Heat and power cogeneration system

Abstract

Techniques for cogeneration of heat and power are disclosed. A cogeneration system includes: a conduit loop configured to carry a working fluid using a Rankine cycle; a valve system disposed along the conduit loop, including valves configured to manage flow of the working fluid through a chamber; a backflow vapor line disposed along the conduit loop, configured to direct working fluid in a gaseous state to the chamber, such that the working fluid in the gaseous state displaces working fluid in a liquid state in the chamber and the working fluid in the liquid state advances through the conduit loop without requiring a mechanical pump; and a heat exchanger disposed along the conduit loop, configured to extract heat from the working fluid and direct the heat to a practical use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cogeneration system for small-scale applications comprising:
 a conduit loop, having CO 2  therein;   a pump disposed along the conduit loop, configured to pressurize the CO 2  to obtain pressurized CO 2  and direct the pressurized CO 2  to a heat exchanger disposed along the conduit loop;   the heat exchanger, configured to receive heat from a heat source and heat the pressurized CO 2  to obtain heated and expanded CO 2 ;   an energy conversion device disposed along the conduit loop, configured to remove energy from the heated and expanded CO 2 ; and   a cooling coil disposed along the conduit loop and configured to remove heat from CO 2  exiting the energy conversion device before the CO 2  reenters the pump.   
     
     
         2 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling coil is configured to selectively direct excess heat to one of a building interior and an external environment. 
     
     
         3 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , wherein the energy conversion device is operatively connected to an electrical generator that delivers power. 
     
     
         4 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to:
 obtain sensor data comprising at least one of temperature, pressure, and/or flow at one or more predetermined locations in the conduit loop; and   control speed of the pump based at least on the sensor data.   
     
     
         5 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a coil enclosed by an enclosure adapted to receive heat from sunlight. 
     
     
         6 . The cogeneration system of  claim 4 , further comprising an apparatus configured to regulate a degree of sunlight incident upon the coil, the apparatus comprising at least one of a focusing lens arrangement, a plurality of reflective panels, and/or a movable shade. 
     
     
         7 . The cogeneration system of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the coil is disposed on a surface of an electrically driven vehicle, and   wherein the cogeneration system is configured to power batteries operatively connected to the electrically driven vehicle.   
     
     
         8 . The cogeneration system of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the coil is disposed on a surface of a vehicle comprising a living space, and   the cogeneration system is configured to perform one or more of: powering at least one of batteries and/or a drive motor associated with the vehicle; and/or selectively directing heat into the living space.   
     
     
         9 . The cogeneration system of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of coils arranged to receive heat from a plurality of locations around the vehicle, and   wherein the cogeneration system is configured to selectively activate one or more coils in the plurality of coils based at least on heat detected adjacent to the one or more coils.   
     
     
         10 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the heat exchanger and/or the cooling coil is configured to exchange heat with a geothermal heat pump system. 
     
     
         11 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , wherein the pump and the energy conversion device are operatively coupled to a common shaft and surrounded by a shared enclosure. 
     
     
         12 . The cogeneration system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is operatively connected to a heating element that supplies supplemental heat to the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         13 . A refrigeration system comprising:
 a refrigerant evaporator configured to extract heat from a cogeneration system using a Rankine cycle to pump working fluid; and   a refrigerant condenser operatively coupled to the cogeneration system.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigeration system of  claim 12 , wherein the working fluid is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).