to receive the internal fluid from the compressor and to air cool the internal fluid, the second air-cooled condenser also configured to be powered by the electric current generated from the expander driving the generator; and   an expansion valve fluidly coupled with the second air-cooled condenser and with the heat exchanger such that the expansion valve is between the second air-cooled condenser and the heat exchanger, the expansion valve configured to reduce the pressure of the internal fluid before returning the fluid to the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat source includes a computer, a computer processor, or a server and the thermal energy is waste heat generated as a byproduct of operation of the heat source. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the stack heat recovery steam generator is separate from the heat exchanger and is configured to increase both a temperature and enthalpy of the internal fluid received from the heat exchanger by heating the internal fluid with additional thermal energy from the heat source. 
     
     
         4 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the first air-cooled condenser and the second air-cooled condenser transfer at least some of the thermal energy of the internal fluid to ambient air without transferring any of the thermal energy of the internal fluid to water. 
     
     
         5 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the stack heat recovery steam generator is directly downstream of the heat exchanger along a direction in which the internal fluid flows, the expander is directly downstream of the stack heat recovery steam generator along the direction in which the internal fluid flows, the first air-cooled condenser is directly downstream of the expander along the direction in which the internal fluid flows, the compressor is directly downstream of the first air-cooled condenser along the direction in which the internal fluid flows, the second air-cooled condenser is directly downstream of the compressor along the direction in which the internal fluid flows, the expansion valve is directly downstream of the second air-cooled condenser along the direction in which the internal fluid flows, and the heat exchanger is directly downstream of the expansion valve along the direction in which the internal fluid flows. 
     
     
         6 . A cooling system comprising:
 a heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from a heat source to an internal fluid;   an expander fluidly coupled with the heat exchanger and configured to reduce a pressure of the internal fluid received from the heat exchanger;   a first air-cooled condenser fluidly coupled with the expander and configured to air cool the internal fluid that is received from the expander;   a compressor fluidly coupled with the first air-cooled condenser and configured to increase the pressure of the internal fluid received from the first air-cooled condenser; and   a second air-cooled condenser fluidly coupled with the compressor and configured to air cool the internal fluid received from the compressor.   
     
     
         7 . The cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the expander is configured to be coupled with a generator and to drive the generator to generate electric current. 
     
     
         8 . The cooling system of  claim 7 , wherein the first air-cooled condenser is configured to be powered by the electric current generated from the expander driving the generator. 
     
     
         9 . The cooling system of  claim 7 , wherein the compressor is configured to be powered by the electric current generated from the expander driving the generator. 
     
     
         10 . The cooling system of  claim 7 , wherein the second air-cooled condenser is configured to be powered by the electric current generated from the expander driving the generator. 
     
     
         11 . The cooling system of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a stack heat recovery steam generator fluidly coupled with the heat exchanger and configured to receive the internal fluid that is heated by the thermal energy transferred to the internal fluid by the heat exchanger, the stack heat recovery steam generator configured to further heat the internal fluid received from the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         12 . The cooling system of  claim 11 , wherein the stack heat recovery steam generator is separate from the heat exchanger and is configured to increase both a temperature and enthalpy of the internal fluid received from the heat exchanger by heating the internal fluid with additional thermal energy from the heat source. 
     
     
         13 . The cooling system of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 an expansion valve fluidly coupled with the second air-cooled condenser and with the heat exchanger such that the expansion valve is between the second air-cooled condenser and the heat exchanger, the expansion valve configured to reduce the pressure of the internal fluid before returning the internal fluid to the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         14 . The cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the heat source includes a computer, a computer processor, or a server and the thermal energy is waste heat generated as a byproduct of operation of the heat source. 
     
     
         15 . The cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the first air-cooled condenser and the second air-cooled condenser transfer at least some of the thermal energy of the internal fluid to ambient air without transferring any of the thermal energy of the internal fluid to water. 
     
     
         16 . The cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the expander is downstream of the heat exchanger along a direction in which the internal fluid flows, the first air-cooled condenser is directly downstream of the expander along the direction in which the internal fluid flows, the compressor is directly downstream of the first air-cooled condenser along the direction in which the internal fluid flows, the second air-cooled condenser is directly downstream of the compressor along the direction in which the internal fluid flows, and the heat exchanger is downstream of the second air-cooled condenser along the direction in which the internal fluid flows. 
     
     
         17 . A cooling method comprising:
 transferring thermal energy from a heat source to an internal fluid using a heat exchanger;   reducing a pressure of the internal fluid received from the heat exchanger using an expander that is fluidly coupled with the heat exchanger;   air cooling the internal fluid that is received from the expander in a first air-cooled condenser that is fluidly coupled with the expander;   increasing the pressure of the internal fluid received from the first air-cooled condenser in a compressor that is fluidly coupled with the first air-cooled condenser; and   air cooling the internal fluid that is received from the compressor in a second air-cooled condenser that is fluidly coupled with the compressor.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the internal fluid is air cooled by the first air-cooled condenser and the second air-cooled condenser transferring at least some of the thermal energy of the internal fluid to ambient air without transferring any of the thermal energy of the internal fluid to water. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the heat source includes a computer, a computer processor, or a server and the thermal energy is waste heat generated as a byproduct of operation of the heat source. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the expander is configured to be coupled with a generator and to drive the generator to generate electric current.